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Visit Visa / Entry Permit Requirements for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

General

This chapter sets out the visa or entry permit requirements of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China. It cannot be taken as a full statement of the law governing immigration.

Even where all immigration requirements set out in this chapter are met, travellers should not assume that they can gain automatic entry. The HKSAR immigration authorities have the right to refuse any person permission to land except those in Part I of this chapter.

If you need advice on individual cases, please address your enquiries to :

1

If you have a close connection with the HKSAR by birth or long period of residence in the Region, you may not require a visa or entry permit. Please read Part Iof this chapter.

2

If Part I does not apply to you, you will need a visa or entry permit to work, study, establish or join in any business or to take up residence in the HKSAR. However, you may not need a visa or entry permit for visit, depending on your nationality / type of travel document you hold. Please read Part IIof this chapter.
 

PART I

3

No visa or entry permit is required for any purpose if you hold any of the following travel documents:

  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport,
  • British National (Overseas) Passport,
  • Hong Kong Certificate of Identity,
  • Hong Kong Re-entry permit (for entry from the Mainland of China and the Macao Special Administrative Region only),
  • Hong Kong Seaman's Identity Book,
  • Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes provided that the document is valid or the holder's limit of stay in Hong Kong has not expired.
  • Travel documents bearing one of the following endorsements:
    • "Holder's eligibility for Hong Kong permanent identity card verified."
    • "The holder of this travel document has the right to land in Hong Kong. (Section 2AAA, Immigration Ordinance, Cap. 115, Laws of Hong Kong)"
  • Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card.
 

PART II

4

Unless Part I applies to you, you require a visa or entry permit to work, study, establish or join in any business or to take up residence in the HKSAR. Otherwise, you are taking the risk of being refused admission on arrival.

5

Visitors are required to have adequate funds to cover the duration of their stay without working and, unless in transit to the Mainland of China or the Macao Special Administrative Region, to hold onward or return tickets. If you want to stay longer than the visa free period allowed, you must apply for a visa or entry permit before travelling to the HKSAR.

6

Visitors are not allowed by law to take up employment (paid or unpaid), to establish or join in any business, or to enter school as a student, nor, except in the most unusual circumstances, are visitors allowed to change their immigration status after arrival.

7

You may apply for the appropriate visa or entry permit from the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission.

8

As an alternative, you may also submit your visa or entry permit application to the HKSAR Immigration Department either directly by post or through a local sponsor. To shorten the processing time, application forms and supporting documents can be sent by fax to (852) 2824 1133 in the first instance. However, the original copy of the duly completed application form and the photographs required should be sent immediately to the HKSAR Immigration Department by air mail. A visa/entry permit will be issued only on receipt of an original, properly completed visa/entry permit application form.

9

If you are a Chinese resident of Taiwan, you should submit your application for an entry permit through one of the authorised airlines.

10

There are separate information leaflets regarding the arrangements for entry in respect of residents of the Mainland of China (ID 894A) and for overseas Chinese and Chinese residents of Taiwan (ID 895A). You can also obtain information here for entry to Hong Kong from the Mainland of China. Information on arrangements for entry to Hong Kong SAR for overseas Chinese and Chinese residents of Taiwan can be obtained here

11

Persons who need a visa or entry permit for visit (or purposes other than a visit) should obtain the appropriate visa or entry permit before travelling to the HKSAR.

12

HKSAR visa requirements for the following foreign countries / territories:

