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[fullricebowl]

Good advice with the money exchange- I did decide to stay on the island and there are money exchange shops everywhere-1 or 2 every block. Not sure how I forgot that since my last trip to Hong Kong in 2009..

Also to update the cost, it is now 1100 HKD to process a visa here but I'm getting it expedited for next day pick up which is 1350HKD.

Lastly, it is awesome not having to wear a coat in January.

[Papillon]

I did the HK run a couple of weeks back and I thought I'd share my experience.

As it was a bit of a last minute rush I ended up getting a flight from Nanjing to Shenzhen. Stayed with a mate over night and then crossed the border the next morning and got the metro into Kowloon.

I opted to use one of the visa agencies. I tried one near Nathan Rd (think it was called Shoestring Travel). There was a dude outside trying to bring in customers (which is normally a bad sign) but I tried it anyway. I asked the girl behind the counter how much to get a Z visa and which any questions she quoted a price of 1,350RMB. I thought this was a bit steep not to mention a bit odd as she didn't know my nationality. When I showed her my documents she told me I needed the original health cert (had only brought a copy with me on advice from my company's HR dept). I questioned her on this and she was adamant that she was correct(...I do this all the time so I should know was her response)  I told her fine and that I would try a different agency. On that she shouted to someone in the back office and word came back that is was fine to use the copy of the health check. I told her thanks but that I wanted to try a different agency.

So I tried the agency Pashley recommended. They were pretty busy (Monday morning). They said the copy of the health check was fine but that as I only had a one page cert (which is all the health check clinic gave me) they could not proceed. Seemingly they needed a 3 page cert. So I decided to take a one month tourist visa and do the HK trip again. Hope my co forks up for the expenses again!

Anyway, got a 1 month L visa for 650RMB.

Some other useful things I learned on the way...
Mainland Chinese mobiles don't bloody work in HK wish I knew this beforehand:)
As they use the British electrical current & sockets my laptop and mobile were useless. Note: bring an adaptor.
The YMCA is a decent option for accommodation. I think it was 700RMB per night for a nice single room but they had dormer beds (4 per room) for 250 per night.

[Senor Boogie Woogie]

I am the one who originated the post. I went to Hong Kong and stayed on the Island within walking distance of the place. I have had two friends who had to go through the same process.

My advice is:

1.) Take nothing but your paperwork. The security there is very strict(gestapo a-holes more like it). Dont get off the plane and run over there with your suitcase, because you will have to leave it in the small security area, or they will tell you to get lost. I brought a book and a wooden back scratcher. Was allowed the book but not the backscratcher.(It could be used as a weapon. Really.)

2.) Don't arrive there at 9AM. Get there about 11-11:30. The reason is that there is no line at 11 AM, unlike 9AM standing outside waiting to be checked in to get in. If you arrive after (I think) 12 noon, security will not let people in, and make you wait until 1:00-1:30 to another line.

The waiting room is quite vast and is very similar to a waiting room at the airport. Play games on your phone, read a book. They do suppily several English newspapers for reading. There are people from all over the World there, and during my wait talked up with a few of them. There are about 20 counters, and it does slow down for lunch to about one or two counters, but they at least were efficient, and frankly if you got there at 9:30 AM, the wait is still going to be well over an hour to three.

[CaseyOrourke]

By the way, make sure you bring 1025 HKD to the Embassy??? If you're an American citizen they charge you pretty much the same price as it would cost in America, about $130USD. It's not surprising but hey, when you see the sign for 400HKD (or was it 200???) and get excited only to realize that applies to NON-American yeah...

