Job Discussion Forums

[Hainanien]

I'm American so the visa info is based on that, the travel info is good for anybody.

I flew into SZ & took the big blue bus right outside the doors, it took me into the city center (I think) for 20 Yuan, they leave on a regular schedule from there.

I took a taxi from the last stop on that bus route to the SZ train station / China - HK boarder for 18Y... 10 minutes.

At the train station / boarder, I went through immigration easy, both exiting China & entering HK.

I took the train / subway to the end of the route for 36 HK dollars, I could have got off in Kawloon but went on to the end so I could transfer to another train to get to downtown HK where the China visa office is, another 9 HK$.
East Tsim Sha Tsui stop off the KCR line ---> walk to the MTR trains, train to Wan Chai.

Got off train at the Wan Chai stop & asked someone direction to Harbor rd, the China resource bldg is the red one, (for any nationality to get F or Z visa) turn right on Harbour rd., bldg # is hard to see, the office I needed was actually not on Harbor rd but on the first side street you cross, right around / on the corner, between the two stone lions.

I got to the big office to get a visa, simple process if your papers are in order, get a ticket & wait.

My papers were noy in order & I ended up going to CITS for the L visa.

Quick & easy, albeit expensive = 850 HK$ for a 30 day L visa same day processing. I gave my paperwork at 10am & picked up my passport with visa at 2pm.

I booked a good priced plane ticket SZ yo Haikou for later that night in the same office they give the visa in.

I took the train to the SZ train station / boarder & through to China no trouble. (The bridge to China is a couple hundred metres)

From the SZ train station I took a mini bus, # 568to the SZ airport for 20Y,
Ask there how to find the mini bus or take it from the SZ airport if you fly there & you'll know where it is.
To get that bus at the SZ airport, go out the doors & to the right, you'll see it on the second pick up driveway, it says Shenzhen Train station - Airport on the side & the sign where it picks you up... 50 minutes airport to train station.

My passport is full & I need new pages.
In HK, go to the American Consulate & they'll add them free & easy.
Take the MTR to the Admiralty station & get a taxi to 26 Garden rd, HK island. - 15 HK$... after ya get pages, just walk down the hill to the train station & save the cab fare, it's easy to find.

*** The consulate in HK does Not give passport pages on Wednesdays now!
It was Wednesday & wasted 45$'s & an hour finding this out

I stayed at the hostel on the 13th floor in the Mirdor tower in Kawloon, there are Many in that building to choose from around 50 a night for a bed & 150 for a room of your own. A good location, near everything.

Quick view:

Shenzhen airport to SZ train station / boarder crossing to HK - take bus # 568 for 20Y & 50 minutes.

New pages in U.S. passport - American Consulate on Garden rd. HK isle * Not Wednesdays.
U.S consulate phone numbers to get new visa pages-
Hong Kong office - 2841 - 2211
Guangzhou office - 8620 8518 7605

U.S. 30 day L visa at CITS as of 11-23-05 = 3 day processing is 450 HK$ 2 day - 650 , same day (in by 11:30 pick up by 3) 850$ HK dollars.

11-05 exchange rate in Kawloon RMB to HK dollars = 200Y to 162 HK$.

Lunch or dinner in HK = 50 bucks... a bottle of water = 9HK$'s... smokes = 20$ for cheaper brands...
If your going for a quick in & out visa trip, bring Chinese cigs, bottled water & snacks if your tight on cash.

Cheap rooms in Kawloon - Mirador Tower in Nathan rd. & Mody, many to choose from at 50HK$ a night in the dorm & private rooms around 150$.


Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The PRC.

7th Floor, Lower Block, 26 Harbor Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.

Tel: ++852-25851657 OR ++852-25851680 OR ++852-25851794

1) You need to go there Monday to Friday during business hours.

2) "Within One working day" means: the visa should be processed within 24 hours

"Fast Process" means: the visa should be processed the same day.

Requirements to obtain a Visa in Hong Kong

A. 1 recent passport photo.

B. Passport which needs to be valid at least more than 3 months.

C. Call the office before your visit.

A China Tourist and Business (F) Visa can be obtained easily in Hong Kong. It can be obtained with the help of a travel agent but at least 3 full working days should be allowed for this procedure.

Obtain visa at CITS (H.K.)
Requirements

A. 1 recent passport photo

B. Passport, which needs to be valid at least more than 3 months and have a full empty page inside passport.

C. CTS (H.K.) can obtain tourist visa type only.

CTS (H.K.) Kowloon branch office Address:

1/F, Alpha House, 27 Nathan Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon (Nathan rd. & Peking)

Tel: 2315 7106 working hours: 09:00a.m.-17:00p.m. (Monday-Saturday).

If anyone can add to this.....

[vikdk]

CITS is expensive for visa - shop around - very quick and much cheaper L and F visas used to be obtained from foreverbright - www.fbt-chinavisa.com.hk

u can do same over counter thing now in shanghai - www.emoo.net

[Spiderman Too]

Good report! But, you got ripped off big time on the exchange rate. You could have got HKD$190.00 for RMB200 at many money changers.

A friend recently had pages inserted in his passport at the US consulate in Guangzhou. On a Friday, took one hour and was free-of-charge.

[Hainanien]

Thanks for the link vikdk!
I'll send em an email & find out if they have made any changes.

Spidy,
I checked many exchange places in Kawloon & most were this rate or higher that day, granted they were the streetside places as I don't know yet where the cheaper places are... (hint hint.....)

[Roger]

Money exchange: your best bet is to actually use RMBs for your shopping! Many shops now accept the yuan in payment; you stand to get up to 95 HK cents for every RMB; if it is below 94 you should think twice about using yuan. I recommend Park'N Shop for its fair exchange rate!

Streetside changers exist just about anywhere where there are hordes of mainland tourists, i.e. Kowloon, Wanchai, Causeway Bay and even in Sheungwan.

In KOWLOON you find them in all busy roads, and their exchange rates are less than interesting - sometimes as low as 80 cents for every one yuan!
In the entrails of the CHUNGKING MANSIONS you can find some Indian moneychangers that offer 94 per one yuan while the Chinese guy next to the main entrance on Nathan Rd. may offer 92. Sometimes all those published exchange rates are synchronised.

In MIRADOR Mansion one block north of Chungking Mansions you find other moneychangers; the best one is a Chinese business on the east side of the building (I can't recall the name of that street). IT's also friendlier over there.

BANKS too change RMB, but beware of HSBC and other big banks: they will charge you HK$ 50 per transaction if you are not an account holder with them. Smaller banks sometimes change with no fuss and no extra charge but things keep changing all the time.