Hong Kong Visa for Tourists: A Comprehensive Guide

Hong Kong visa requirements are fairly clear and easy to understand. Most nationalities are exempt from having a visa. Those who need a visa can apply for one at their nearest Chinese diplomatic mission or consulate. Indian and Taiwanese nationals must register and obtain Pre-arrival Registration prior to arrival in Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong Tourist Visa Requirements

Visa EXEMPT passport holders

180-day Entry

1. United Kingdom

90-day Entry

1. Andorra
2. Antigua and Barbuda
3. Argentina
4. Australia
5. Austria
6. Bahamas
7. Barbados
8. Belarus
9. Belize
10. Botswana
11. Brazil
12. British Overseas Territories
13. Brunei
14. Bulgaria
15. Canada
16. Chile
17. Colombia
18. Croatia
19. Cyprus
20. Czech Republic
21. Denmark
22. Dominica
23. Ecuador
24. Egypt
25. Estonia
26. Fiji
27. Finland
28. France
29. Germany
30. Greece
31. Grenada
32. Guyana
33. Hungary
34. Iceland
35. Ireland
36. Israel
37. Italy
38. Jamaica
39. Japan
40. Kenya
41. Kiribati
42. Latvia
43. Liechtenstein
44. Lithuania
45. Luxembourg
46. Malawi
47. Malaysia
48. Maldives
49. Malta
50. Mauritius
51. Mexico
52. Monaco
53. Namibia
54. Nauru
55. Netherlands
56. New Zealand
57. Norway
58. Papua New Guinea
59. Poland
60. Portugal
61. Romania
62. San Marino
63. Seychelles
64. Singapore
65. Slovakia
66. Slovenia
67. South Korea
68. Spain
69. St Kitts and Nevis
70. St Lucia
71. St Vincent and the Grenadines
72. Swaziland
73. Sweden
74. Switzerland
75. Tanzania
76. Tonga
77. Trinidad and Tobago
78. Turkey
79. Tuvalu
80. Uruguay
81. United States
82. Vanuatu
83. Venezuela
84. Zambia
85. Zimbabwe

30-day Entry

1. Bahrain
2. Bolivia
3. Cape Verde
4. Costa Rica
5. Dominican Republic
6. El Salvador
7. Guatemala
8. Honduras
9. Indonesia
10. Jordan
11. Kuwait
12. Morocco
13. Oman
14. Paraguay
15. Peru
16. Qatar
17. Samoa
18. Saudi Arabia
19. South Africa
20. Thailand
21. Tunisia
22. Uganda
23. United Arab Emirates

14-day Entry

1. Albania *
2. Algeria
3. Benin
4. Bhutan
5. Bosnia and Herzegovina
6. Burkina Faso
7. Chad
8. Comoros
9. Djibouti
10. Equatorial Guinea
11. Gabon
12. Guinea
13. Haiti
14. Kazakhstan
15. Lesotho
16. Macedonia
17. Madagascar
18. Mali
19. Marshall Islands
20. Mauritania
21. Micronesia
22. Mongolia
23. Montenegro
24. Mozambique
25. Niger
26. Palau
27. Philippines
28. Russia
29. Sao Tome and Principe
30. Serbia *
31. Suriname
32. Ukraine
33. Vatican City

* Visa EXEMPTION is for biometric passport holders only. Non-biometric passport holders must apply for a pre-approved visa from the consulate.

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Pre-arrival Registration (PAR) REQUIRED passport holders

30-day Entry

1. Taiwan

14-day Entry

1. India

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Visa REQUIRED passport holders

90-day Entry

1. Afghanistan
2. Angola
3. Armenia
4. Azerbaijan
5. Bangladesh
6. Belarus
7. Burundi
8. Cambodia
9. Cameroon
10. Central African Republic
11. Congo, Dem Rep of
12. Congo, Rep of
13. Cote d’Ivoire
14. Cuba
15. Eritrea
16. Ethiopia
17. Gambia
18. Georgia
19. Ghana
20. Guinea-Bissau
21. Iran
22. Iraq
23. Kyrgyzstan
24. Laos
25. Lebanon
26. Liberia
27. Libya
28. Moldova
29. Myanmar
30. Nepal
31. Nicaragua
32. Nigeria
33. North Korea
34. Pakistan
35. Palestine
36. Panama
37. Rwanda
38. Senegal
39. Sierra Leone
40. Solomon Islands
41. Somalia
42. South Sudan
43. Sri Lanka
44. Sudan
45. Syria
46. Tajikistan
47. Togo
48. Turkmenistan
49. Uzbekistan
50. Vietnam
51. Yemen

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Transit Visa REQUIRED passport holders

Visa or Pre-arrival Registration is not needed for direct airside transit and not leaving the airport transit area.