    Chungking Mansions is awesome! There may be some cultural shock but they're relatively harmless. Just get use to seeing a lot of Indians and Nigerians. There is security at night. The one major drawback is the elevator usage. It gets very crowded especially at peak hours like 5pm. I went to Mr. Khem at Holiday Guesthouse. I have his business card if you want his number. It was 207 HKD per night and it's tiny, but it's clean. If you go, make sure you ask to see the room and that you were recommended because the rooms on the left behind two locked doors are okay, but the rooms on the right behind the one locked door (there are about 4 or 5 rooms in that section) is a lot nicer. They usually send you to the not so nice room if you were referred by another Guesthouse in the same building (something about their commission). I don't know exactly how it works.
     Finding Chungking Mansions is pretty easy too. It's by East Tsim Sha Tsui which is easily accessible by subway. Their address is: E Block, 6/Floor, E-1 ChungKing Mansions 36-44 Nathan Road Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Take the exit (I think it’s exit K) to Nathan Road and go straight until the first light. Turn right. You'll see the giant Rolex store across the street and you'll also pass a TGIF. Follow the street until you see ChungKing Mansions. It’s right after an Irish and Japanese restaurant. There are many hostels inside so you can choose. Also, Mr. Khem recommended me to his friend at Everest Club. Their Indian food is awesome. You can get a VIP card downstairs or you can ask Mr. Khem and he usually has coupons/vouchers.
     As for the Visa process, I think it took 4 days. The office is easy to find by subway also. Just take the subway to Wan Chai. Exit A, go upstairs where they have a bridge for pedestrians. Walk straight across and on the other side you should be able to see the Visa Office Building. It’s behind another building but it's really tall so you can’t miss it. You can see it from the bridge but I’m not sure of the address but it’s walking distance from the subway stop.
     Things to do. There is a lot. Do a Giggle search! I just love eating Indian food! They also have many free museums, mostly on Wednesdays, the giant Buddha, a lot of shopping, etc. Have fun and good luck!

When we went to Hongkong we stayed in the Chungking Mansion..... WHAT A DUMP!!!!! Whenever we went outside, we had everybody and their brother trying to sell us fake rolex watches and fake designer purses. once inside the building, Pakastinis, Indians and Africans constantly badgered us to buy phone cards, food and other crap, even after being told rather forcefully be ne umpteen times NO! The room was cramped for the wife and me, only one of us could stand at a time, no blanket, only a sheet, a TV that didn't work, ond bad that was so small only my wife could sleep on it and a bathroom that was barely large enough to sit on the toilet, let alone take a shower.

As for the consulate, we took the subway to the area then a taxi, took only our paperwork.  We had to stand in line outside, but a guy was handing out the paperwork for us to fill out.  Once inside we a guy looked over our papoerwork, told us what information we had missed, suggested we make copies of our marriage book and physicals and keep the originals.  Once we drew our number we had to wait for about an hour, than went back in three days to pay the fees and get our visas.  It meant suffereing another few days in the Chungking dump, so we spent as much time away from it as possible by eating breakfast in a nearby McDonalds, coffee at 7-11 and trips to all the hot spots we could find.  Next trip to HK will be in a real hotel, not a roachtrap hostel.

[Raoul F. Duke]

Yeah...Chungking Mansions is notorious. It's almost to the point where everyone should stay one night in it just for the experience.

I'm not much on hostels anyway. Personal peccadillo: I want a real room, and a private room. You can find decent hotels in HK for a reasonable price, especially if you know how to shop for them.

[xwarrior]

Hong Kong visa situation as of September 2011

This article answers most questions you might have on the Hong Kong visa run:

 

HOW TO GET A CHINESE Z VISA IN HONG KONG
Friday, 23 September 2011 00:00    Sherry Martin

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sometimes, well...it happens. You're in between jobs, and your visa's about to expire, and the only way to renew is leave the country - with Hong Kong being the easiest option. Sherry Martin found herself in this position recently. She was kind enough to record the process for future reference.

Paperwork

Get the Visa applications online. You need 2 forms to apply if you are not a Chinese national living in Hong Kong. Right now, the Chinese government is handing them out in the line up for the application.  You can get them there if all else fails.
Have your invitation letter from the school and the letter from the provincial government. Have a copy of each.
Have your passport and a copy of the face page.
Have your physical exam record and a copy of it.
Have one passport style picture with a plain background. Light colours preferred.
Fill in the application forms in advance. This should guarantee you a one day processing time. Sign the bottom of each of the pages. Date the form when you are at the embassy.

