The Shenzhen visa, which gives visitors five day access to the city of the Shenzhen, is a great way to take a peek at China. A Shenzhen visa is also far less hassle than a Chinese visa proper, as it can be picked up at the Hong Kong – Shenzhen border.
The problem with the Shenzhen visa lies in the fact that the Chinese government likes to switch the rules around on which nationalities are eligible for the visa, although these are, in fairness, usually tit-for-tat changes.
Who Is Eligible For a Shenzhen Visa?
- Australian, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and most EU passport holders are eligible for the Shenzhen visa.
- UK passport holders are currently eligible for the Shenzhen visa, although this status tends to change somewhat frequently.
- US passport holders are not eligible for the Shenzhen visa and nor are they likely to be in the near future. Other countries not eligible are passport holders of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Cameroon, Egypt, 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, Yemen
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also helpfully points out that ‘the above list is subject to change without prior notice’. In practice, and despite some scaremongering on the internet, this list is fairly static. We will amend this list when we become aware of any changes.
