Hong Kong Visa, Requirement & Application

Written by Sally Guo Updated May. 31, 2023

Hong Kong is a popular city for international travel, especially for those heading to China the mainland of China.

While citizens from 170 countries can visit Hong Kong without a visa, some nationalities need to apply for one. It's important to know that Hong Kong has its own visa policy and requirements as a Special Administrative Region (SAR), which differs from China Mainland.

Do I Need a Visa for Hong Kong?

Hong Kong offers a visa-free policy for citizens from around 170 countries. The stay permitted for visa-free entry ranges from 7 to 180 days, depending on your nationality.

For instance, citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore can stay in Hong Kong for up to 90 days without a visa, while citizens of the United Kingdom can stay for up to 180 days.

If you are an Indian, you are required to apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival registration (PAR) online before you can visit Hong Kong visa-free.

Hong Kong Visa Requirement

If you're a Hong Kong resident or hold a Hong Kong passport, Hong Kong re-entry permit, Hong Kong Seaman's Identity Book, or Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card, you won't need a visa to enter Hong Kong for any purpose.

If you are an international traveler coming to Hong Kong for tourism, activities, or visiting friends, you may be eligible for visa-free entry based on your nationality and travel document type. Check Hong Kong Visa-Free Countries List for detailed information.

If you're from a country that is not included in the visa-free list, you will need to apply for a visa to visit Hong Kong. The type of visa required depends on the purpose and length of your stay.

For example, if you're going to Hong Kong for work, you'll need to apply for a Work/Employment  Visa, while if you're going to study in Hong Kong, you'll need to apply for a Study Visa.

