How to Apply for a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong

Current as of 2 September 2026.

How to obtain a new visa when your permitted stay is ending

If your permitted stay in mainland China is coming to an end, one option is to travel to Hong Kong and apply for a new Chinese visa. This is not a formal extension of the old visa and not an automatic “renewal of days”: once the application is approved, the applicant receives a new visa with its own validity period, number of entries and duration of stay.

The whole route is described below: crossing over from Shenzhen, receiving the Hong Kong Landing Slip, the online document review, the in-person submission at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center and the return to mainland China once the passport is back.

The key point: the applicant must first enter Hong Kong lawfully and keep the Landing Slip. For a visitor this slip serves as proof of lawful presence in Hong Kong. Without it the online application may be returned with a demand to enter Hong Kong first and attach proof of entry.

In brief: the sequence of steps

1. Check your eligibility to enter Hong Kong and prepare the full set of documents and translations.
2. Cross the border via Futian / Lok Ma Chau Spur Line or another suitable border crossing.
3. At Hong Kong immigration control collect the Landing Slip, keep the original and take a photo or scan of it straight away.
4. On the website of the Hong Kong visa centre, fill in the application form and upload the documents, including the Landing Slip.
5. Wait for the status Online review completed and the confirmation email.
6. Print the Visa Application Certificate with the barcode and the full application form. Prepare the originals and the photograph.
7. Within 30 days of the online review being approved, submit your passport and documents in person at the visa centre and pay for the service.
8. Collect the passport on the date and at the time stated on the receipt.
9. Before returning to mainland China, fill in the free NIA Arrival Card.

Before leaving Shenzhen

Applying in Hong Kong does not guarantee that a visa will be issued, nor does it guarantee a particular processing time. Arrange accommodation and a time buffer in Hong Kong in advance, in case additional documents are requested or there is a delay.

• Passport. As a general requirement it must be valid for at least six more months and have at least two blank visa pages.
• Eligibility to enter Hong Kong. The requirements depend on your nationality, your passport and the purpose of the trip. Check them on the Immigration Department Hong Kong website.
• Documents for the required category of Chinese visa. The exact list depends on the purpose of the trip; the visa centre or the consular officer may request additional materials.
• Translations. Documents drawn up in a language other than Chinese or English should be prepared with a translation into English or Chinese. Do not leave the translations until after you have entered Hong Kong.
• Copies and electronic files. Make legible scans in advance, but keep the originals with you for the in-person submission.

Landing Slip: the Hong Kong entry slip

The Landing Slip is a small piece of paper issued to a visitor after Hong Kong immigration clearance instead of a passport stamp. It states the name in English, the travel document number, the date of entry, the conditions and the permitted length of stay.

This is not the Chinese Arrival Card and not a visa. The Landing Slip confirms that the applicant is in Hong Kong lawfully. The visa centre's official list of documents cites it explicitly as an example of proof of lawful entry for a visitor.

Keep the original for the whole period of your stay, take a photograph or a scan and attach it to the online application. If the slip is lost, the Hong Kong Immigration Department provides a free replacement, but that will take additional time.

Documents for the online review and the in-person submission

Since March 2025 the procedure has consisted of two stages: first the online review, then the in-person submission of the passport and the originals after approval.

The basic set

• the passport and a copy of the personal data page;
• the complete visa application form;
• one recent colour photograph against a white or near-white background — 33 mm wide × 48 mm high;
• proof of lawful entry into or residence in Hong Kong; for a visitor — the original and a copy of the Landing Slip;
• a copy of the most recent Chinese visa, if one was issued previously;
• the documents for the chosen visa category;
• any additional materials requested by the visa centre or the consular officer.

The photograph must have been taken within the last six months, without headwear or conspicuous accessories, full face, with the eyes open and the mouth closed. The official centre requires a printed photograph on glossy photo paper rather than on an ordinary sheet.

If the applicant is a child and the documents relate to treatment

Following the practical notes of a visa specialist, prepare in advance:

• the child's birth certificate with a translation into English or Chinese;
• a medical report with the diagnosis, with a translation;
• the disability certificate, if it is part of the package, with a translation;
• copies of the personal data pages of the passports of both parents;
• the consent of the second parent for the trip — as a fallback document.

In the submissions described by the specialist, the consent of the second parent has not been required so far, but it may still be requested. The fact that it was not asked for in one case does not mean that another applicant will not need the document.

The online application

1. Open the official Chinese Visa Application Service Center website and select the Hong Kong centre.
2. Register, fill in the application form and upload all the documents for your category.
3. Attach the Landing Slip as proof of lawful entry into Hong Kong.
4. Check the status of the application regularly: during the online review you may be asked for corrections or additional materials.
5. Once the status Online review completed appears and the email arrives, print the Visa Application Certificate — the sheet with the barcode.
6. Print the full application form as well, not just a single page. At the counter the officer can take the sheets that are needed; such a set reduces the risk of a repeat visit.

After online approval the documents must be brought to the centre within 30 days. The online review in itself does not mean that the visa has already been issued: the final decision is taken by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong SAR.

Practical experience. With an urgent submission the online review took about 1–2 days. This is a specialist's observation, not an officially guaranteed timeframe: a request for additional documents will lengthen the wait.

