London for visitors from China & Hong Kong: entry rules, money, SIMs, where your community is, and getting from the airport (2026)

Written for Chinese and Hong Kong visitors by a London private-hire company that collects you from arrivals every day. Prices and rules checked October 2026; entry rules change, so confirm on GOV.UK before you fly.

Entry: ETA or visa?

Standard Visitor visa: £135 for up to 6 months (fee since 8 April 2026); 2-year (£506), 5-year (£903) and 10-year (£1,128) multi-entry versions exist. Apply online at GOV.UK, give biometrics at a visa centre, allow 3 weeks (priority services cost extra). Mainland Chinese passport holders need a visitor visa. Hong Kong SAR and BNO passport holders are visa-exempt and need only the £20 ETA.

Money, cards and cash

Britain is almost cashless: contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work in every shop, pub, bus and Tube gate (no ticket needed – just tap the same card in and out). Our cars take cards too, so you need no pounds in hand on arrival. If you want cash, use a bank cash machine (free), not the airport bureau de change. £1 ≈ $1.32 / €1.18 (October 2026).

SIM cards, plugs and the basics

Your driver will show you the SIM kiosks in arrivals, but supermarket SIMs (Tesco, giffgaff, Lebara, Lyca – £10–£15 for 20–50 GB) are cheaper; eSIMs can be bought before you fly. Plugs are the 3-pin UK Type G at 230 V – bring one adapter per device. We drive on the left; the emergency number is 999 (or 112); tap water is safe; tipping is 10–12.5% in restaurants (often already added), not expected in taxis, pubs or shops.

Arriving at the airport: what we do for Chinese and Hong Kong visitors

Your driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board the moment you clear passport control and customs; we track the flight and the first 60 minutes after landing are free. Fixed fares to central London: Heathrow from £85, Gatwick from £85, Stansted from £85, Luton from £85 – one price for the whole car, no surge, child seats on request. Tell us when you book if you need a SIM, cash, a pharmacy or a halal/kosher/vegetarian meal on the way and the driver will stop. Heathrow · Gatwick · Stansted · Luton.

Where the Chinese and Hong Kong community is

Chinatown (Gerrard Street, Soho) for Cantonese roast meats and dim sum; the newer Chinese quarter in Colindale and Bayswater (Queensway); large student communities around UCL, LSE, Imperial and King’s. Chinese New Year in Trafalgar Square and Chinatown is Europe’s biggest.

Food from home

Four Seasons (Bayswater) for roast duck; Dumplings’ Legend and Gold Mine; Sichuan at Chilli Cool and Xi’an Impression; Hong Kong café food at Café TPT; hotpot at Haidilao. Bubble tea on every corner.

Places of worship

Buddhist temples: Fo Guang Shan in Marylebone; Chinese churches in Soho.

Embassy and consular help

Chinese Embassy: 49–51 Portland Place W1B 1JL (visa section at 31 Portland Place). Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office: 18 Bedford Square WC1B 3JA. Lost passport: report to the police (101) and your embassy; we can take you there.

Good to know

Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted at Harrods, Selfridges, Heathrow shops and many Chinatown restaurants; UnionPay cards work at most cash machines. Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking drivers on request; WeChat booking available. Flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong land at Heathrow (T2/T3/T5) and Gatwick.

Next steps

Airport transfers · London food & shopping guide with prices · All visitor guides · Rushxo for Business. Get a fixed-price quote →