Tips:

The embassy has a webpage which will give the hours current when you apply. Right now, August, 2011, they open at 9 and break for lunch at 12. They start again at 2 and go to 5pm.

 

If you go in the afternoon, you may not be reached. It is safer to go in the morning. If you are not reached and 12 o'clock approaches, do NOT leave the room. You many lose your place in line and have to start again. Wait until someone official tells everyone in the room that he or she may leave.

You will not be allowed to bring in water bottles or luggage. A briefcase or backpack is OK. You will go through a security check like that at an airport.

Do bring a pen. There are no pens provided.

Processing Time

You may do “regular” which is a few days, 3 or 4. You may do fast processing, which will cost a bit more. Right now, a Z Visa on one day processing costs $400 HK. Cash only is accepted, in RMB or HK dollars.  You select what you prefer by ticking a box on the application form.

Attending

Go to the China Resources Building, No. 26 Harbor Road. You will be going to the 7th floor.
The line up is along the east side of the building. It moves quite quickly until the Visa application room is full, then it moves only when people leave the room.
On the 7th floor, there are men checking forms and handing out numbers. Line up and give them the application forms. They will check them. If the form is not perfect, you can make changes in the room. Ask them to check all the form so you can make changes one time and return to the line up once.
When you have a number, sit in the room and wait. They cover about one number per minute. The number is displayed on a board and it flashes over the booth of the person who reviews the forms.  There are four to eight booths open at a time.
When you go to the booth, hand over your paperwork, including your photo and passport.
If you are successful, you will receive a slip of paper with a date and time for pick up of your Visa. If you were processed in the morning, you return in the morning. If you are processed in the afternoon, you return in the afternoon.
On your return, you do not need to go into the long line up. You can show your slip of paper and enter.
In the application room, pay the fee first, then go to collections and get your passport back. Check it then and there.
Done!

Tips

Cabdrivers know the address, but if they are not sure, tell them that the building is the one where you go to get a Visa. Everyone knows that address. If the driver is not familiar with the building, you may be dropped at the front of the building. Just go to your left as you face the building. The line up is really visible when you turn the corner and get to the side door.

I got my Visa in a day, with pick up being on the day after the processing.  It was stressful because I had never done it before, but actually it was pretty easy.  Don't trust the two guys checking the forms when they tell you about leaving for lunch.  They steered a lot of us wrong.  We were all reached anyhow, but it was really aggravating to start at the end of the line in the afternoon.

The people processing the forms in the booths will not talk to you or even look at you until your number is reached.

Changchun Live
http://dbdaishu.com/ccl/index.php/en/stories/97-ferney/281-how-to-get-a-chinese-z-visa-in-hong-kong
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[Papillon]

Ok, I need to do the HK run again. Does anyone have any tips so my mainland China phone will work in HK? Should I buy a sim card just for the day or so that I'm there or can I ask China Mobile to upgrade my coverage?

Thanks

[Papillon]

Also, any suggestions on a decent hotel for around the HK$500 mark?

[Raoul F. Duke]

Your basic Chinese SIM card just plain ol' won't work in HK, and vice versa. The Chinese go to great lengths to make sure of that. You'll either need to buy an international SIM card in China (which is outrageously expensive!) or buy a SIM card in HK (which seems a little crazy for just one day...)

Is the thought of being off the grid for one day so hard to fathom?

For reasonable hotel rooms, try some of the hotels on Nathan Road in Kowloon. The Imperial is one I've stayed in, but there are others as well. The location is very close to the CTS office that processes Z Visas, if you're using them, and is also fairly close to the Mongkok Train Station that terminates all trains to and from the mainland.
Nathan Road also offers excellent shopping for hashish, strong narcotics sans prescription, genuine Roolex watches, and blueberry pancakes.

[tomhume89]

Also, any suggestions on a decent hotel for around the HK$500 mark?

One decent one is the Cosmo hotel on the Island- I paid around 500 for a night.