 Nationality of foreign country (Territory)/ Type of Travel DocumentVisa free period for visit not exceedingAlways require VISA, except in direct transit by air and when the person does not leave the airport transit area
1.AFGHANISTAN-Visa Required
2.ALBANIA (holders of Albanian biometric passports only) 14 Days-
3.ALBANIA (holders of Albanian non-biometric passports) -Visa Required
4.ALGERIA14 Days-
5.ANDORRA90 Days-
6.ANGOLA (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
7.ANGUILLA90 Days-
8.ANTIGUA & BARBUDA90 Days-
9.ARGENTINA90 Days-
10.ARMENIA-Visa Required
11.AUSTRALIA90 Days-
12.AUSTRIA90 Days-
13.AZERBAIJAN-Visa Required
14.BAHAMAS90 Days-
15.BAHRAIN30 Days-
16.BANGLADESH (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
17.BARBADOS90 Days-
18.BELARUS-Visa Required
19.BELGIUM90 Days-
20.BELIZE90 Days-
21.BENIN14 Days-
22.BERMUDA90 Days-
23.BHUTAN14 Days-
24.BOLIVIA30 Days-
25.BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA14 Days-
26.BOTSWANA90 Days-
27.BRAZIL90 Days-
28.BRITAIN (British citizens)180 Days-
29.BRITAIN (British Overseas Territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British subjects and British Protected persons)90 Days-
30.BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY90 Days-
31.BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY90 Days-
32.BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS90 Days-
33.BRUNEI90 Days-
34.BULGARIA90 Days-
35.BURKINA FASO14 Days-
36.BURUNDI (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
37.CAMBODIA-Visa Required
38.CAMEROON (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
39.CANADA90 Days-
40.CAPE VERDE (REPUBLIC OF)30 Days-
41.CAYMAN ISLANDS90 Days-
42.CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC14 Days-
43.CHAD14 Days-
44.CHILE90 Days-
45.COLOMBIA90 Days-
46.COMOROS14 Days-
47.CONGO (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF) (Formerly known as Zaire) (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
48.CONGO (REPUBLIC OF) (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
49.COSTA RICA30 Days-
50.Costa Rican Provisional passports-Visa Required
51."Documento de Identidad Y Viaje" issued by Costa Rican Government-Visa Required
52.COTE D'IVOIRE (REPUBLIC OF) (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
53.CROATIA14 Days-
54.CUBA-Visa Required
55.CYPRUS (REPUBLIC OF)90 Days-
56.CZECH REPUBLIC90 Days-
57.DENMARK90 Days-
58.DJIBOUTI14 Days-
59.DOMINICA (COMMONWEALTH OF)90 Days-
60.DOMINICAN REPUBLIC30 Days-
61.ECUADOR90 Days-
62.EGYPT90 Days-
63.EL SALVADOR30 Days-
64.EQUATORIAL GUINEA14 Days-
65.ERITREA (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
66.ESTONIA90 Days-
67.ETHIOPIA (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
68.FALKLAND ISLANDS & DEPENDENCIES90 Days-
69.FAROE ISLANDS90 Days-
70.FIJI90 Days-
71.FINLAND90 Days-
72.FRANCE90 Days-
73.GABON14 Days-
74.GAMBIA90 Days-
75.GEORGIA-Visa Required
76.GERMANY90 Days-
77.GHANA (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
78.GIBRALTAR90 Days-
79.GREECE90 Days-
80.GREENLAND90 Days-
81.GRENADA90 Days-
82.GUATEMALA30 Days-
83.GUINEA14 Days-
84.GUINEA-BISSAU (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
85.GUYANA90 Days-
86.HAITI14 Days-
87.HONDURAS30 Days-
88.HUNGARY90 Days-
89.ICELAND90 Days-
90.INDIA14 Days-
91.INDONESIA30 Days-
92.IRAN-Visa Required
93.IRAQ (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
94.IRELAND (REPUBLIC OF)90 Days-
95.ISRAEL90 Days-
96.ITALY90 Days-
97.JAMAICA90 Days-
98.JAPAN90 Days-
99.JORDAN30 Days-
100.KAZAKHSTAN14 Days-
101.KENYA90 Days-
102.KIRIBATI90 Days-
103.KOREA (DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF)-Visa Required
104.KOREA (REPUBLIC OF)90 Days-
105.KUWAIT30 Days-
106.KYRGYSTAN-Visa Required
107.LAOS-Visa Required
108.LATVIA90 Days-
109.LEBANON-Visa Required
110.LESOTHO14 Days-
111.LIBERIA (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
112.LIBYA-Visa Required
113.LIECHTENSTEIN90 Days-
114.LITHUANIA90 Days-
115.LUXEMBOURG90 Days-
116.MACEDONIA14 Days-
117.MADAGASCAR14 Days-
118.MALAWI90 Days-
119.MALAYSIA90 Days-
120.MALDIVES90 Days-
121.MALI14 Days-
122.MALTA90 Days-
