How to Avoid Immigration Lines When Flying to Hong Kong International Airport

A friend who recently traveled to Hong Kong indicated he had never seen such long lines at immigration before. It took 50 minutes from his arrival until clearing customs and heading through to baggage claim. As someone who is about to travel more frequently to Hong Kong, he was unhappy that he may be facing long queues upon each upcoming arrival.

The Talking Travel desk is here to the rescue. Avoid the lines and get yourself e-Channel access at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). How cool is e-Channel access? On one glorious day when I got a good gate assignment and had no checked luggage, I was off the plane, through customs and immigration, and on my way to the Airport Express in nine minutes. Even if it's 10-15 minutes, you're still way ahead. E-Channel access may also be used at most land and sea border crossing from points north into Hong Kong and vice-versa, but as you'll see, doing some strategic flying may be the easiest way, at least to start.

The e-Channel pass is a bar code that is affixed to the back of the user's passport. The pass, coupled with the user's passport and fingerprint, allows the use of electronic readers similar to those used by Hong Kong and Macau residents with local ID cards, reducing waiting time at immigration considerably. Eligible users receive a printed receipt to keep with the passport, with no stamp affixed. This is also an advantage for frequent travelers as it doesn't use up passport page space, especially for holders of documents from countries where adding pages is not permitted and a new one is required when filled up with entry and exit stamps.

Here are the requirements from the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Don't be discouraged when it starts to sound bureaucratic. Read all the way to the end, good news awaits. The traveler should be:

Now, go back up to the last line of the third item. "Frequent Flyer Programme membership card issued by airlines which have joined this scheme (please inquire with airlines for details)." One of those airlines Hong Kong's default flagship, Cathay Pacific Airlines, and its Marco Polo Club frequent flyer program.

If you've already flown for segments (single, one-way flights) on Cathay Pacific during the last 12 months, then you may already qualify as a green-level member for the Marco Polo Club. Although Cathay is fairly fickle about Marco Polo membership (it expires after 12 months if you don't fly enough miles or segments), you'll only need to present your membership card once to obtain the e-Channel pass. You can also just pay USD 50 and enroll in Marco Polo Club, but if that's the case, you're probably not a frequent enough traveler to Hong Kong to justify the spend, at least not for the e-Channel pass.

After standing in the long line and deciding you've had enough and you're not going to take it anymore, take your passport and your frequent flyer card (in this case your Marco Polo Club membership card) to one of the enrollment offices. Check here for a map and business hours for these offices – they are different based on which bank of immigration desks you are passing through. You do not need an appointment. Present your passport, your visa (if required to enter Hong Kong), and your frequent flyer membership card), and fill out the application. The officer will verify your documents, check your application, then take your photo and take your fingerprint digitally. If all goes well, you'll walk out of the office with a bar code securely stuck to the back of your passport, and you'll be reducing your travel time from airport to Lan Kwai Fong markedly.

E-Channel access doesn't extend your length of stay in Hong Kong or accord you any other visa-like privileges, but it certainly feels good when you can curl your lip at the masses waiting to do the bank teller routine, while you scan, fingerprint, and flee like some high-tech smooth criminal.

We'll check on other airlines that are participating in the e-Channel program and report back in the Comments section below.

More stories by this author here.

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