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Application Process

Pre-arrival Registration (PAR)

India and Taiwan passport holders must complete Pre-arrival Registration (PAR) online prior to arrival in Hong Kong.

Pre-arrival Registration is required for each individual. If you are traveling as a family, each person in the family must apply for Pre-arrival Registration individually.

Pre-arrival Registration can be done online from anywhere. There are no geographical restrictions.

Each Pre-arrival Registration is linked to a specific passport. So, in the event of loss of passport or passport renewal, a new Pre-arrival Registration must be made.

Pre-arrival Registration for India passport holders

India passport holders must complete Pre-Arrival Registration online at the HK Immigration website prior to arrival in Hong Kong.

The Pre-arrival Registration is valid for 6 months or until the expiration of the passport, whichever is earlier.

The Pre-arrival Registration is for Multiple Entries. Each entry can be up to 14 days.

The following information must be provided while filling out the Pre-arrival Registration online.

• Name in English
• Alias in English
• Sex
• Marital Status
• Date of Birth
• Place of Birth
• Residential Address
• Contact Telephone Number
• India Passport Number
• Passport Place of Issue
• Passport Date of Issue
• Passport Date of Expiry

The entered information must match exactly with the information on the passport. If any piece of information is slightly mismatched, the Pre-arrival Registration will be deemed as invalid.

NOTE
Indian passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival in Hong Kong.

You can only apply for another Pre-arrival Registration if the current one has already expired.

Pre-arrival Registration for Taiwan passport holders

Taiwan passport holders must complete Pre-arrival Registration online at the HK Immigration website prior to arrival in Hong Kong.

The Pre-arrival Registration is valid for 2 months.

The Pre-arrival Registration can be used for up to 2 entries to Hong Kong. Each entry can be up to 30 days.

The following information must be provided while filling out the Pre-arrival Registration online.

• Name in Chinese and English
• Alias in Chinese and English
• Sex
• Date of Birth
• Place of Birth
• Taiwan identity card number
• Taiwan re-entry travel document number and validity

The entered information must match exactly with the information on the passport. If any piece of information is slightly mismatched, the Pre-arrival Registration will be deemed as invalid.

NOTE
The re-entry travel document must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival in Hong Kong.

You can apply for another Pre-arrival Registration if the existing one has already expired or 2 entries have been used.

Documentation

You do not need to upload any documentation for Pre-arrival Registration. You just have to input the required information.

Visa Fee

There is no fee for Pre-arrival Registration. It’s free of charge.

Processing Time

The result of pre-arrival registration is immediate. A “notification slip” is generated right away.

Notification Slip

You must check the information on the notification slip for any possible errors. All information on the notification slip must match exactly with the information on the passport. Any discrepancy will deem the notification slip invalid.

You must print the notification slip on an A4 size blank white paper. You must sign the notification slip. You must present the signed notification slip along with your original passport at the first port of entry in Hong Kong.

NOTE
The immigration officers at the airport will check if the data on the notification slip matches with the information on the passport. It’s extremely important to input accurate information and verify and confirm the data on the notification slip before printing and signing.

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Pre-approved Visa

Application

In order to apply for a Pre-approved Visa for Hong Kong, you would need a local sponsor in Hong Kong. A local sponsor can be a business or individual. The individual sponsor must be a Hong Kong resident and must prove their relationship with the applicant.

Hong Kong Visitor Visa can be applied in 4 ways

• In-person by your local sponsor in Hong Kong
• In-person by yourself at your nearest Chinese diplomatic mission or consulate
• By Mail or Post
• By Fax

Apply In-Person by Local Sponsor

Your local sponsor can submit your application directly to the following address in Hong Kong. An original passport is NOT NEEDED in this case.

Receipt and Despatch Sub-unit
Hong Kong Immigration Department
2/F, Immigration Tower
7 Gloucester Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Apply In-Person by Yourself

You can submit your application along with your original passport at the nearest Chinese diplomatic mission or consulate in your country of residence.

Foreigners living in Mainland China can submit their visa application along with their original passport at the Hong Kong Immigration Division in Beijing or Shanghai.

The Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing
No. 71, Di’anmen Xidajie, Xicheng District
Beijing 100009
People’s Republic of China

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai
21/F, The Headquarters Building, 168 Xizang Road (M), Huangpu District
Shanghai 200001
People’s Republic of China

Note for India passport holders
Chinese diplomatic missions and consulates in your country of residence or anywhere WILL NOT accept Hong Kong visa applications from Indian passport holders. India passport holders must apply for a Hong Kong visa directly at the HKSAR Immigration Department in Hong Kong via sponsor, mail or fax. Alternatively, Indian passport holders can request Pre-approval Registration online for entries up to 14 days.

Apply by Mail

If applying by mail, all application forms and supporting documents must be mailed to the following address in Hong Kong. An original passport is NOT NEEDED in this case.

Receipt and Despatch Sub-unit
Hong Kong Immigration Department
2/F, Immigration Tower
7 Gloucester Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Apply by Fax

In order to speed up the process, the application forms and supporting documents can be faxed to the Hong Kong Immigration Department at the following number.

• +852 28241133

The immigration officials can start your Hong Kong visa process as soon as they receive the fax, but the receipt of the original documents is still required in order to issue the visa if approved. Therefore, you must airmail your original documents immediately after faxing the documents. An original passport is NOT NEEDED in this case.

Documentation

The following documentation is required

• Completed Hong Kong Visa Application Form ID1003A
• Completed Sponsor Application Form ID1003B
• One recent passport-size photograph
• Copy of passport Id page
• Copy of visa for onward travel (not needed if returning to home country)
• Financial proof (Bank statements)
• Employment proof (Employment letter or pay slips)
• Round trip flight tickets
• Hotel reservation
• Copy of sponsor’s Hong Kong Identity card
• Copy of sponsor’s passport ID page
• Copy of the latest entry stamp in the passport or extension proof (only if the HK sponsor is a resident and not a citizen)

Note
The Hong Kong Visa Application Form and Sponsor Application Form can be downloaded online or obtained from any of the Chinese diplomatic missions, consulates or HKSAR government offices.

Visa Fee

The fee for the Hong Kong Tourist Visa is currently $190 HKD.

If sending the application to the Hong Kong Immigration Department by post, you must attach a cashier order or bank draft payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”. The cashier order or bank draft must be issued by a bank that has a connected bank in Hong Kong.

If submitting the visa application through a local sponsor, the visa fee must be paid by your sponsor in cash or by cheque. The cheque must be payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”.

If submitting the visa application in person at your nearest Chinese diplomatic mission or consulate, the visa fee must be paid in cash.

If submitting the visa application in person at the Hong Kong Immigration Division in Beijing or Shanghai, the visa fee must be paid in cash as well.

Processing Time

The visa processing time is about 4 weeks from the receipt of the documents.

In order to speed up the process, the application forms and supporting documents can be faxed to the Hong Kong immigration department. The immigration officials will start your visa process as soon as they receive the fax, but the receipt of the original documents is required in order to complete the visa process. Therefore, applicants must airmail their original documents immediately after faxing the documents.

Application Tracking

You can track your visa application status online or by calling the 24-hour telephone inquiry system.

• Online: Visa Enquiry System
• Phone: +852 31608663

Visa Result

On successful approval of the visa, a visa sticker is generated and sent to the applicant.

If the visa application was submitted in person by your sponsor in Hong Kong, the sponsor must collect the visa sticker and mail it back to the applicant.

If the visa application was directly submitted by mail or fax, the visa sticker is mailed to the applicant directly by airmail.

The visa sticker must be affixed on a blank page in your passport and must be presented to the immigration officer at the port of entry in Hong Kong.

If the application was submitted to the nearest Chinese diplomatic mission or consulate or at the Hong Kong Immigration Division in Beijing or Shanghai, you will be notified of the visa result. You must then pick up your passport in person.

Priority Visa Service

There is no priority visa service.

Customer Service

For any visa-related queries, you can email or call the Hong Kong Immigration Department at

• Email: enquiry@immd.gov.hk
• Phone: +852 28246111

To check the status of your visa application, you can call the 24-hour telephone inquiry number.

• Phone: +852 31608663

Application Withdrawal

There is no formal visa application withdrawal procedure. If you have submitted your visa application by mail/post, you can just ignore or abandon your visa application.

If you have submitted your original passport to the Chinese diplomatic mission or consulate or at the Hong Kong Immigration Division in Beijing or Shanghai, you must go in person and request your passport.