123.MARSHALL ISLANDS (REPUBLIC OF)14 Days-
124.MAURITANIA14 Days-
125.MAURITIUS90 Days-
126.MEXICO90 Days-
127.MICRONESIA (FEDERATED STATES OF)14 Days-
128.MOLDOVA (REPUBLIC OF)-Visa Required
129.MONACO90 Days-
130.MONGOLIA14 Days-
131.MONTENEGRO ( REPUBLIC OF )14 Days-
132.MONTSERRAT90 Days-
133.MOROCCO30 Days-
134.MOZAMBIQUE14 Days-
135.MYANMAR-Visa Required
136.NAMIBIA90 Days-
137.NAURU90 Days-
138.NEPAL (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
139.NETHERLANDS90 Days-
140.NEW ZEALAND90 Days-
141.NICARAGUA-Visa Required
142.NIGER14 Days-
143.NIGERIA-Visa Required
144.NORWAY90 Days-
145.OMAN30 Days-
146.PAKISTAN (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
147.PALAU14 Days-
148.PALESTINE (STATES OF)-Visa Required
149.PANAMA-Visa Required
150.PAPUA NEW GUINEA90 Days-
151.PARAGUAY30 Days-
152.PERU30 Days-
153.Special Peruvian passports-Visa Required
154.PHILIPPINES14 Days-
155.PITCAIRN, HENDERSON, DUCIE & OENO ISLANDS90 Days-
156.POLAND90 Days-
157.PORTUGAL90 Days-
158.QATAR30 Days-
159.ROMANIA90 Days-
160.RUSSIAN FEDERATION14 Days-
161.RWANDA14 Days-
162.SAMOA (WESTERN)30 Days-
163.SAN MARINO90 Days-
164.SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE14 Days-
165.SAUDI ARABIA30 Days-
166.SENEGAL-Visa Required
167.SERBIA (REPUBLIC OF) (holders of Serbian biometric passports only)14 Days-
168.SERBIA (REPUBLIC OF) (holders of Serbian non-biometric passports or Serbian passports issued by the Coordination Directorate in Belgrade)-Visa Required
169.SEYCHELLES90 Days-
170.SIERRA LEONE (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
171.SINGAPORE90 Days-
172.SLOVAK REPUBLIC90 Days-
173.SLOVENIA90 Days-
174.SOLOMON ISLANDS-Visa Required
175.SOMALIA (please see remarks)-Visa Required*
176.SOUTH AFRICA30 Days-
177.SOUTH SUDAN-Visa Required
178.SPAIN90 Days-
179.SRI LANKA (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
180.ST. HELENA90 Days-
181.ST. HELENA DEPENDENCIES (ASCENSION, TRISTAN DA CUNHA)90 Days-
182.ST. KITTS - NEVIS ANGUILLA90 Days-
183.ST. LUCIA90 Days-
184.ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES90 Days-
185.SUDAN-Visa Required
186.SURINAME14 Days-
187.SWAZILAND90 Days-
188.SWEDEN90 Days-
189.SWITZERLAND90 Days-
190.SYRIA-Visa Required
191.TAJIKISTAN-Visa Required
192.TANZANIA90 Days-
193.THAILAND30 Days-
194.THE SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS90 Days-
195.THE SOVEREIGN BASE AREAS OF AKROTIRI AND DHEKELIA90 Days-
196.TOGO (please see remarks)-Visa Required^
197.TONGA90 Days-
198.Tongan National passports-Visa Required
199.Tongan Protected Persons passports-Visa Required
200.TRINIDAD & TOBAGO90 Days-
201.TUNISIA30 Days-
202.TURKEY90 Days-
203.TURKMENISTAN-Visa Required
204.TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS90 Days-
205.TUVALU90 Days-
206.TUVALU (with national status stated as 'I-TUVALU')-Visa Required
207.UGANDA30 Days-
208.UKRAINE14 Days-
209.UNITED ARAB EMIRATES30 Days-
210.URUGUAY90 Days-
211.Uruguay passports issued under Decree 289/90-Visa Required
212.U.S.A.90 Days-
213.US TRUST TERRITORY OF PACIFIC ISLANDS (holders of US Trust Territory passports only)14 Days-
214.UZBEKISTAN-Visa Required
215.VANUATU90 Days-
216.VATICAN CITY14 Days-
217.Vatican Service passports-Visa Required
218.VENEZUELA90 Days-
219.VIETNAM-Visa Required
220.YEMEN (REPUBLIC OF)30 Days-
221.ZAMBIA90 Days-
222.ZIMBABWE90 Days
223.All 'stateless' travel document holders-Visa Required
224.Nationals of other foreign countries do not require visas for a visit7 Days-

Remarks:

  • * All nationals are required to hold a valid visa for the HKSAR for whatever purpose (including those who are in transit and remain on the airside).

  • ^ All nationals (except holders of Diplomatic and Official passports) are required to hold a valid visa for the HKSAR for whatever purpose (including those who are in transit and remain on the airside). Holders of Diplomatic and Official passport may visit the HKSAR visa-free for a stay not exceeding 14 days.

13

The information in this chapter on visa or entry permit requirements for visitors to the HKSAR is updated in November 2012. There may be subsequent changes.