If you don't mind being a bit far away, try the Silka Far East Hotel in Tseun Wan. I've got a room for 300 this Spring Festival- it's about 50mins away from downtown, but I find that when I'm in HK I　rarely pop back to the hotel 'til I'm done for the day.

[fullricebowl]

Earlier this year I stayed in a private room in the YesInn on HK Island. It was only two subway stops or so from the consulate- I walked the distance a couple times during my stay. It's a hostel, so there are definitely cheaper rooms, but my shared room was about $330HKD.

I'd met up with a friend from Shenzhen in Hong Kong and I seem to remember she was able to enter a few numbers before dialing and she was able to use her mainland SIM card in Hong Kong? Maybe some of the Shenzhen people here have personal experience with something similar? I really can't provide any better information than that, so I doubt this is useful for you at all- when I went with my fiance a few years ago he just bought a new SIM card.

[Papillon]

Thanks for the hotel tips guys. I guess I should have pre-booked though. I was a nightmare trying to find one that wasn't fully booked. I tried the YMCA, Cosmo, Metropol, Holiday Inn, Yes Inn (to name but a few) and had no luck:( I was close to giving up and heading to Chungking but then decided to fork out a bit of cash for the Rosedale (on the Park).

As for the phone situation, if you put 300RMB on your phone credit China mobile allows you 1 week of calls in HK. Calls/sms are cheap though. Think sms cost 1RMB to send and .3 to receive. Think it was 1RMB per minute to call also but having a working phone makes life much easier down there. The main reason I needed one was it was a working day for me so I needed to be on call.

Some other things I learned from this trip;
HK weather is beautiful in December! 25 degrees. T-shirt weather during the day and a light jacket/sweater at night.
Hk people are really friendly.
Food is pretty cheap.
Shenzhen & HK customs checks are weak. Guangzhou are more stringent.(watchout for your blueberry pancakes and whatever else you may be bringing).
HK ladies aren't too pretty in general and they walk with a waddle.hehe. Actually the guys dress much sharper.
Clothes shopping is great during the autumn sales. 50% off on most things.
Oh, and book a hotel in advance!

[Raoul F. Duke]

Hmmmm...the phone thing must be a new development?
But glad you had a good trip. Hong Kong is by far my favorite city in the world.

[DC@54055]

I'm going to China in February but I'm going to need to make a visa run. I need to get to HK to transfer my L visa to a Z visa. (the only reason I feel comfortable with this is that several teachers at the school have done it this way and it seems ok)

I asked the DOS at the school (a canadian guy) what it would cost; heres what I got (synthesized)

Flight Wenzhou to HK - ?
The Visa (I'm from the US) -1500HKD = 1300RMB = 205 USD
Hotels = 600 RMB = 94
Transportation Allotment (Subways, Buses) = 300 = 47 USD
Flight HK to Wenzhou - ?

1. Do the above prices look right?
2. What is the price of a flight to HKD? I did a price search and it looks like a round trip hovers around the range of 400-530. (I used Kayak - Is there a better way to find cheap flights in China?)
3.  I know that going to Shenzhen then to HK is cheaper. Whats the estimate price of doing it this way?

[xwarrior]

1. the prices look like ok ball park figures to me with rider that everything in HK is expensive, esp food and hotels. The average price for a HK hotel is HK1300 - 500 will get a refurbished box of a roomand anything under an old box.

2. China based sites are best for air tickets. I have found Ctrip to be consistently the best - Along is another and Qunar is ok if a Chinese friend helps with translation.  I ignore sites based overseas.


The price of a ticket varies by the minute so if you see a 'special' grab it before it goes. You may be travelling at a busy time of the year (tail-end of Chinese New Year and beginning of a new semester) so you should think of getting the ticket now, before the prices start going up.

3. It depends on the timing of your run. If you have to stay in a hotel for a night before  making your application then Shenzhen is the best option. The airport bus, hotel and food will be cheaper.
The extra cost of a taxi to the hotel, taxi next morning to Luo Wu and the train to HK would be in the range of RMB150.
Last year I had to do HK 4 times and I always flew into and out of Shenzhen.