garethmorgan

Are UK citizens currently able to get a visa at the border?

11277m

As far as I know the only visas on arrival are 72 hour visas available at a few Chinese airports to encourage transit passengers to stay in the major cities for up to three days.

Have a look here...http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/visa/

mdevans

No they aren't. You will be turned back (and might possibly be fined, though you probably will not even make it out of HK)

garethmorgan

The China Visa Information page says

"The single entry five-day VOA is available at Luohu (Lo Wu) Port, Huanggang Port, Shekou Port and Fuyong Port if you visit Shenzhen for 5 days at most. There is no office at Futian Port although it is a few hundred meters apart from Huanggang Port. They are different land crossings which connect to different points in Lok Ma Chau in Hong Kong. Futian Port connects to Lok Ma Chau MTR Station while Huanggang Port connects to 24-hour Lok Ma Chau Control Point.

Office Hours of Shenzhen VOA Application at the Following Ports:
Luohu Port: 09:00 - 22:30
Huanggang Port: 09:00 - 13:00, 14:30 - 17:00
Shekou Port: 08:45 - 12:30, 14:30 -17:30
Fuyong Port: 08:30 - 17:30

Application Requirements
1. your valid passport;
2. complete the application form when you are at the port;
3. the officer will take a photo of you after you hand over your passport and application form;
4. pay for the VOA (in Chinese RMB), and there is a window for currency exchange.

Passport holders of most countries can easily get a VOA in Shenzhen, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Ireland and Spain."

I'm aware that different nationalities are subject to varying conditions and I wanted to know if the UK is currently 'approved'.

moondog

The Shenzhen Bay checkpoint also has a VOA office, which has been open every time I've passed through during the past 3 weeks. I've yet to see the Shekou port office open because I always take the 6p ferry, but I can assure that it exists.

UK passport holders are currently in the clear (though at a much steeper price than everyone else). US passport holders are NOT. I advise the OP to monitor the situation closely because China's love of UK passports tends to fluctuate on a sporadic basis, and being turned down at some of the checkpoints (Huanggang in particular, with its 1000 meters of no man's land) would seriously suck.

garethmorgan

Thanks. Do you know the price b any chance?

moondog

It's around $100 iirc, and you can find up to date info via google.

MSPeconomist

You seem to be talking about 72 hour TWOV (transit WITHOUT VISA) which is not at all the same as visa on arrival; it doesn't involve a visa at all.

moondog

...and, has absolutely nothing to do with Shenzhen border visas (the topic of this thread).

11277m

You are correct. A few years ago I looked into VOA between HK and Shenzhen, but either couldn't find it, or rejected it because of the short stay limitation, coupled with the cost compared to obtaining a regular visa in London.

seattle29

Sorry to hijack this old thread, but are UK passport holders still able to obtain the 5-day SEZ visa? I'm planning on going in 3 weeks time.

bibbju

It changes all the time. Just because a SZ visa is available for UK passports today doesn't mean it will be in 3 weeks. Safer bet is buy a full Chinese visa unless you have no problem being turned away at the border.

moondog

While I agree that PRC visa policy can be fickle (e.g. a single foreign policy incident changes the landscape), I think you're being a bit too hyperbolic. Put differently, if I didn't absolutely have to be in Sz three weeks from now, I'd be completely comfortable using current regulations in order make the plan. That having been, since the cost differential between a border visa and a true visa is minimal for uk citizens, I'd try to snag the latter.

seattle29

The problem with getting a true visa is - because I live in Kuala Lumpur right now, the Chinese embassy would want to interview me again to get a tourist visa (mandatory for all non-citizens getting a visa in Malaysia, even tourist visas). And I don't have time to sit around all day, last time I arrived for a 9am appointment and got seen at 4.30pm, lost an entire days' work.