Hong Kong Introduces the Guangdong Group Visa

As if the Chinese visa situation in Hong Kong wasn't complicated enough, the authorities have now added a new type of visa. Called the "144-hour Convenient Visa Guangdong Province, China", it certainly wins the most ridiculously titled visa award.

The visa is only for foreign nationals visiting Hong Kong and allows group visits to Gunagdong Province via Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing and Huizhou.

There are a couple of major drawbacks to the visa. You must travel in a group, with a minimum of 3, and you must all enter and leave the country together. And the real reason for introducing it; you must arrange a 'tour' through a Hong Kong Travel Agent. This may not necessarily mean booking a six day, guide led, itinerary packed tour, but simply paying a fee to the tour agency to win yourself the visa. Another Chinese visa scheme that helps the travel agent and not the traveller. You can use CTS or Grayline to book the tour and visa. You can get an in depth, blow by blow of the new visa in our guide to the Guangdong Group Visa.

Individuals will need to use the Shenzhen Visa, if they want a taste of China, or a full Chinese visa if they are ineligible for the Shenzhen Visa or travelling to areas in Guangdong outside the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.