Registering Fingerprints for China Travel Permit

[qhank]

To conclude:
- Visit popular borders such as Lok Ma Chau/Lo Wu/SZ Bay for better instructions on collecting fingerprints and to avoid clueless officials.
- Manual lane twice, and the e-channel should work
- Activiation at e-channel seems to be quite quick after fingerprint collection - for HRP holders, activation only takes 5 minutes, I imagine this card will be activated almost instantly as well.

Technically this card is identical to the Chinese HRP. So you'd think that the same procedure for Chinese HRP holders should work just as well. Apparently the recommended way to do it is to register right after entering China, do your thing and then by the time you return to Hong Kong it should work.

https://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E5%85%A7%...051847661.html

[travelem]

Does anybody know the opening hours and days for finger print registration at Lowu and Lok Ma Chau?

I assume Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and wanted to check if there are times outside this.

I did the Lok Ma Chau fingerprint on Saturday or Sunday.

You can Google translate the article
https://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E5%85%A7%...051847661.html

[flameproof]

Picket up my card yesterday, went to Lowu today.

I went to to one of the counters with the e-registration sign - to be told to go to one at the far left.
There all 10 fingers where scanned - and I could go through (and was told to go to the 2nd floor)
Means you are already passt immigration - and past customs!

Before you leave the the building, at the information desk on the left, you go left and go up, basically follow the signs.
Get a number from the vending machine (even if nobody is waiting) - and then it takes a few Minutes.
There was a pretty long lecture with it, but I didn't understood anything other than not today.

Upon exit I went to the Special Lane for manual processing. But card didn't scan. Then to the next counter - still didn't scan (but now 4 staff), then to another counter (closer to the passport people - allthewhile I got watched by a waiting audience hoping for an arrest). Counter #3 also didn't work. And then I had to proceed to an unmanned counter that was open specially for me. After a Minute or so I could go through.

Will most likely go another time later this week for a new try.

[OrganicDancer]

Did you use foreigner or Chinese national lane?

[flameproof]

Did you use foreigner or Chinese national lane?

I think when I entered I also went to the "Special Lane" (Or one the e-channel registration sign). Seems it's all very new to them, probably because it's all very new.

[drumbrake]

News from a friend who entered using fingerprints.

As he had no entry stamp in his passport, when it came to registering at the police station (he lives there), there was confusion - it seems the different systems do not match up.

[qhank]

News from a friend who entered using fingerprints.

As he had no entry stamp in his passport, when it came to registering at the police station (he lives there), there was confusion - it seems the different systems do not match up.

Foreign passport holders with residence permits/E-channel always had the same issue. If your police station (or hotel) is known or suspected to have this problem, what you could do is get a print-out right after entering China that is equivalent to a stamp.

[RobRoy]

OK, I have some updated info regarding E-channel etc after visiting twice last week...

Firstly, I went to the High Speed Rail in West Kowloon and went to the fingerprint collection zone on the left of China Immigration. The lady told me that she had received orders that they were not able to process fingerprint collection for this new card, and that I would have to line up at the Foreigners Line. She then subsequently told me that the only benefit of this card was that we did not have to fill in an Arrivals Card.

I knew the above was obviously wrong, so I called a supervisor, who proceeded to tell me that I had to use the manual lane twice and afterwards I "might" be able to register. Again I knew this was bs, but reluctantly proceeded to the Foreigners lane, where I comfortably missed my train.

This is bad news, as I planned to take the high speed rail the first time I use my card. How much time buffer do I need to add to not miss my train?

So in the end no fingerprint registration at high speed station?

[aatang18]

This is bad news, as I planned to take the high speed rail the first time I use my card. How much time buffer do I need to add to not miss my train?

So in the end no fingerprint registration at high speed station?

It was like that when I went last Saturday, but instructions could have changed. However, do prepare to line up at the Foreigners Lane, although I exited once in the China National Lane, so that may be an option as well. The first time when I went through manual, I swiped all my fingerprints, but the machine detected an error, and the customs official had to call in a Supervisor, who then asked for my passport. I would allocate at least 30-45 minutes, which was the amount of time spent queue-ing in the lane.

[hksomewhere]

I made my first visit to SZ (via Lowu) on the new permit. Lined up with the foreigners...the officer stared at my card for a while before calling for a colleague who led me to another counter for processing. After passing the customs area, I went upstairs and did the e-Channel registration. I have a multi-entry business visa in my passport and I didn't notice anything being done to cancel it. Later on, I was able to return to HK using the e-Channel at Lok Ma Chau.

People above say that you still need to use the manual lane on the subsequent entry into the Mainland. Is this correct? If you can already exit through the e-Channel, why can't you enter through it as well?