Hong Kong & expiring passport?

Trifid

Trifid

Trifid

Soldato
Joined
18 Feb 2006
Posts
9,860
Hi.

I booked onto a flight to Hong Kong in December (for 13 days) knowing my passport expires in March. I checked the following two sites before booking:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/hong-kong/entry-requirements
States I should be OK for travel as no visa is required for <6 months and passport needs to be valid for the duration of the stay.

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/uk/...-info/immigration-and-customs/immigration.jsp
States the passport needs to be valid for an additional month.

Seeing I am good to go, I book the flight. Afterwards I find this page on the airlines site:
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/e...getting-into-the-country/health-and-visa.html

Filling it in accurately it returns:
Visa required.

Visa Exemptions:

Passengers with a British passport with nationality of “British Citizen" shown on the bio-data page for a maximum stay of 6 months.

Passengers with a travel document issued by Hong Kong (SAR China) with "Holder's eligibility for Hong Kong (SAR China) Permanent Identity Card verified" .

Additional Information:

Visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay and documents required for their next destination.

Warning:

Visitors not holding return/onward ticket could be refused entry.
Click to expand...

If I state my passport has more then 6 months left it returns:
The documentation you currently hold is sufficient for your journey!
Here are your results for your trip to United Kingdom:
Click to expand...

I would have just gone to the post office and got a replacement through the checked service tomorrow, but I am flying to Germany in a weeks time. Upon return it doesn't leave much time to receive the replacement, short of doing the 1 day/1 week replacement service.


Does anyone know how to find the answer to be 100% sure? I've yet to complete the advanced passenger information. Would this tell me or commit me to my current passport?

I don't usally jet around so much, just took the opportunities as they arose!

Thanks.
 
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They don't start processing your application until they've received your old passport.

EDIT: Re-reading your post properly, you'll be fine. The reason it's stating that you might need 6 months on your passport is that they give a 6 month tourist visa for a British citizen. If you have your return flights booked and a fixed duration of stay + 1 month you'll be fine.

Listen to the FCO on these matters, not Virgin.
 
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I got my passport renewed in a day a number of years ago at the main passport office in Peterborough for a premium obviously . Do they still offer this?
 
You should be ok going into Hong Kong as long you have the outbound flight confirmation with you. Although you will get more scrutiny if you're not white.
 
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