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Immigration and Customs

Start

Most airlines do not let you check in online if you need a visa to travel to the destination country.

After check-in, make sure to arrive at the gate a bit early. The airline staff at the gate sometimes would like to go through the visa requirements again.

Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months from the day of travel.

Entry

Unlike other countries, Hong Kong does not issue an entry stamp on your passport. Instead, you will be given a landing slip with your name, passport number, date of arrival and conditions of stay granted.

You must retain this landing slip during your entire stay in Hong Kong.

You must also fill out and present the arrival/departure card along with your passport to the immigration officer at the port of entry. The departure card will be detached and given back to you, which you must fill and present on your exit.

Pre-arrival Registration REQUIRED passport holders
If you hold a Pre-arrival Registration (PAR), the immigration officer will check the data on the Pre-arrival Registration slip with the information on your passport.

Exit

On your exit, you do not need to present the landing slip. You just have to present your original passport and completed departure card.

Make sure to fill out the departure card before heading to the passport control. You will be sent back if your departure card is incomplete.

Return

You may have to go through immigration and customs on your return to your home country or the country you are flying back to. If you are flying back on an Airbus A330/A340/A380 or Boeing 747/777, expect long lines at the immigration and customs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ: Do you need a visa to visit Hong Kong?

It depends on the country of your passport. Hong Kong offers visa EXEMPTION to quite a few nationalities. India and Taiwan must register to obtain a Pre-arrival Registration slip prior to arrival in Hong Kong. The rest of the nationalities can apply for Hong Kong tourist visas at their nearest Chinese diplomatic missions or consulates.

Hong Kong entry requirements are fairly clear. Hong Kong’s visa policy is not as strict as compared to other countries. Refer to the “Hong Kong Tourist Visa Requirements” section above to confirm if you need a visa for Hong Kong.

FAQ: How to avail Hong Kong Visa on Arrival (VoA)?

Hong Kong does not offer Visa on Arrival (VoA). If you have a visa REQUIRED passport, you must apply for the Hong Kong visa at your nearest Chinese diplomatic mission or directly from the Hong Kong immigration department in Hong Kong.

FAQ: How to apply for Hong Kong visa online?

Unfortunately, the Hong Kong visa process is not online. You can download the forms online but you must apply for the visa in person at your nearest Chinese diplomatic mission or consulate or by post directly from the Hong Kong Immigration Department in Hong Kong.

Exception: India and Taiwan passport holders can register themselves online and obtain a Pre-arrival Registration slip prior to arrival in Hong Kong.

FAQ: What are Hong Kong transit visa requirements?

Visa or Pre-arrival Registration is NOT required for direct airside transit and not leaving the airport transit area.

If flying on different airlines or leaving the airport transit area, then you may have to apply for a transit visa. You can apply for the Hong Kong transit visa at your nearest Chinese diplomatic missions or consulates.

FAQ: How to check Hong Kong visa application status online?

You can track your visa application status online or by calling the 24-hour telephone inquiry number below.

• Online: Visa Enquiry System
• Phone: +852 31608663

FAQ: What is the minimum passport validity to enter Hong Kong?

The minimum passport validity to enter Hong Kong is 6 months. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into Hong Kong.

FAQ: Is a day trip to Macau from Hong Kong considered an EXIT and RE-ENTRY into Hong Kong?

Yes, a day trip to Macau from Hong Kong is still considered as an exit and re-entry into Hong Kong.

On Exit
You will go through immigration on your departure at the ferry terminal in Hong Kong. Before boarding the ferry bound for Macau in Hong Kong, you must present your completed departure card, ferry boarding pass and original passport.

On Re-entry
When you head back from Macau, on your arrival at the Hong Kong ferry terminal, you will go through immigration. You must grab and fill out the arrival/departure card at the arrival ferry terminal in Hong Kong. You must present the completed arrival/departure card, original passport, and visa or Pre-arrival Registration slip.

Re-entry is considered a fresh entry. So, you will be given a fresh entry (number of days) based on your passport. Indian nationals will get a fresh 14-day entry with their existing Pre-arrival Registration slip.

For Macau visa requirements, refer to the Macau visa guide (coming soon).

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Overall

Hong Kong tourist visa requirements are fairly clear and easy to understand. Most nationalities are exempt from visas. Those who need a visa can apply at their nearest Chinese diplomatic missions or consulates or directly from the Hong Kong Immigration Department.