Multiple-entry Hong Kong visas for Shenzhen residents to start from Sunday

More than 10 million Shenzhen residents can apply for multiple-entry visas to Hong Kong from Sunday, mainland Chinese authorities have announced, allowing them unlimited entry within a year with stays not longer than seven days each time.

From the same day onwards, Shenzhen authorities will not accept “one-trip-per-week” visa applications, but holders of valid visas will be able to continue to use them, according to an announcement by the National Immigration Administration.

Mainland authorities also announced on Friday a “one-trip-per-week” policy for residents of Zhuhai going to neighbouring Macau starting from January 1, as well as multiple-entry visas to the gambling hub for those in the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

The Hong Kong government said more than 10 million Shenzhen residents would be eligible to visit under the resumed arrangement, providing a new drive for the city’s tourism, catering and retail industries.

“I am very grateful to the relevant authorities of the central government for proactively studying and speeding up consideration [of the Hong Kong government’s proposal], and it was realised in a short period of time, bringing good news to [Hong Kong],” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said.

The administration said a cross-departmental meeting was held on Thursday to ensure border crossings, tourism facilities and public transport would operate smoothly.