If you plan to go to Shenzhen from Hong Kong, just get a Shenzhen visa at Lowu or Huanggang border. No need to apply for a China visa in advance. But this is the case only if you are a passport holder of certain countries, such as most of the EU countries, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. US citizens are not eligible for this Shenzhen visa, so are passport holders of the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Cameroon, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Israel, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Sudan, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The Shenzhen Visa Office at Lowu is immediately upstairs after clearing the Hong Kong immigration and customs. It is open 9AM-10:30PM seven days a week and accepts RMB for payment only. The visa is a five-day visa and costs RMB160. If you are a UK passport holder, you will be charged a much higher fee at about RMB470.
A friend has just got a Shenzhen visa for RMB160 at Lowu border. According to him, the whole process took about half an hour. You will first get your queue number, and when it is your turn, you give your passport to the staff for checking, followed by making payment at another counter. You will then have to wait again for your turn to collect your passport, this time with the visa.
It was a Sunday when my friend applied for the Shenzhen visa, and the visa office, he said, was surprisingly not crowded with foreign travelers, but with Filipino domestic helpers working in Hong Kong and hoping to spend their only free day in a week in Shenzhen.
Note that the Lok Ma Chau border (the one connected by MTR) has no Shenzhen visa service. You can only apply for a Shenzhen visa at Lowu border or Huanggang border.
im a filipino and my gf and i wants to go to shenzhen today, but we don’t know if i can get the 5 day visa in lo wu…i have the hong kong id too…please let me know if i can get it there
Hi,
I’ve read an article about nationalities who are eligible in VOA for shenzhen. Filipinos are not listed there. I’m just wondering if we can get a VOA or not. I’m confused! I’m planning to go to shenzhen on January 2012 and I’m getting frustrated that some of the articles I’ve read said that filipinos are not eligible for VOA shenzhen. :((
Thanks!
Hi all,
I am a bit confuse with the VOA rule, if I read on internet, some information told that VOA was closed until August 2011, but open again in Sept 1. But other wrote that he went to Lowu on Sept 5 and no VOA services anymore. But if read Michael’s email, meaning VOA already open again since he just wrote in early Sept. anyone can help for confirm about VOA?Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Monique
I forgot to add. There are signs EVERYWHERE and on the Visa itself, reminding you that it is valid for Shenzhen ONLY.
I did this last Monday afternoon. Exactly as Anna described The visa room was deserted. I applied; paid and received the visa all in five minutes. The Immigration Hall was also empty – I had to fill in the Immigration form in any empty queue line!
As an aside, I found in Shenzhen some of those flashing LED light tapes at CNY 10 per metre. In Hong Kong the same was HKD 100/metre. So that purchase alone saved more than the cost of the visa ;-)
FYI for foreign domestic helpers, filipinos in particular, you cannot get the Visa on arrival at either border crossing :( You have to go into the main office in Wan Chai beforehand and have your visa issued there, then when you goto Shenzhen you can get through the border no problems. The good news is, the Visa’s are a wee bit cheaper in HK than they are at Lo Wu :)
it is best that you call them and check. the domestic helpers in hk from Philippines surely can get the visa. guess all filipinos can.
Hi,
are filipinos allowed to get the 5 day visa at Lowu Border? thanks
Thanks, updated! I heard of this too.
China is stupid, they are not willing to give this visa for Indians also, kindly update this in your list. I call them and ask before post it here.
Just the right info that I needed.
Thank you!
This is what I am searching for..
Thanks alot
i heard from the China embassy in my country, that i can’t take the VoA from shenzhen. i don’t know why, but can u help me? because i plan to visit Shenzen next month. and i need to know if i really can get my visa from Luohu Border? thank u :)
I have at least 20 of these Shenzen Visas in my passport and was there late december and it is still fine to get the Shenzen Visa at the border. I am a UK passport holder and it’s fine. Not sure what this suspension for Asia Games is about, can anyone tell us where you saw that. I.E: website link
Hi Again Ms. Anna,
A friend told me about the ‘games’ or expo. So the tourist are not allowed to enter shenzhen on january. ill be traveling for one day only between january 18- 20. hope you could help me.
thanks a lot! :)
olympics on jan 18-20? never heard of it.
hi there!
i would like to travel shenzhen in one day between january 18-20, 2011. is it possible to get a visa on those days being aware of the olympics?
your response will be much appreciated.
thank you!
Is Shenzhen visa on arrival still available? i heard it has been suspended because of asian games. is Shenzhen VOA available for Malaysian?
if you travel from causeway, take the tunnel bus (bus number with 3 digits and starting with 1) to hung hom, the first stop after crossing the tunnel, and take the train all the way to lowu from there (mongkok station on the east rail line).
I found the information very helpful. I was thinking of crossing the border to Shenzhen just for a dinner with friends, but thought it would be too much hassle but now it seems quite easy.
If I travel from Causeway Bay, is MRT the quickest way to get to the border check point (Lowu)?
hi.. i am indonesian passport holder. I would like to travel to Shenzen on january 23, 2011. As I know 5 days VOA is available for indonesian also. I will be entering shenzen from HK, and will leave Shenzen from Bao’an airport. My questions are :
- is it possible for me to exit shenzen from the airport with my VOA at louhu border?
- until when VOA is suspended for asian games, december 2010 or january 2011?
thank you very much for the reply..
i am a filipinino and i will be traveling to hongkong and macau on january 18-27, 2010, part of my plan is to visit shenzhen, but i have read in the net that the Lo Wu border will not grant any visa until january 2011. If just in case i can get a visa in the border, how much would i pay for the visa paypent and can i stay in shenzhen for 3 days? lastly, if i can’t get a visa at the border is there any other option in getting a visa for shenzhen? pls guide me.. pls e mail me for your response at josephemel@yahoo.com.. your help is highly appreciated!
I have a u.s. passport and want to go to shenzhen, china today but i don’t have a visa right now. Where shall i go to have a visa and how much will i pay?
hello. i am a Filipina now in MLA.. and will visit HK on sept 25, and plan to go straight to LO WU to get a Shenzhen VISA for a day or 2 shopping at SHENZHEN, then bk to HK. How to get to LO WU from HK airport? What else do i need to know and what do i need to bring and be ready with for a fast VISA process? This will be my 1st time to travel there.. and alone. Thanks very much :)
what you get at the border is shenzhen visa, not china visa. that is different – you must be clear on this.
i am not Chinese authority. so I cannot be sure about the list. what is more, everything about China is flux. they can change things at whims. if you want to be 100% sure, call up the shenzhen authority. that is the best way going about it. you can find their contact information online.
But since my friend saw a number of filipinos (working in hk as domestic helpers) at the shenzhen visa office, i tend to think you should have no problem getting a Shenzhen visa at the border. Again, shenzhen visa is different from China visa. And don’t take what is written here as the official information. it is just some information sharing. you have to decide for yourself how to use the information.
Hi,
I am a Filipino and will be travelling to HK soon. I would have wanted to get a Shenzhen at the HK boarder but saw in some websites of a new legislation for Filipino passport holders to get their visas in their country of origin. But in your list, Philippines is not included. Are you sure about this? thanks.
No. Only good for travel in Shenzhen.
Is the Shenzhen visa good to travel elsewhere in China, e.g. Guangzhou?
Thanks for the info!
Peter