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Hong Kong or Macao Organized Tourist Group Visa-Free Entry - Guangdong

ChinaShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

Ordinary-passport holders from countries having diplomatic relations with China may first enter Hong Kong or Macao, then enter Guangdong in a tourist group organised by a travel agency registered in either SAR.

See recorded sources
  • V regional mechanism
    V. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) to Guangdong Province. Foreign nationals holding ordinary passports from countries with diplomatic relations with China may enter nine cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as Shantou, without a visa, provided that they will enter Hong Kong or Macao SAR first and then enter Guangdong Province as part of a tourist group organized by a travel agency registered in any of the two SARs. The foreign tourists in this case can stay for a maximum of 6 days in the following cities: Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. The tourists concerned shall enter and exit the Chinese mainland as part of their tourist group via any of the exit-entry ports in these 10 cities.

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

The route covers group tourism in the ten permitted Guangdong cities, with entry and exit as part of the group.

See recorded sources
  • V regional mechanism
    V. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) to Guangdong Province. Foreign nationals holding ordinary passports from countries with diplomatic relations with China may enter nine cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as Shantou, without a visa, provided that they will enter Hong Kong or Macao SAR first and then enter Guangdong Province as part of a tourist group organized by a travel agency registered in any of the two SARs. The foreign tourists in this case can stay for a maximum of 6 days in the following cities: Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. The tourists concerned shall enter and exit the Chinese mainland as part of their tourist group via any of the exit-entry ports in these 10 cities.

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

Up to six days in Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan and Zhuhai, through open ports in those cities. Counting starts at midnight after the entry day. Applicable bilateral or unilateral exemption rules take precedence where their conditions are met.

See recorded sources
  • V regional mechanism
    V. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) to Guangdong Province. Foreign nationals holding ordinary passports from countries with diplomatic relations with China may enter nine cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as Shantou, without a visa, provided that they will enter Hong Kong or Macao SAR first and then enter Guangdong Province as part of a tourist group organized by a travel agency registered in any of the two SARs. The foreign tourists in this case can stay for a maximum of 6 days in the following cities: Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. The tourists concerned shall enter and exit the Chinese mainland as part of their tourist group via any of the exit-entry ports in these 10 cities.
  • Final counting paragraph
    The stay period specified in any of the aforementioned policies is calculated from 0:00 on the day after the day of entry. For the individuals who meet the requirements specified in the bilateral visa exemption agreements and the unilateral visa exemption policies of China, the relevant regulations shall prevail.

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

The passport nationality, prior Hong Kong/Macao entry and SAR-registered travel-agency group must all meet the conditions. The paragraph does not specify a universal maintenance sum. Non-hotel accommodation must be registered with local police within 24 hours.

See recorded sources
  • V regional mechanism
    V. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) to Guangdong Province. Foreign nationals holding ordinary passports from countries with diplomatic relations with China may enter nine cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as Shantou, without a visa, provided that they will enter Hong Kong or Macao SAR first and then enter Guangdong Province as part of a tourist group organized by a travel agency registered in any of the two SARs. The foreign tourists in this case can stay for a maximum of 6 days in the following cities: Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. The tourists concerned shall enter and exit the Chinese mainland as part of their tourist group via any of the exit-entry ports in these 10 cities.
  • Article 39(2)
    外国人在旅馆以外的其他住所居住或者住宿的,应当在入住后二十四小时内由本人或者留宿人,向居住地的公安机关办理登记。

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

No individual visa or permit is obtained: foreign nationals must first enter Hong Kong or Macao and then enter Guangdong as part of a tourist group organised by a travel agency registered in either SAR. They must enter and exit the mainland as part of the group through ports in the 10 listed cities. The policy text states no individual extension or change route.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The NIA regional visa-free policy text describes no individual extension or change route for this group scheme; it requires entry and exit as part of the group.
  • The NIA stay-permit guide (fba655cd4a095d56) allows stay permits for visa-free entrants generally, but no official text reconciles that with this scheme's group entry/exit condition; not applied here.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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