Originally Posted by
tris06
In reply to Tya's comments very interesting. Though the comment about needing a Hong Kong pass i am not sure. As my gf does not need her HK pass if she has a flight out of the airport. Also i have been with her at the Chinese side and i can see they ask for 2 things, a look at the itinerary and her Chinese passport. This is at the crossing between Shenzhen and hk but one would imagine its not that different for flying into hk.
HK allows Chinese up to 7 days in HK before hand if they are going to fly out of the airport.
I am not 100% sure about Hong Kong case. My understanding is that PRC (Mainland) passport holders will also need so-called "
Two-way Permit" to enter Hong Kong, and vice versa it is true for Hong Kong SAR citizens to enter Mainland: the "
Home Return Permit".
From what I've heard is that it is a lot easier to apply for the Two-way Permit for Hong Kong than the one to Taiwan (because of the higher scrutiny examined by PRC officials). And that's why some PRC Mainland citizens choose to make a transit in Hong Kong, because border inspectors will think they are only going to Hong Kong as shown on their boarding passes and will thus will only ask for Two-way Permit.
There are many exceptions for the Mainland-Hong Kong case however. Registered residents in certain metropoleis, such as nearby Shenzhen will have easier access, and that's maybe why your girlfriend has no problem crossing the border. Different ports also abide by different rules and practices. Some are tighter, some are looser. Most classic example in my memory was how PVG and PEK identify Taiwan PP holders differently. The former used to care not if one holding ROC passport to go into "foreigner" lane, while the latter would ask them go back to "Chinese National" and line up again.
For the Hong Kong side, they don't care as long as you don't clear Hong Kong immigration. Everyone is treated as international transfer.