Do Hong Kong passport holders need a visa to visit China?

A Hong Kong SAR passport CANNOT be used to enter mainland China. Holders must travel on a Mainland Travel Permit (Home Return Permit / 回乡证) instead — a mandatory dedicated travel document, not the passport. Under the one-country principle, the HKSAR passport is not a valid travel document for entering mainland China. Hong Kong permanent residents who are Chinese citizens must hold a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents — commonly called the Home Return Permit (回乡证) — issued by the National Immigration Administration and applied for in Hong Kong through China Travel Service (CTS). The card is valid for 10 years (5 years for applicants under 18), permits unlimited entries and effectively unlimited stay for any purpose including tourism, work and study, and the first application fee is HK$260. Non-Chinese citizens who are HK permanent residents instead use the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Resident (Non-Chinese Citizens), introduced 1 July 2024, valid 5 years with stays up to 90 days per entry for tourism/business only. Because a mandatory pre-arranged permit document is required and the passport alone is not accepted, the best-fit verdict for a short tourist visit is visa-required (permit pathway). Since 20 March 2025, residents without a valid permit may apply for a one-time 7-day electronic temporary pass.