Hong Kong and Macao are separate
Hong Kong and Macao are Special Administrative Regions with their own immigration systems. Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao are three separate entry regimes, and travelling between them counts as crossing a border, which also means a single-entry Chinese visa is used up if you go to Hong Kong and come back.
| U.S. passport | Visa needed? | How to apply | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong, visit or tourism | Visa-free up to 90 days | No | — |
| Hong Kong, work, study or residence | — | Yes | e-Visa online, or through the Chinese consulate |
| Macao, short visit | Visa-free | No | — |
| Macao, other purposes | — | Yes | Visa on arrival in some cases, or the Chinese consulate |
When the consulate is involved
If you do need a Hong Kong or Macao visa, the Chinese consulate for your state can take the application and forward it. That referral carries a $20 communication fee, payable before submission and separate from the visa fee itself, which is charged only if the visa is approved.
Processing takes four weeks or more for Hong Kong and two or more for Macao.
Planning a trip that includes both
A traveller going to Shanghai and then to Hong Kong is making two entries and needs to plan for both. The Chinese visa is used on arrival in the mainland; going to Hong Kong leaves the mainland; coming back uses a second entry, which a single-entry visa does not have.
The fix is a double-entry visa, which for an American costs the same $140 as a single. There is no financial reason to take the risk, and it is one of the few places where the flat fee for U.S. citizens works entirely in the traveller's favour.
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