Practical guides
Arriving and settling in the Greater Bay Area
Coming for a trade fair, visiting friends or moving here? Start with the entry rules for your destination. Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao each have their own immigration system, currency and local services. The visitor checklist below covers the nine Guangdong cities; the moving section covers longer stays in all three places.
Which part of the GBA are you visiting?
The nine Mainland cities in Guangdong
Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing use Mainland entry and residence procedures. The Mainland arrival card, accommodation registration, RMB payments and bank-account guidance below apply to this part of the GBA. The Mainland work guide covers employment documents and permits.
Hong Kong SAR
Check Hong Kong Immigration's visitor requirements for your passport and purpose. Hong Kong dollars (HKD), cards and Octopus are relevant to everyday visitor payments; the Hong Kong Tourism Board's travel guide explains the options. Use the Hong Kong guide for local transport and services.
Macao SAR
Use the Macao Government Tourism Office's entry guidance and its immigration links. Macao's currency is the pataca (MOP); its official practical guide covers cards, mobile payments, phone access and local services. See the Macao guide for arrival ports and getting around.
Travelling between them: check entry permission for every crossing, including a return to the Mainland. Being admitted to Hong Kong or Macao does not determine your Mainland entry eligibility. Confirm phone-plan coverage for Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao separately, and check which payment methods your accommodation and transport providers accept.
Mainland entry and accommodation registration
For the nine Guangdong cities, start with the visa-free conditions, Arrival Card and accommodation registration below.
Mainland visa-free visits by New Zealand passport holders
Eligible New Zealand ordinary passport holders can visit Mainland China without a visa for up to 30 days for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchanges or transit. This policy runs until 31 December 2026, with the stay counted from the day after entry. Employment and longer stays need the appropriate permission. Read the consulate's conditions before booking.
Current visa-free conditions for New Zealand passport holders
Complete the Mainland Arrival Card
New Zealand visitors generally need an Arrival Card to enter Mainland China, including for visa-free visits. Complete the official online form with your passport, arrival journey and accommodation details. If you have not filled it in before travelling, paper cards and electronic options are available on arrival. The NIA page lists exemptions, including permanent-resident ID holders and eligible airside transit passengers.
Complete the official NIA arrival card
Register your Mainland accommodation
In Mainland China, hotels register their guests. If you stay in a private home or other non-hotel accommodation in Mainland China, you or your host must register with the police for that address within 24 hours of arrival. Use the NIA 12367 app, its WeChat or Alipay mini program, or go to the local police station. For an in-person registration, take your passport and rental contract or property document. Save the registration record.
Phone and payments in the Mainland cities
Before leaving New Zealand, check roaming prices, Mainland China coverage and whether your number can receive your bank's SMS codes. Keep access to that number while setting up local services. For a longer Mainland stay, take your passport to a local carrier store and compare the plan's data allowance, charges and renewal terms.
Internet access in Mainland China
Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are among the overseas services blocked on Mainland networks. Before departure, save bookings, addresses and essential documents offline and agree a way to contact your hosts. Ask your roaming or travel-eSIM provider which services its specific plan supports in Mainland China; access on mobile data and local Wi-Fi can differ.
Official travel advice: internet access · University visitor guidance: roaming and local networks
Set up Mainland everyday payments
For payments in the Mainland cities, install Alipay or WeChat from an official app source and add an eligible card in your own name. Complete the identity verification requested in the app, then try a small payment before relying on it. Check fees and limits shown for your card and keep a backup card or RMB cash.
Download Alipay from its official site
Payment setup: official English and Chinese guides
Opening a Mainland bank account
For a Mainland bank card, apply in person at a commercial bank branch with your original passport or Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card. Choose an RMB debit account for local payments or salary rather than applying for credit. Before visiting, tell the intended branch your visa or residence status and whether the account is for salary or visitor payments. Ask which address, local mobile number, tax identification or employer evidence it needs for that account; requirements can vary. Keep your name consistent with your passport and payroll records, and read the charges and limits before signing.
Getting around the Mainland cities
For Mainland rail travel, register on the English 12306 site and complete passport verification. Choose the exact departure and arrival stations and take the original passport used for the booking.
Book on the official English 12306 site
For your Mainland journeys, save the Chinese address and building name for your hotel and first appointments before travelling. Show them to a driver or search for them on Amap. The DiDi guide below explains booking in English through WeChat or Alipay. Confirm the pickup point and vehicle registration number in the booking.
Mainland local services and help
For a Mainland rental, before paying a deposit, inspect the property and check the landlord's identity and authority to let it. Request a written lease covering rent, deposit, management fees, repairs and termination. Record any existing damage. Ask which documents the landlord will provide for accommodation registration, and retain the signed lease and payment receipts.
Shenzhen official housing and rental services
Guangzhou police: foreigner service offices and application documents
Save your insurer's assistance number and identify a hospital it covers. Keep your address in Chinese. Mainland emergency numbers: police 110, fire 119 and ambulance 120. SafeTravel lists current New Zealand consular contacts.
Moving to Mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao
For a move, start with the reason for your stay: work, study or joining family. Apply through the destination's own system. Registering a company does not by itself give you permission to live or work there.
Moving to Mainland China
For a Mainland job, use the employer-sponsored work and residence process in our work guide. Study and family stays use different visa and residence categories; ask the receiving institution or host which applies before preparing documents.
Confirm who handles the application, the accepted originals and translations, and the timing of entry and residence steps. The arrival sections on this page cover accommodation registration, phone access, payments and banking.
Moving to Hong Kong
Hong Kong has its own employment, study and dependant routes. For professional employment, check the General Employment Policy with the employer; other circumstances may use a different scheme. Prepare the travel document, job offer and qualification or work-history evidence required for that application, and check accompanying family separately.
Use Immigration's guidance to check eligibility and the current document list. The Hong Kong city guide can help you choose where to live around your workplace or school.
Moving to Macao
Work-related stay and residence are different applications in Macao. For a non-resident job, agree with the employer who handles employment authorisation, then follow the police requirements for authorisation to stay and the non-resident worker's card. Do not treat the worker's card as a general residence application.
For residence or joining family, check the application for your circumstances before collecting documents. Use the Macao guide to plan where to live and how to get around.
Your first day and the weeks after
- Before departure: confirm entry permission, phone coverage and a working payment option; save bookings, Chinese addresses and essential contacts offline.
- On arrival: complete entry formalities and arrange accommodation registration. For non-hotel Mainland stays, the registration deadline is within 24 hours of arrival.
- For a longer stay: keep the registration record, lease and local contacts together. Confirm bank-account documents with the branch, and follow the separate work-permit and residence process if taking a job.
Taking a Mainland job? Work eligibility, documents and permits · Choose your city: neighbourhoods, transport and local services · Kiwi community introductions and gatherings
Plan your flight and onward journey
Compare flights from New Zealand and arrival airports. If landing in Hong Kong for Shenzhen, read the airport, ferry and railway transfer guide before choosing whether to clear Hong Kong immigration.