Terms of use
Last updated: 2026-10-27
Shenzhen Decoded is a personal site. I'm Stometa, and I run it with Yiko and Kelly. If you use the site, you accept these terms. They're short because the deal is simple.
The guides are advice, not a guarantee
I check the facts in every guide and print the date I last did it near the top of the page. Rules still change without notice: visa policy, border hours, payment app limits. Before you book or travel, confirm anything that matters (entry rules above all) with the official source the guide links to. Nothing here is legal, immigration, medical or financial advice.
Live data and tools
Border wait times come from Hong Kong government feeds plus reports from readers. The visa checker answers from the rules as I last recorded them. The assistant is an AI and it can be wrong. Use all of it as a starting point, not the final word. I can't promise the site is always up or that live data is current at the moment you look.
What you send
When you post a comment, a border report or feedback, you confirm it's yours to share and true as far as you know. You let me publish it on the site, show it next to the guide it belongs to, and keep it there. I review comments before they appear, and I reject or remove spam, abuse, anything illegal, and anyone's private details. How your data is stored is in the privacy policy.
Links to other sites
Some links are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Partner sites run on their own terms, and I'm not responsible for what they sell or how they deliver it. The rules I follow are in the affiliate policy.
Paid trip planning
If you ask me to plan your trip, the scope and price are what we agree by email. You pay only when you accept the plan or the quote.
Using what's here
The guides and tools are mine. Photos credited to someone else stay under their own license. Quoting a short excerpt with a link back is fine. Copying whole guides or reusing photos needs my permission first. The visa checker has an embed code you're welcome to put on your own site.
If something goes wrong
I build this carefully, but as far as the law allows, I'm not liable for losses from relying on it: a missed train, a refused boarding, a declined card. Check the official source when the stakes are high.
Changes
I may update these terms. When I do, the date at the top changes.
Questions about these terms? Email hello@shenzhendecoded.com.