Entering China without re-entry permit

[Morrison]

Lol hold your heart, recently China allowed use of expired HRPs to travel to China until Dec-23 due to huge rush and backlog of renewal application so no question of scrapping it altogether.. Mine is expiring this month, availability of appointment seems much better than few months ago but Saturday is still fully booked for few months and i am bit lazy to run around on weekdays so hopefully early next year..

Good luck with the hotels who can’t accept you bc your permit has expired. I can foresee it

[D.YU]

You need to show your visa permit to stay in a hotel? Either way, I dont plan on staying overnight or booking hotel.

Thanks Chuckster!

[ndt]

Good luck with the hotels who can’t accept you bc your permit has expired. I can foresee it

No plan to travel to China in near future so not really bothered about it..

[shafiq]

I think this is about HK Rentry Permit issued to mainlanders who have settled in HK, to travel back to mainland/macao and re enter to HK, not the Home Return Permit issued to HKers to enter mainland.

People Who Do Not Need an HKSAR Re-entry Permit
Under the Easy Travel Scheme, holders of Hong Kong identity cards bearing "***", "*" or "R" symbol or locally issued Hong Kong permanent identity cards, who are aged 11 or above, can travel from Hong Kong to the Mainland and Macao SAR and vice versa without producing a HKSAR Re-entry Permit or other travel documents at any Hong Kong immigration control point. They are also not required to fill in any arrival card or departure card.

What is "R" symbol? is this the first character of your HKID number? I have this on my HKID and does it really mean I dont need a visa or return home permit to enter China?

[Morrison]

You need to show your visa permit to stay in a hotel? Either way, I dont plan on staying overnight or booking hotel.

Thanks Chuckster!

You need to show ID, and the only ID they accept is HRTP, if you are from HK, China.
You can not use your HK passport or other passports that you have, unless you have a valid visa in it, miraculously

[shri]

Random update

The National Immigration Administration extended permits originally overdue in January 2020 and afterward to the end of the year.

But only 650,000 of the 1.68 million premit holders have renewed them.

Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions chairman Kingsley Wong Kwok said: "As there are around one million permits that will expire by the end of the year, people should avoid waiting and make appointments for permit applications earlier.

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/secti...tion/4/255184/

[ndt]

Update..

Randomly checked and found evening slot (6.50) available so booked it..

- To check the availability, one needs to fill in the form online
https://www.ctshk.com/mep/zh/apply-chinapermit-2/
(Website and form is chinese only just like old paper form so use google translate)
(Also Form will need name in Chinese as well so find a friend to type it or get it in file to copy paste)

- Take the screenshot of Appointment booking reference number
- Go to the selected centre 10-15 min before appointment time
- Queue up for photo booth (If you want to take photo for the card), better to get the new one rather than taking regular PP size photo and getting rejected for not meeting some specific requirement
- Pay the booth operator (Cash only) HKD50 for 4 photos
- Photos will be ready in 5 minutes
- Go to Self service Kiosk (Chinese Interface only but not too complicated, Use google image translate function to make sure which one is 'Ok'/'Confirm' buttons)
- Place HRP front side and back side on card reader as per instruction and Press 'Ok'
- Input HKID Card on card reader as per instruction and press 'Ok'
- Put photos under another reader to scan (4 photos on one page have barcode at the bottom of the page, scan this barcorde)
(If you bring your own photo, there should be another procedure to verify it and get the barcord, i am not sure about how to do it)
- Once verification is done, Kiosk screen will show appointment information input at the time of booking, verify it, Sign it on screen with e-pen and press 'Confirm'
- Select payment option (HKD 390 per regular service around 2 weeks, 6xx for express delivery around 4-5 days)
- Machine will generate receipt with Token number
---------- Total time on Kiosk 5 Minutes
- Wait in the common area and watch token number on screen
- Go to designated window and give HKID, HRP and Photo to the officer
- Officer will print out the form (pre-filled online), scan photos etc
- Verify full details in the form and sign
- Officer will take one photo to stick on the form and return 3 photos back
- Pay Card fees to officer (Cash or EPS only)
- Collect the receipt and make sure collection date and time etc with officer (Again everything is in Chinese)
------- Total time at the counter 10 min
- Go to collect the new card after two weeks, take the old HRP and HKID (Just in case)

Overall super easy and smooth, in and out in 30 minutes including waiting time..

[Morrison]

Random update



https://www.thestandard.com.hk/secti...tion/4/255184/

iThink he refers to Hkers who have extended it in HK.
But it’s also possible to renew the home return permit, well, back home or abroad.

[Shiojiri Hiro]

I did this over the weekend. I had a 9am appointment and had my photo taken 'downstairs' in the main building lobby in Sheung Wan. They removed my eye bags ;P before printin the photos and most importantly they give you a slip with a barcode to confirm that your photo meetings the requirements.

Everything else was as described. Very easy as long as you follow the procedure. I had the exact cash ready etc. I waited 2 mins after scanning everything in and was out <10mins.

Update..

Randomly checked and found evening slot (6.50) available so booked it..

- To check the availability, one needs to fill in the form online
https://www.ctshk.com/mep/zh/apply-chinapermit-2/
(Website and form is chinese only just like old paper form so use google translate)
(Also Form will need name in Chinese as well so find a friend to type it or get it in file to copy paste)

- Take the screenshot of Appointment booking reference number
- Go to the selected centre 10-15 min before appointment time
- Queue up for photo booth (If you want to take photo for the card), better to get the new one rather than taking regular PP size photo and getting rejected for not meeting some specific requirement
- Pay the booth operator (Cash only) HKD50 for 4 photos
- Photos will be ready in 5 minutes
- Go to Self service Kiosk (Chinese Interface only but not too complicated, Use google image translate function to make sure which one is 'Ok'/'Confirm' buttons)
- Place HRP front side and back side on card reader as per instruction and Press 'Ok'
- Input HKID Card on card reader as per instruction and press 'Ok'
- Put photos under another reader to scan (4 photos on one page have barcode at the bottom of the page, scan this barcorde)
(If you bring your own photo, there should be another procedure to verify it and get the barcord, i am not sure about how to do it)
- Once verification is done, Kiosk screen will show appointment information input at the time of booking, verify it, Sign it on screen with e-pen and press 'Confirm'
- Select payment option (HKD 390 per regular service around 2 weeks, 6xx for express delivery around 4-5 days)
- Machine will generate receipt with Token number
---------- Total time on Kiosk 5 Minutes
- Wait in the common area and watch token number on screen
- Go to designated window and give HKID, HRP and Photo to the officer
- Officer will print out the form (pre-filled online), scan photos etc
- Verify full details in the form and sign
- Officer will take one photo to stick on the form and return 3 photos back
- Pay Card fees to officer (Cash or EPS only)
- Collect the receipt and make sure collection date and time etc with officer (Again everything is in Chinese)
------- Total time at the counter 10 min
- Go to collect the new card after two weeks, take the old HRP and HKID (Just in case)

Overall super easy and smooth, in and out in 30 minutes including waiting time..