Can a foreigner fly to Hongkong with China visa but no HongKong visa?

[totapio]

My boyfriend is coming to China. 

We found a cheap flight to HongKong, he has a business visa (single entry) to China. 

But he doesn't have a visa for HongKong (his country is not visa-free for Hong Kong). 

Can he fly to Hong Kong, get into Hong Kong Customs, 

Take a ferry or a bus to Shenzhen?

[ChTTay]

If he doesn't apply for visa-free entry into Hong Kong ... then he surely must need a visa? unless there is some kind of visa on arrival service

 

He would nee to enter HK in order to take a bus or ferry to Shenzhen. However, if he was flying from HK to Shenzhen then he might not need to leave the airport.

 

It would help to know which country he is from.

[889]

He would certainly need a visa to transit by land to Mainland China, and some nationalities require a visa even to transit at the airport.

http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/visit-transit/visit-visa-entry-permit.html

Note too that in the past year the Hong Kong Government has become concerned about travellers from some countries who make doubtful claims for asylum on arrival at the airport. If your boyfriend is a young student-type from one of these countries, he might find it less problematic to just fly directly to China.

[roddy]

Is the airport ferry perhaps an option? Pretty sure you don't need to enter Hong Kong for that (and I think maybe this is an option ChTTay didn't know about?)*

 

However, the airline may also be a problem. He's going to need to board a plane for Hong Kong, without a visa for Hong Kong. If Hong Kong don't let him in, the airline has to fly him home. I'd get a Hong Kong visa, or as suggested a flight directly into China.

 

From earlier posts, this is a Palestinian passport. 

 

* this says no need to go through immigration and customs. I still think the airline could be a problem - the check in agent might not know about the ferry, or just might not believe you. And also, that link 889 posted says there's no visa required for transit *by air* and when not leaving the airport transit area. So might not cover transit by ferry?

[ChTTay]

Yeah, I assumed you'd have to leave the airport to take any onward transport apart from taking a flight and transferring.

[889]

And if you look at the footnotes, you'll see that some nationalities require a visa even if remaining in transit.

[yueni]

You can absolutely fly to HK and go to Shenzhen without a HK visa by taking the airport ferry, because you do not leave the secured zone. This is how I did it.

 

When you arrive in Hong Kong, follow signs for the ferry. I believe there are two ferry operators, I just picked the first one on the right. You purchase your ferry ticket in HKD, so make sure to have some on you, though I imagine they probably accept RMB. I had HKD on me just in case, so I don't know for sure. When you purchase your ticket, you give them your baggage claim tickets so they can pick up your luggage for you and put it on the ferry. In return, you get a ferry ticket, and a new baggage claim ticket from the ferry company. They will tell you what time you can board the ferry, just hang out until it's time to stand in line. They won't let you through unless it is time for your ferry.

 

Once you go through, you (and all the other passengers) will take the Skytrain to the ferry waiting dock, where you will wait for a short while. Once you can board the ferry, they will let you through the gate, and you go down the stairs and outside onto the ferry loading dock. The ferry ride to Shenzhen (I took the one to Shekou) is about 45 min. When you arrive, you pick up your luggage in the back of the 1st floor large cabin of the ferry. You can't miss it. There's probably a crowd of people arguing and generally making a nuisance of themselves trying to be the first to claim their luggage.

 

Once you get off the ferry, just follow the signs, you literally can't go wrong, because there's only one way you can go. If you haven't filled out a customs form for China (the HK one that you get on the plane is totally different, don't bother filling that one out), don't get in line. Go to the tiny counter on the left hand side and fill out your customs form, then get in line, otherwise they'll make you stand in line twice.

 

Once you're through customs, you have arrived in China.

 

欢迎观临！

 

 

ETA: I need to add that I took the last ferry at ~9:45pm, so check to make sure that your flight arrives at least an hour beforehand, otherwise you can't take the ferry to Shenzhen, and might need an HK visa. I was told the ferries might be booked up too, but mine was empty when I took it.

 

ETA2: Something else to think about. Is this ticket round trip to HK? If so, he's going to need a HK visa to get on the return flight anyway. If his return flight is booked out of Shenzhen, then he is probably OK..

[totapio]

@yueni,  thank you very much, it's very helpful. you have given us very clear guideline.

 

And I double checked with the ferry and customs from Shenzhen and HongKong, all said it's problem to go from Hong Kong to Shenzhen by ferry. 

[roddy]

@yueni - that's all fine IF you're on a passport which would give you entry to Hong Kong anyway. My concern would be if you have some check-in clerk at your airport of departure who's a) been told 'don't let anyone on the plane if they don't have entry to Hong Kong' and b) has no idea that you can get a ferry to mainland China from airside Hong Kong airport. All that check-in clerk is going to see is some guy with no visa to Hong Kong and some story about how he doesn't need one because he's not really going to Hong Kong.

 

Totapio, if you decide to do that, check with the airline, then take a copy of the conversation with the airline to show at check-in. 

 

" If so, he's going to need a HK visa to get on the return flight anyway. If his return flight is booked out of Shenzhen, then he is probably OK.."

Actually you can check in for your flight at Shekou (or wherever), ferry to airside, get on plane. Again, no need to enter Hong Kong proper, but does depend on your airline offering that service. Not all do. 

[yueni]

@roddy Oh good point. It's true some airlines are sticklers about visa stuff, which would probably be something the boyfriend needs to check with the airline. I completely forgot about that part. But good to know that the ferry service also runs in reverse, since HK is the closest (and most direct) airport for me going anywhere not-China.

[889]

If you want to see what the check-in clerk sees, then look at the Timatic visa database, available through several airline websites.

[totapio]

I checked with airline, but the girl didn't know how to do, then she asked someone, said no, I can not do like this.

and I called the ferry and told them the airline, they said, yes, of course you can. 

 

   

[roddy]

At least you're sorting this out now. He could have been refused boarding at the airport. 

 

Have you booked the ticket? It might just be easier to get a Hong Kong visa - if they'll give him one for China, and he shows a ticket to Hong Kong, hopefully they could give him one for Hong Kong. He doesn't have to use it - he can then take the ferry. Or go into Hong Kong and to Shenzhen overland, whatever .

[889]

The practical problem is that Chinese embassies can't just issue HK visas themselves. They have to send everything through official channels back to HK for approval first. Or you can apply directly to HK yourself. In either case, it takes some time and is a hassle.

(This reflects an important aspect of the relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland, in which Hong Kong maintains control over its immigration practices.)

[roddy]

Ah, didn't realise that. 

[totapio]

He is here safe. everything is good.