Shenzhen Residents Get Unlimited 7 Day Visits To Hong Kong
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Shenzhen Residents Now Eligible for Unlimited 7-Day Visits to Hong Kong
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Shenzhen Residents Get Unlimited 7-Day Visits to Hong Kong Starting December 2024
From 1 December 2024, Shenzhen residents will enjoy greater travel flexibility to Hong Kong with the reinstatement of the multiple-entry Individual Visit Scheme (IVS). Permanent residents of Shenzhen, as well as residence permit holders, can apply for this new IVS, allowing unlimited entries to Hong Kong over the course of a year. Each visit permits a stay of up to 7 days, providing convenient access for business, tourism, and leisure.
Shenzhen Residents Get Unlimited 7 Day Visits To Hong Kong – How?
The Exit and Entry Administration of Mainland China announced this enhancement, approved by the State Council. The expanded eligibility marks a significant change, particularly for non-permanent residents with residence permits in Shenzhen. This initiative replaces the current “one trip per week” endorsement, which will no longer be issued after 1 December 2024. Existing endorsements remain valid until their expiration date.
This development has been warmly welcomed by the Hong Kong SAR Government. Kevin Yeung, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Culture, Sports, and Tourism, highlighted that the unlimited 7-day visits by Shenzhen residents will drive growth in Hong Kong’s tourism, retail, and catering industries, further strengthening its economy.
Shenzhen Residents Get Unlimited 7 Day Visits To Hong Kong – Macau Qualifies too!
In parallel, starting 1 January 2025, Zhuhai residents will be able to apply for “one trip per week” travel permits to another neighboring SAR. Additionally, eligible residents of the Guangdong-Hengqin Cooperation Zone can apply for multiple-entry permits, allowing unlimited visits with a maximum 7-day stay per trip.
These updates make travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong more seamless than ever, fostering closer ties and new opportunities for residents and businesses in the region.
The resumption of the multiple-entry Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) for Shenzhen residents represents a significant shift in travel policies between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, marking a return to more flexible arrangements discontinued in 2015. Initially introduced in 2009, the scheme allowed Shenzhen permanent residents to visit Hong Kong multiple times within a year. However, it was replaced by the “one trip per week” restriction in 2015 due to concerns about parallel trading and local capacity constraints, as well as public unrest regarding overcrowding in popular districts like Sheung Shui and Tsim Sha Tsui.
Shenzhen Residents Get Unlimited 7 Day Visits To Hong Kong – One Trip Per Week Gone!
The “one trip per week” policy aimed to curb the influx of visitors involved in parallel trading, which strained public resources and created tensions between visitors and locals. This measure led to a decline in same-day visitor numbers and impacted local retail and tourism sectors that had relied on higher visitor volumes. Despite these challenges, the policy persisted as part of efforts to balance economic benefits with social harmony.
With the multiple-entry scheme set to resume, this updated policy reflects both a revival of economic ties and a strategic move to boost Hong Kong’s tourism and retail industries post-pandemic.
It also demonstrates a concerted effort by both the Hong Kong SAR and central authorities to adapt border management policies to current economic and social conditions.
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The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.
