Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF

I think one is run by the airport and one is run by HK Immigration.

You need to qualify for the barcode, which you do if you hold a Frequent Traveller Card (there are a couple of other ways too).

When you arrive there is a little booth (there must be a few dotted around the airport) - you go in and have your finger prints taken and your passport registered.

you then get a barcode affixed to the back of your passport.

From now on you can go to an e-channel gate, put your passport in... gate opens... you scan your finger... chit is dispensed giving you x number of days in HK... second gate opens and you're in HK!

Takes 15 seconds. Saves hours over a year compared to normal waiting lines. It is a little quicker than the Freq Trav card line. But it seems the barcode lasts until your passport expires (rather than the card which expires at 2 years).

We think!

Originally Posted by dsgtc0408

To LHR/MEL/Europe FF:

I got the confirmation as to the expiration date (asked the nice Immigration lady whlle in transit going from airside to groundside and back to airside on Monday evening).

I was told that when we apply for the bar code, the immigration officer sets the expiration to be the same as the passport. When receiving a new passport we go back to Immigration and advise them of the change. They will quiz us on any updates and record, after which we are back in business, I presume with a new barcode on the new passport.


To 1K+:
The Frequent Visitor card scheme is run by the Airport Authority and gives you priority access to the visitors queue (line). I'm sure you've noticed the nice lady with a barcode reader where once you allow her to scan your card you go to the front of the line to process your entry via the immigration slip you filled out.

The barcode that is being discussed here is issued by the Immigration Department, HK Government. It allows you to use a select number of the E-Channel readers (needs to be a machine with a barcode scanning receptacle in addition to the smart ID card reader that HK residents use to enter HK). It's a label that is stuck to the back of your passport. Assuming the machine is happy with you, you wll be issued a receipt (no stamp/chop in passport) indicating how long you can legally stay. Aside from being faster than the regular line (processed by a human immigration officer), there are few to no people using the E Channel lines, also you need not fill out the immigration form. Be aware that the barcode privilege is only effective at HKG. If you enter or exit HK from any other border point (say Lo Wu), you have to line (queue) up and be processed by a live Immigration officer. To be clear the two programs are separate from each other.