We are visiting our son in Sydney again this year, and want to try a new stopover city – last time it was Singapore. We like the sound of Hong Kong, but is there a costly visa involved? Brian Harrison, Birmingham

A Sunday Times travel expert responds: If you are travelling to Hong Kong on a British or Irish passport, you won’t need to apply for a visa in advance. Tourist visas are issued free of charge on arrival at Hong Kong airport and are valid for a stay of up to 90 days. For people travelling on other passports, visit http://www.guilinchina.net/customer/visa_free_countries.htm for guidance, and be sure to contact your travel agent, airline, or the Chinese Embassy in London (www.chinese-embassy.org.uk) well before you travel.

Incidentally, a similar situation exists for Macau, but anyone intending to head north from Hong Kong or Macau into the rest of China, does need to apply for a Chinese visa in advance. Visit the Chinese Embassy in London’s site for further details.

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