Submitting in person at the visa centre

Address: Unit 304, 3/F, Causeway Center, 28 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

Document submission and payment: on working days from 09:00 to 15:00, except public holidays. Before travelling, check the current hours and public holidays.

Bring with you:

• the original passport;
• the Visa Application Certificate with the barcode;
• the full printed application form;
• the printed photograph, 33 × 48 mm;
• the original documents listed in the instructions for your category;
• the Landing Slip and a copy of it;
• any additional documents requested during the online review.

The passport stays at the centre while the visa is processed. The visa fee and the service fee are paid on the day of the in-person submission.

Timing and fees

For this guide we use one clear reference point: Express — 860 HKD for a single-entry visa at the general published rate. The official processing time for this option is 3 working days after the in-person submission.

The cost may differ depending on nationality, visa category and the number of entries. Before paying, check the current table of fees. If the amount in the online system or on the receipt differs from the table, go by the amount generated by the visa centre for that particular application.

Same-day processing is not available. Come for the passport on the date and at the time stated on the receipt. In one of the cases described, the passport was ready before the appointed time, but you should not count on early release.

Getting to Hong Kong via Futian

For a route from central Shenzhen the pedestrian border crossing 深圳福田口岸 (Futian) is convenient. The Gaode Map screenshot gives the address 广东省深圳市福田区裕亨路23号; as a guide, it is about 90 m on foot from Exit A of Futian Checkpoint station.

1. Pass through Chinese exit immigration control.
2. Cross the bridge over the Shenzhen River.
3. Pass through Hong Kong immigration control at Lok Ma Chau Spur Line.
4. Collect and keep the Landing Slip.
5. Come out into Hong Kong territory and stay there while the visa is being processed.

The Gaode Map card lists the hours as 06:30–22:30. This is a guide, not a guarantee: before travelling, check the schedule in the official list of Hong Kong control points and on the Shenzhen Port Office website.

Alternative: Luohu / 深圳罗湖口岸

If the Luohu district is closer for you, you can use 深圳罗湖口岸. Gaode Map gives the address 广东省深圳市罗湖区和平路, about 80 m on foot from Exit A1 of Luohu station.

The card lists the hours as 06:30–24:00. Check them again before travelling. On the map, look for the label 深圳罗湖口岸 and the markings 出境 — exit, 入境 — entry.

Returning to mainland China: the NIA Arrival Card

Once the passport is back and the new visa has been checked, you can get ready to return to Shenzhen. Before Chinese immigration control, fill in the Arrival Card if it is required in your case.

• Fill it in from a phone
• Fill it in from a computer

This is a free official National Immigration Administration form for entry into mainland China. It does not replace the visa and has nothing to do with the Hong Kong Landing Slip. In practice it takes about five minutes to complete, but leave a time buffer and follow the current prompts in the service. The NIA also warns about fake paid websites.

Every crossing counts as a separate entry

Before travelling, check the Entries field in the visa. Any passage through immigration control when entering mainland China counts as the use of one entry — regardless of how long the stay lasts. When a person leaves mainland China and returns to Hong Kong, the current period of stay comes to an end.

• If the visa is single-entry, it cannot be used again after such an entry and the subsequent exit: the permitted entry has already been used up.
• If the visa is double-entry or multiple-entry, you can return only while the visa is still valid and unused entries remain. A new crossing starts a new period of stay under the terms of the visa; it is not a continuation of the previous one.
• For a new entry, fill in a new Arrival Card if it is required. A card prepared for the previous crossing does not replace the details of the new entry.

Do not plan an extra trip back to Hong Kong without checking the Entries, the validity of the visa and the conditions of the next entry.

Before you leave the collection counter, check the name, the passport number, the validity, the number of entries and the permitted duration of stay in the visa. If you find a mistake, speak to a member of the centre's staff immediately.

Common mistakes

• Confusing the Landing Slip with the Arrival Card: the first confirms entry into Hong Kong, the second is filled in before entering mainland China.
• Not checking the number of Entries: even a short entry uses up one permitted entry, and leaving ends the current period of stay.
• Sending the online application from mainland China without proof of lawful entry into Hong Kong.
• Not translating the birth certificate, the medical report or the disability certificate.
• Attaching the passport of the accompanying parent only and forgetting the second parent's document.
• Printing only a single sheet after online approval and not bringing the full application form.
• Treating 860 HKD as a fixed price for every applicant, when the final amount depends on nationality and the parameters of the visa.
• Planning same-day collection or arriving earlier than the time on the receipt, relying on someone else's lucky case.
• Buying the return journey without any margin for an additional request or a delay.

Official sources

• Chinese Visa Application Service Center Hong Kong — the online procedure and timings
• Visa centre — basic documents and Landing Slip
• Visa centre — photograph requirements
• Visa centre — fees in HKD
• Visa centre — Entries, validity and Duration of Each Stay
• Visa centre — address and opening hours
• Hong Kong Immigration Department — Landing Slip
• Hong Kong Immigration Department — entry requirements
• NIA — Arrival Card for a phone
• NIA — Arrival Card for a computer

Visa rules, fees and opening hours change. Check them again on the official websites before travelling. This article does not replace the decision of the visa centre or individual advice.