Door to Door to Shenzhen: How Cross-Border Business Cars Work

In Hong Kong they are known simply as 商務車, business cars: seven-seat people carriers with two sets of number plates, one for Hong Kong and one for Guangdong. They are how many companies move people across the border without a single change of vehicle.

A vehicle needs permits from both sides to cross, which is why you see the second plate. Operators hold those permits and employ the drivers; you book the car, the time and the addresses.

The driver takes the vehicle through the crossing that suits your destination. Passengers still go through immigration on both sides, so every traveller needs valid documents: Hong Kong residents usually carry a Mainland Travel Permit, and visitors need a passport and, depending on nationality, a visa. Check the current rules with the official immigration websites before you travel.

For central Shenzhen, the high-speed train from West Kowloon is hard to beat on time. The car wins when your meeting is far from a station, when you are carrying samples or luggage, when there are four or more of you, or when you are travelling early or late.

• Have both addresses in Chinese as well as English.
• Allow extra time at weekends and public holidays, when queues grow.
• Keep documents on you, not in the boot.
• Ask for a receipt in the form your company needs.