First-day helper · Updated 2026
Your First 24 Hours in Shenzhen
Heading to Shenzhen and not sure where to start? Payment, apps, border crossing, VPN — the stuff that actually breaks your first day, sorted into one checklist.
Start the checklistPick the situation
Tell me what is stuck.
Shenzhen gets much easier once you stop browsing and solve the next blocker. Start with the card that sounds most like your day.
Payment broke?
Alipay won't scan
Start with the VPN toggle, then check card decline and merchant-code fixes.
Open this →Crossing today?
Hong Kong to Shenzhen right now
Use the live queue page if you're already choosing a port.
Open this →Still outside China?
Run the first-day checklist
Alipay, VPN, eSIM, border prep, and hotel registration in the order that saves pain.
Open this →Visa unclear?
Check your entry route
Use this before you assume 240-hour transit or visa-free entry applies to your passport.
Open this →Need one crossing?
Pick Futian, Luohu, Bay, or Huanggang
Tell us destination, time, and entry caveat. Get one port and one fallback.
Open this →Already settled?
Find food and a first route
Start with eating without Chinese, then build a day around one district.
Open this →Sort these out before you land
Check If You Need a Visa
Check visa-free rules for your passport — many countries now qualify for up to 30 days.
Check your visa status →
Pick Your Border Crossing
Six border crossings, different queues. We pick the calmest one based on live data.
Find your crossing →
Build Your Day-One Checklist
Payment apps, VPN, eSIM, registration — the checklist that covers your first 24 hours.
Start the checklist →Action guides for Shenzhen
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