Zhang Yu, Mei Lingjie and Lin Chuying

JeniZhang13@163.com

LUOHU District has officially opened a service center for foreign nationals and residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, consolidating consular, legal, business and other civic services into a single facility.

The Luohu Service Center for Overseas Personnel, located on Dongmen South Road, operates Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., excluding public holidays. Services can be booked by calling 0755-84460465 or 0755-84460464.

The center integrates resources from public security, justice, commerce, foreign affairs and neighborhood administrative offices. It provides services in public security document processing, legal aid, business networking, daily living assistance and community events.

Public security services include accommodation registration, visa-overstay resolution, travel permit processing for Hong Kong and Macao residents, and residence permit verification. Legal services offer in-person consultations with law firms, notarization and commercial mediation.

The business desk assists with tax, human resources and insurance needs, while the lifestyle services team provides guidance on residence permits, employment, health care, property rentals, purchases and apostille certifications. The center also hosts cultural exchanges, legal seminars and health talks to help newcomers integrate into the community.

Luohu is home to three land checkpoints — Luohu, Wenjindu and Liantang — that processed more than 100 million border crossings in 2025. In the first half of 2026, passenger traffic at Luohu Checkpoint alone exceeded 30 million, up 21% year on year.

The center’s opening comes ahead of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, scheduled to be held in Shenzhen in November, with officials expecting further growth in cross-border travel, business collaboration, and cultural exchange.

Anna Machneva, a Russian Ph.D. student at South China University of Technology, praised the center’s bright, comfortable environment and comprehensive service offerings after visiting the center Friday.

Machneva, who has lived in China for five years, highlighted the efficiency of the center’s integrated service model, contrasting it with her past experience of visiting multiple locations to sort out visa matters. “Now, I can handle everything directly here, which is more convenient,” she said.