China Visa - Travel Itinerary Question

ixoy

So we're filling out the Visa application question and they look for the itinerary. The issue is we're exiting China via Hong Kong. We plan to enter Hong Kong via train but you can't book a direct train for this. If it was flights, it'd be easy to show as we'd have booked it already.

So therefore we've no travel proof that we're leaving China - which is one of the main documents they want.

Any idea how to appease them that we're actually leaving? Would showing the flights out of Hong Kong be sufficient even though Hong Kong doesn't require a visa and is not really related to the itinerary question?
I scoured the 'net but couldn't find a direct answer for this.

dwayneshintzy

Where are you getting the train to Hong Kong from? You CAN purchase Chinese train tickets abroad, they'll just need to be physically picked up at the station itself in China.

ixoy

dwayneshintzy wrote: »

Where are you getting the train to Hong Kong from? You CAN purchase Chinese train tickets abroad, they'll just need to be physically picked up at the station itself in China.

I'm not worried about purchasing the tickets abroad. The issue is that for your visa application you need to show proof you're leaving mainland China itself such as a flight. I won't have that direct proof before I apply for my visa.

Looking elsewhere, it seems it'll be sufficient though to show a flight from Hong Kong as proof of exit, even if Hong Kong isn't as such part of China. It's just not clear this is allowed but seems others have done it successfully.

dwayneshintzy

I've got three China visas so far, and I actually don't think I ever supplied proof of my journey out of China. You've to have your passport on you at all times in China, and they'll ask to see it in all hotels/hostels. Don't think they're actually all that worried about people overstaying on a single-entry visa.

ixoy

For what it's worth, there was no hassle getting a visa at all when flying into China but flying out from Hong Kong.
Turn around time on the visa was 3 working days and I was in and out each time within 10 minutes.

nailer54321

You flight ticket out of hong kong will be enough for them, they do require hotel booking but not for your full journey, just provide them with a hotel booking for the first few nights and that will be ok. This changed in 2013 were before that you just had to provide you flight tickets. it s a very simple process. When you are entering hong kong they will check your visa and flight departure stub, you get this on the flight over to china, one part for entry and another for departure, don't worry about this everything is straight forward. I entered hong kong last year from macau, got a ferry over and went through imagration when I got of the boat. I'm sure it is the same when you get of the train. anyway if you have any questions they will answer them all when you apply for your visa.

irishbloke77

To muddy the waters then a little, we are travelling from Ireland to Hong Kong (via London, but on one ticket, just transmitting through Heathrow). I take it, from looking at the Visit Hong Kong websites, if we travel to Hong Kong and stay in that area and don't actually go into china, that means we don't need a visa? Anyone have any experience if this is the case, I thought we needed a visa to enter China, is Hong Kong still exempt? Thanks in advance.

nailer54321

As far a I know you have a 72hr transit visa which will be stamped at the airport, but you will need to ask the Chinese visa office to clarify this. Are you flying onto somewhere else from hong kong???

irishbloke77

nailer54321 wrote: »

As far a I know you have a 72hr transit visa which will be stamped at the airport, but you will need to ask the Chinese visa office to clarify this. Are you flying onto somewhere else from hong kong???

Nope, just Ireland to Hong Kong and back to Ireland a few days later.

killbillvol2

irishbloke77 wrote: »

To muddy the waters then a little, we are travelling from Ireland to Hong Kong (via London, but on one ticket, just transmitting through Heathrow). I take it, from looking at the Visit Hong Kong websites, if we travel to Hong Kong and stay in that area and don't actually go into china, that means we don't need a visa? Anyone have any experience if this is the case, I thought we needed a visa to enter China, is Hong Kong still exempt? Thanks in advance.

You don't need a visa to enter Hong Kong and you can stay for up to 90 days.

irishbloke77

killbillvol2 wrote: »

You don't need a visa to enter Hong Kong and you can stay for up to 90 days.

Excellent, thanks for confirming that.