Individual Visit Scheme

Chinese name in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China
The Hong Kong Individual Visit Permit issued by People's Republic of China on a Chinese Two-way Permit for Hong Kong and Macau.
Traditional Chinese	自由行
Simplified Chinese	自由行
Hanyu Pinyin	zì yóu xíng
Literal meaning	free walking
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin zì yóu xíng Yue: Cantonese IPA [tɕìː jɐ̏u hɛ̏ːŋ] Jyutping zi6 jau4 heng4

The Individual Visit Scheme began on 28 July 2003. It allowed travellers from Mainland China to visit Hong Kong and Macau on an individual basis. Prior to the Scheme, Mainland residents could only visit to Hong Kong and Macau on business visas or in group tours.

The outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong from March to June 2003 resulted in a sharp drop in the number of both Mainland and overseas visitors, to a low level that was unprecedented in recent years. The tourism industry was adversely affected.

The main reason for launching the Individual Visit Scheme was to boost the economy of Hong Kong and Macau. Under the initial stage of the scheme, residents of Beijing, Shanghai, and 8 Guangdong provincial cities (Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Zhuhai) could apply for visas to visit the two Special Administrative Regions individually.

The scheme was extended to all 21 cities of Guangdong province in July 2004, and to 9 other cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces in July 2004.

The visas, issued by the Public Security Bureau of the People's Republic of China, were valid for 7 days and could be applied for again upon return from Hong Kong to the Mainland.

The scheme brought an immediate surge in the number of Mainland visitors. In the short period from 28 July to 4 November 2003, more than 600,000 individuals in the Mainland applied for visas, and 450,000 visas were issued. The number of visitors under the scheme reached two million in May 2004.

1 October Golden Week is the period from 1 to 7 October, coinciding with the National Day of the People's Republic of China on 1 October. Therefore, more Mainlanders are able to visit Hong Kong during the holiday. In 2003, this holiday drew 287,000 Mainland visitors to Hong Kong, including 80,000 to 90,000 individual travellers. During, the hotel occupancy rate reached 75% to 80%. The Mass Transit Railway Corporation organised promotional programs at Telford Plaza in Kowloon Bay and Maritime Square in Tsing Yi during the National Day holiday.