Do You Need a Visa for Shenzhen? 5-Day Visa, Visa-Free Entry and 240-Hour Transit

Most visitors fit one of three rules. If your passport is on China's visa-free list, you can enter Shenzhen like any other mainland port. If you are travelling on to a third country, 240-hour transit lets you stay anywhere in Guangdong, but from Hong Kong you must enter through Shekou or West Kowloon station, not Lo Wu. If neither applies, the 5-day Shenzhen-only visa is issued at the border at Luohu, Huanggang and Shekou.

Checked October 2026 against the National Immigration Administration (NIA) and the Shenzhen government. Visa rules change several times a year, and the official NIA notice always wins over this page.

This page covers the Shenzhen-specific detail. For the general rules, read the visa hub: visa-free entry and 240-hour visa-free transit.

Which rule applies to me?

| Your situation | Rule to check | Shenzhen detail | |---|---|---| | Passport is on China's visa-free list | Visa-free entry | Any open Shenzhen port, including Lo Wu and Futian | | Flying on to a third country within 10 days, passport on the 240-hour list | 240-hour transit | Enter at Bao'an Airport, Shekou, or West Kowloon high-speed rail. You may stay anywhere in Guangdong | | Neither, and you are only visiting Shenzhen from Hong Kong or Macao | 5-day Shenzhen visa | Apply in person at Luohu, Huanggang or Shekou. Stay within Shenzhen only | | You want to travel beyond Shenzhen and none of the above fits | A regular visa issued in advance | Apply before the trip |

What is the 5-day Shenzhen visa?

The NIA lets port visa offices in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Xiamen issue Special Economic Zone tourist visas with a stay of three or five days. Shenzhen issues the five-day version. Holders "shall not stay beyond the city's administrative area where the entry port is located." That rules out Guangzhou, Dongguan and even a quick train ride out of the city. It is a single-entry visa.

Travel guides consistently say it is issued at Luohu, Huanggang and Shekou to travellers arriving from Hong Kong or Macao, and not at Futian or Shenzhen Bay. The Shenzhen government lists visa offices at Luohu, Huanggang, Shekou and Bao'an Airport. It says Huanggang runs 24 hours, Luohu 06:00 to midnight and Shekou 07:00 to 22:30. Go to the visa office before the immigration queue, and bring your passport and renminbi for the fee.

Some nationalities are not eligible, and the fee depends on your passport. Before you rely on it, check both with the port visa office (Luohu +86 755 8232 4022, Huanggang +86 755 8829 6372, Shekou +86 755 2669 1202) or with the NIA hotline, 12367.

Can I use 240-hour transit from Hong Kong into Shenzhen?

Yes, but only through the right port. The NIA's list of Guangdong entry ports for 240-hour transit includes Shenzhen Bao'an Airport, Shekou Port and the Express Rail Link West Kowloon station. Lo Wu, Futian, Huanggang and Shenzhen Bay are not on it. They are, however, among the ports you may leave from. You need an eligible passport valid for at least three months and a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region within 240 hours. Your stay is counted from 00:00 the day after you arrive. Hong Kong counts as a separate region for this rule, so Hong Kong → Shenzhen → onward to a third country is the usual pattern. Check how your own route counts in the 240-hour transit guide.

Do I need to fill in an arrival card?

Foreigners can now fill in the arrival card online before arrival, through the NIA website, the "移民局12367" app or the WeChat and Alipay mini programs. You can also scan a QR code or fill in a paper card at the border.

Who is this for — and who should skip?

It is for travellers based in Hong Kong who are deciding how to cross into Shenzhen for a day or a few nights. If you already hold a Chinese visa or are a Chinese citizen, skip it. Once your entry is sorted, choose your crossing in which border crossing to use.

Cover photo: LAHN wui Hoezhong / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)