Visa to Hong Kong: procedure of registration, documents

Tours in Hong Kong and China have recently become more popular with Russian tourists. Particularly interesting in this respect is the autonomous region of the PRC, which came under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Empire only in recent years. This is an amazing place where Western and Eastern, communist and liberal influences have mingled. Here you can go to rest on the sea, with a head to plunge into the world of shopping, get acquainted with the exclusive excursion program. And the most fashionable are tours to Hong Kong for the newlyweds during the honeymoon. But how can Russians come to this country? Do I need a special visa or do I need to have a Chinese visa? How to apply for permission to enter this amazing island? We will discuss this in detail in our article.

Do I need a visa to Hong Kong and why?

This island and seaport has long been a disputed territory, although it was inhabited by the Chinese. In 1997, Hong Kong finally returned to the bosom of its mainland. Nevertheless, it remained a special autonomous region. Here, their laws reign both economically and politically. No wonder to enter Hong Kong, even from China, you need to have a visa and pass border and customs control, as well as to visit the island from abroad. Chinese visa in Hong Kong is not valid, nor is it the other way around. But all these procedures will have to take place if you are going to the island for a long time. In the case of a short visit, everything is simpler.

The possibility of visa-free visits to Hong Kong

In the two thousand and ninth year a special agreement was concluded between the governments of Russia and Hong Kong. It had positive consequences for tourism. Thanks to this document, since 2012, Russians have been able to travel for a short time to the island without a visa. This is very simple and does not cause any problems, especially in cases when you will enter directly from Russia, for example, by the Moscow-Hong Kong flight. When visiting an autonomous region from China, you will have to observe all procedures for passing the border in full. What do you need to freely enter the island? First of all, you need to convince the border guards that you will spend in Hong Kong no more than two weeks. Therefore, they need to show return tickets with the specified date. Such an agreement on the possibility of a visa-free visit was made in Hong Kong not only with Russia, but also with Ukraine, Kazakhstan and some other countries of the former Soviet Union.

What you need to show at the border for a visa-free visit

In addition to return tickets, it is necessary to have such a minimum package of documents:

• A foreign passport, which will be valid for another 30 days after you return to your homeland.
• Money, checks or bank cards, indicating that you have enough money to spend time in Hong Kong.
• The address and telephone number of the hotel, friends or relatives where you are going to live. In the case of a business trip, you need to have an invitation from the host party.

Entry from China

As already mentioned, it is possible to cross the border of a special region from the territory of the PRC. In particular, this opportunity is available to Russians who hold a Chinese visa. However, their documents must comply with all the rules of visa-free entry. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to enter the island. The border can be crossed very quickly, all formalities are simplified. There are many checkpoints where the procedures are designed to automatism. It is enough to present a valid passport and fill in the arrival card. But to return back to China, you must have a valid double or multi-Chinese visa. A single entry permit is no longer valid. Otherwise, you will have to fly home from the island.

Visa to Hong Kong: where to get it?

If you want to be on the island for more than two weeks, the purpose of your trip does not allow you to get there without an entry permit or whether you plan to visit China at the same time, that is, several options. You can apply to a special agency that will deal with your problems. But if you do not want to pay extra money, you will have to visit the diplomatic representation of the country. They are not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Chinese consulates work in the Urals (Ekaterinburg), in Siberia (Irkutsk) and in the Far East (Khabarovsk, Vladivostok).

What you need to apply for an entry permit

A typical package of documents for obtaining a visa, regardless of its duration and purpose of the visit, consists of:

• Filled in English and a personally signed visa application form designed specifically for visiting Hong Kong.
• Foreign passport. Make sure that there is at least one clean page to put the visa, and that the document expires at least six months after you return.
• Two recently made color photographs of the passport format (three by four centimeters). One picture is attached to the questionnaire, and the second you put in a window just like that. This is very important, otherwise the documents may not be accepted.
• Document on the payment of consular fees. If you only need a visa to Hong Kong, then you will give the amount in rubles, corresponding to 30 US dollars. And in the case of travel, even in China, for two permission to enter will take fifty conventional units.
• Visas of the country from which you arrive to the island, except for the cases when a direct flight "Moscow-Hong Kong" or a charter / scheduled flight from other Russian cities is carried out.

Traveling with children requires a notarized copy of the child's birth certificate, as well as permission from the mother or father if the baby is traveling with only one parent.

Types of entry permits

Before you take a trip to this autonomous district, make sure which visa you need in Hong Kong. For example, a tourist entry permit (category L) requires a typical set of documents described above. But if you want to get a working, educational or commercial visa, you need to provide additional paper. As well as Chinese, the visa for Hong Kong for Russians differs by the number of entries. There is a one-time, two-time or multiple permission to visit the island. Multivies make out to people who often travel. They also should not have comments from the Hong Kong authorities on the regime's violation. And what about the citizens of countries that have not concluded agreements with Hong Kong on visa-free entry, and they need to cross the country in transit? Then they must issue a special permit. It is given to those who have to transplant in Hong Kong to an air or sea vessel. Owners of a transit visa (category G) can not leave the city limits. Travel around the region too.

Work Visa

This kind of permission to enter Hong Kong (category Z) is issued to those who want to find a job in the region or to open their own enterprise there. Investors and program participants for foreigners investing in the economy of the region, too, receive this visa. In addition to the standard package of documents, for its receipt you need to have an invitation from the employer, a competent business plan or description of the investment project. Keep in mind that all papers are very carefully checked, and therefore the chances of getting rejected at the embassy are high enough. Applications of investors and entrepreneurs are assessed by a special commission in terms of their effectiveness and appropriateness. It is easier to obtain a work visa if you are employed in an international company whose branch is open in Hong Kong. In those cases when you are going to get a position in an enterprise related to small or medium business, the employer must prove that he has a successful experience of cooperation with foreigners.

Commercial visa (M)

It is issued to business people who go to Hong Kong to negotiate or participate in various official events, exhibitions or conferences. An invitation from the host country for obtaining such a visa must be written on the letterhead of the organization with the seal and the handwritten signature of its director or representative. There should be clearly indicated the purpose of the trip and the coordinates and contact details are given, by which you can check whether this invitation is genuine.

Entry Permit for Students (X)

A visa to Hong Kong can be educational. It is multiple and long-term, and allows its holders not only to get education on the island, but also to leave it several times and return without having to issue additional documents. To receive it you need to remotely apply to some Hong Kong university, and collect the package of papers for the embassy should be after the enrollment. The documents for obtaining a visa are typical, but they are additionally submitted a sponsorship letter guaranteeing payment of your expenses for education and accommodation, as well as an official paper that you were accepted to the university. Your sponsor (who may be, for example, the university itself or some Hong Kong resident) must provide proof of his financial ability and commitment to pay for the student's needs.

How long to wait for the availability of permits for entry and the duration of their validity

Visa processing in Hong Kong requires waiting at least a week. Often a tourist or commercial permit to enter the island is made longer than ten days. But if, along with visiting Hong Kong, you will also need a Chinese visa, then the chances of speeding up the procedure are increasing. The fact is that the Chinese embassy promotes tours both to the mainland and to a special area, and travelers who want to get to two regions immediately await pleasant bonuses. A work visa is issued for four weeks in the case of a positive response from the immigration service. As mentioned above, with a visa-free visit to Hong Kong you receive a special sticker. It allows you to stay in the district for no more than two weeks. Multivisa provides the opportunity to stay on the island for two months and is valid for three years.