"The easiest border crossing you've never done - following my guide"

Currently visa free for 50 countries as of from 2026 including UK passport holders — always check latest rules before travel. To ensure smooth crossing, see

Take the East Rail Line (Light Blue) directly to Lo Wu — end of the line, you cannot miss it - it's just 35mins from Sha Tin MTR station. Note there are two "end of line" stops for the East Rail line, the other being Lok Ma Chau, all trains run past Sheung Shui the second last stop before both end destinations so simply switch trains here if you are on a Lok Ma Chau bound train and wait a few minutes on the same platform for the next Lo Wu bound train arrives.

HK immigration first — fast and straightforward. Then walk across to China border control, complete declaration using a kiosk or QR code before hand — fingerprints, photo, stamp. final bag security check. Done. Welcome to China.

*Note: You can enter/re-enter as many times as you like under 2026 rules provided you leave/re-enter China no longer than 30 days each time- can simply re-enter on the same day should you be staying longer!

PS: In Cantonese we say "Lo wu" In Mandarin we say "Luo hu"

Four things to sort before you cross:

• Setup Alipay or WeChat Pay — cash is almost pointless in Shenzhen, take some but most vendors scan to pay.

• ThreeHK or another eSIM China roaming provider — wifi at border crossing is "hit or a miss", I wouldn't rely on it and your UK sim won't work either

• Digital Arrival Card QR code — complete the night before or on the day BEFORE arriving at Lo Wu. screenshot it before you lose signal. (Screenshot the QR code above and see my video guide, video link below)

• Shenzhen metro travel card — pick up at Lo Wu station once you've crossed into China side - makes a nice little souvenir to take home with different designs. This will work like your Octopus card does in Hong Kong. Alternatively buy travel-pass tickets from the Kiosks or setup "Travel card" under Alipay and use phone to get around.

The current 50 (ordinary passports, up to 30 days):

• Europe (35): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

• Asia (7): Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

• Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand

• Americas (6): Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, Uruguay

  4 Things To Do Before Visiting Shenzhen (Lo Wu Border Crossing)