Visas for Hong Kong
Depending on your purpose and your nationality, you may need a visa to enter, work, study or live in Hong Kong. Fortunately, visa requirements for Hong Kong are not nearly as stringent as in many other nations, and forms can be completed in English.
Furthermore, there are plenty of companies for hire that can help you apply for the appropriate visa for Hong Kong.
Expats planning to visit Hong Kong should find out whether they need to organise an entry permit, the equivalent to a tourist visa, prior to their departure. If you arrive in Hong Kong without the correct documentation you will be denied entry, and
promptly placed on the next plane back to from where you came.
A list of those nations whose citizens need entry permits is published on the web site of the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
Citizens of many countries (roughly 170) can enter Hong Kong without a visa, as long as they have a passport valid for at least one month beyond the intended stay in Hong Kong. That said, different periods of stay are granted to different nations, so be aware of the amount of time associated with your nationality. Citizens of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, among others, do not need a visa for entrance into Hong Kong.
Citizens of many of the African and Eastern European nations do need entry permits. This documentation can be applied for at your nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission, or you can apply to the Hong Kong Immigration Department directly, via post or through a local sponsor.
As a former British colony and a nation-state with a formidable international presence, it comes as no surprise that Hong Kong’s employment visa legislation is fairly liberal. No quota restrictions are in place, and visas are in no way sector-specific.
Generally, if expats can prove they have no former criminal record, and they have a high level of education or possess a highly specialised skill set that will be of value to society and that is not readily available, work permits are easy to come by.
That said, it’s necessary for all expats who are not from Mainland China and who are not graduates of a Hong Kong university, to have a job contract and an employee sponsor prior to applying for a work permit.
►Step 1 - Find a Job
It’s required that all expats submitting an application for a general employment visa (GEP) have an employer sponsor and a secured contract with a remuneration package and benefits on the same level as the prevailing market in Hong Kong.
This can, in some situations, create a Catch-22; as many firms won’t hire expats without a work permit, but work permits cannot be granted without a contract.
Still, many institutions are familiar with this process, and don’t perceive the work permit application process as burdensome.
►Step 2 – Complete the Application
Both expats and their employer sponsors will need to complete application forms to be submitted to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. The forms are available for free on the department’s web site.
Supporting documents for GEP application
►Step 3 – Collect your employment visa
Processing time for visas is generally four to six weeks, though each individual case is different. Visas are generally valid for a one year period, but are renewable thereafter (renewals must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the date of expiration). Visas are bound to the sponsoring company; therefore, if an expat wishes to change jobs, they must legally reapply for a visa by filing an “Application for Change of Employment”.
Once a visa is approved, a label will be issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department which must be collected, placed on a blank passport page and displayed upon entry into Hong Kong. Visas must be collected in person either from the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission, if the visa was applied from abroad, or from the Immigration Department of Hong Kong, if applied for within.
Expats applying for a GEP are entitled to legally bring their dependants (family) to Hong Kong; it’s best to include an application for these individuals along with your own GEP application.
Expats must also provide proof of their relationship with their dependants, and must be able to show that they can financially support and accommodate these individuals while living in Hong Kong.
It is necessary to submit the following documents:
Furthermore, there are plenty of companies for hire that can help you apply for the appropriate visa for Hong Kong.
Tourist visas for Hong Kong
Expats planning to visit Hong Kong should find out whether they need to organise an entry permit, the equivalent to a tourist visa, prior to their departure. If you arrive in Hong Kong without the correct documentation you will be denied entry, and
promptly placed on the next plane back to from where you came.A list of those nations whose citizens need entry permits is published on the web site of the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
Citizens of many countries (roughly 170) can enter Hong Kong without a visa, as long as they have a passport valid for at least one month beyond the intended stay in Hong Kong. That said, different periods of stay are granted to different nations, so be aware of the amount of time associated with your nationality. Citizens of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, among others, do not need a visa for entrance into Hong Kong.
Citizens of many of the African and Eastern European nations do need entry permits. This documentation can be applied for at your nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission, or you can apply to the Hong Kong Immigration Department directly, via post or through a local sponsor.
Employment visas for Hong Kong (GEP)
As a former British colony and a nation-state with a formidable international presence, it comes as no surprise that Hong Kong’s employment visa legislation is fairly liberal. No quota restrictions are in place, and visas are in no way sector-specific.
Generally, if expats can prove they have no former criminal record, and they have a high level of education or possess a highly specialised skill set that will be of value to society and that is not readily available, work permits are easy to come by.
That said, it’s necessary for all expats who are not from Mainland China and who are not graduates of a Hong Kong university, to have a job contract and an employee sponsor prior to applying for a work permit.
Steps to getting an employment visa for Hong Kong
►Step 1 - Find a Job
It’s required that all expats submitting an application for a general employment visa (GEP) have an employer sponsor and a secured contract with a remuneration package and benefits on the same level as the prevailing market in Hong Kong.
This can, in some situations, create a Catch-22; as many firms won’t hire expats without a work permit, but work permits cannot be granted without a contract.
Still, many institutions are familiar with this process, and don’t perceive the work permit application process as burdensome.
►Step 2 – Complete the Application
Both expats and their employer sponsors will need to complete application forms to be submitted to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. The forms are available for free on the department’s web site.
- Expats should complete application form (ID 990A).
- The employing company should complete application form (ID 990B).
Supporting documents for GEP application
- 1 x Recent Passport-Sized Photograph
- Photocopy of Passport Particulars
- Photocopy of documentation proving academic qualifications and relevant working experience
►Step 3 – Collect your employment visa
Processing time for visas is generally four to six weeks, though each individual case is different. Visas are generally valid for a one year period, but are renewable thereafter (renewals must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the date of expiration). Visas are bound to the sponsoring company; therefore, if an expat wishes to change jobs, they must legally reapply for a visa by filing an “Application for Change of Employment”.
Once a visa is approved, a label will be issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department which must be collected, placed on a blank passport page and displayed upon entry into Hong Kong. Visas must be collected in person either from the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission, if the visa was applied from abroad, or from the Immigration Department of Hong Kong, if applied for within.
Dependant visas for Hong Kong
Expats applying for a GEP are entitled to legally bring their dependants (family) to Hong Kong; it’s best to include an application for these individuals along with your own GEP application.
Expats must also provide proof of their relationship with their dependants, and must be able to show that they can financially support and accommodate these individuals while living in Hong Kong.
It is necessary to submit the following documents:
- Dependant Visa Application Form
- Photocopy of Dependant's and Sponsor’s Passport
- Photocopy of Sponsor’s Employment Contract
- Proof of Dependant Relationship (Marriage Certificate or Birth Certificates)
- Photocopy of Bank Accounts and Rental Receipts (if already in Hong Kong)
