Hong Kong SAR
To travel to Hong Kong SAR you must have a passport from your home country valid for at least six months past the period of your intended visit.
Visitors are required to have adequate funds to cover the duration of their stay without working. Unless you are in transit to the Mainland of China or the region of Macau, you must hold onward or return tickets.
If you want to stay longer than the visa free period allows, you have to apply for a visa or entry permission before traveling to the Hong Kong SAR.
You may apply for the appropriate visa or entry permit from your nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission.
To determine if you need a visitor visa for Hong please check the following link to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. Look up the requirements for your home country.
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm
Mainland China
To travel to Mainland China you must have a passport from your home country valid for at least six months past the period of your intended visit and it must have at least one blank page in it.
For your business trip, you need an (F) category visa, which is not a tourist visa.
Applying for Your China Visa in Hong Kong
If you are traveling to Hong Kong before proceeding to Mainland China, you can apply for your China visa in Hong Kong.
This is rather convenient and quick if you are willing to pay for a faster service.
Please refer to the following link to the China Travel Service in Hong Kong for more details about your visa application.
http://www.ctshk.com/english/useful/chinesevisa.htm
Applying From Overseas
If you are traveling directly to China without a stopover in Hong Kong, you must apply for your China visa at the Visa Office of the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General. This is done either in person or you may entrust someone else, such as a travel/visa agent, to go to the visa office of the Embassy or Consulate General in the consular jurisdiction in which you live for the application process. Mailed applications are not accepted and will be refused. Mail back service is however available.
Please follow this link to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States with detailed information about the visa application procedure:
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84247.htm
Here is another link providing information about the Embassy and Consulates General of the People’s Republic of China in the United States that are closest to your home state:
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/t84229.htm
There are also private visa services that allow you to send them your passport together with your application form (downloadable) and they guarantee fast service. The advantage is that you do not need to travel at all and can apply conveniently from your home. Here is a link to one company in the United States:
http://www.mychinavisa.com/index.html
In other countries, there are comparable companies providing the same service.
The visa application procedure for other countries is the same. It is however, a good idea to check one more time with the China Embassy or Consulate General in your country in case changes have occurred since this eBook was written. After you have received your entry visa for China, you can proceed with the next step and book your flight to Hong Kong or Mainland China.