Hong Kong Visa-Free Countries List

No. National of a foreign country (territory)/Type of travel document Visa-free period for a visit not exceeding Always require VISA, except in direct transit by air and when the passenger 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 ALGERIA 14 Days -
5 ANDORRA 90 Days -
6 ANGOLA - Visa Required^
7 ANGUILLA 90 Days -
8 ANTIGUA & BARBUDA 90 Days -
9 ARGENTINA 90 Days -
10 ARMENIA 30 Days -
11 AUSTRALIA 90 Days -
12 AUSTRIA 90 Days -
13 AZERBAIJAN - Visa Required#
14 BAHAMAS 90 Days -
15 BAHRAIN 30 Days -
16 BANGLADESH - Visa Required^
17 BARBADOS 90 Days -
18 BELARUS 30 Days -
19 BELGIUM 90 Days -
20 BELIZE 90 Days -
21 BENIN 14 Days -
22 BERMUDA 90 Days -
23 BHUTAN 14 Days -
24 BOLIVIA 30 Days -
25 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 14 Days -
26 BOTSWANA 90 Days -
27 BRAZIL 90 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 TERRITORY 90 Days -
31 BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY 90 Days -
32 BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 90 Days -
33 BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 90 Days -
34 BULGARIA 90 Days -
35 BURKINA FASO 14 Days -
36 BURUNDI - Visa Required^
37 CAMBODIA - Visa Required#
38 CAMEROON - Visa Required^
39 CANADA 90 Days -
40 CAPE VERDE (REPUBLIC OF) 30 Days -
41 CAYMAN ISLANDS 90 Days -
42 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - Visa Required*
43 CHAD 14 Days -
44 CHILE 90 Days -
45 COLOMBIA 90 Days -
46 COMOROS 14 Days -
47 CONGO (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF) (Formerly known as Zaire) - Visa Required*
48 CONGO (REPUBLIC OF) - Visa Required*
49 COSTA RICA 30 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) - Visa Required*
53 CROATIA 90 Days -
54 CUBA - Visa Required
55 CYPRUS (REPUBLIC OF) 90 Days -
56 CZECH REPUBLIC 90 Days -
57 DENMARK 90 Days -
58 DJIBOUTI 14 Days -
59 DOMINICA (COMMONWEALTH OF) 90 Days -
60 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 30 Days -
61 ECUADOR 90 Days -
62 EGYPT 90 Days -
63 EL SALVADOR 30 Days -
64 EQUATORIAL GUINEA 14 Days -
65 ERITREA - Visa Required*
66 ESTONIA 90 Days -
67 ESWATINI (Formerly known as Swaziland) 90 Days -
68 ETHIOPIA - Visa Required^
69 FALKLAND ISLANDS & DEPENDENCIES 90 Days -
70 FAROE ISLANDS 90 Days -
71 FIJI 90 Days -
72 FINLAND 90 Days -
73 FRANCE 90 Days -
74 GABON 14 Days -
75 GAMBIA - Visa Required*
76 GEORGIA - Visa Required
77 GERMANY 90 Days -
78 GHANA - Visa Required^
79 GIBRALTAR 90 Days -
80 GREECE 90 Days -
81 GREENLAND 90 Days -
82 GRENADA 90 Days -
83 GUATEMALA 30 Days -
84 GUINEA 14 Days -
85 GUINEA-BISSAU - Visa Required*
86 GUYANA 90 Days -
87 HAITI 14 Days -
88 HONDURAS 30 Days -
89 HUNGARY 90 Days -
90 ICELAND 90 Days -
91 INDIA 14 Days Pre-arrival registration required%
92 INDONESIA 30 Days -
93 IRAN - Visa Required*
94 IRAQ - Visa Required*
95 IRELAND (REPUBLIC OF) 90 Days -
96 ISRAEL 90 Days -
97 ITALY 90 Days -
98 JAMAICA 90 Days -
99 JAPAN 90 Days -
100 JORDAN 30 Days -
101 KAZAKHSTAN 14 Days -
102 KENYA 90 Days -
103 KIRIBATI 90 Days -
104 KOREA (DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF) - Visa Required*
105 KOREA (REPUBLIC OF) 90 Days -
106 KUWAIT 30 Days -
107 KYRGYZSTAN - Visa Required#
108 LAOS - Visa Required#
109 LATVIA 90 Days -
110 LEBANON - Visa Required
111 LESOTHO 14 Days -
112 LIBERIA - Visa Required*
113 LIBYA - Visa Required*
114 LIECHTENSTEIN 90 Days -
115 LITHUANIA 90 Days -
116 LUXEMBOURG 90 Days -
117 MADAGASCAR 14 Days -
118 MALAWI 90 Days -
119 MALAYSIA 90 Days -
120 MALDIVES 90 Days -
121 MALI 14 Days -
122 MALTA 90 Days -
123 MARSHALL ISLANDS (REPUBLIC OF) 14 Days -
124 MAURITANIA 14 Days -
125 MAURITIUS 90 Days -
126 MEXICO 90 Days -
127 MICRONESIA (FEDERATED STATES OF) 14 Days -
128 MOLDOVA (REPUBLIC OF) - Visa Required#
129 MONACO 90 Days -
130 MONGOLIA 14 Days -
131 MONTENEGRO ( REPUBLIC OF ) 14 Days -
132 MONTSERRAT 90 Days -
133 MOROCCO 30 Days -
134 MOZAMBIQUE 14 Days -
135 MYANMAR - Visa Required#
136 NAMIBIA 90 Days -
137 NAURU 90 Days -
138 NEPAL - Visa Required^
139 NETHERLANDS 90 Days -
140 NEW ZEALAND 90 Days -
141 NICARAGUA - Visa Required
142 NIGER 14 Days -
143 NIGERIA - Visa Required*
144 NORTH MACEDONIA 14 Days -
145 NORWAY 90 Days -
146 OMAN 30 Days -
147 PAKISTAN - Visa Required※
148 PALAU 14 Days -
149 PALESTINE (STATE OF) - Visa Required
150 PANAMA 30 Days -
151 PAPUA NEW GUINEA 90 Days -
152 PARAGUAY 30 Days -
153 PERU 30 Days -
154 Special Peruvian passports - Visa Required
155 PHILIPPINES 14 Days -
156 PITCAIRN, HENDERSON, DUCIE & OENO ISLANDS 90 Days -
157 POLAND 90 Days -
158 PORTUGAL 90 Days -
159 QATAR 30 Days -
160 ROMANIA 90 Days -
161 RUSSIAN FEDERATION 14 Days -
162 RWANDA - Visa Required*
163 SAMOA 30 Days -
164 SAN MARINO 90 Days -
165 SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE 14 Days -
166 SAUDI ARABIA 30 Days -
167 SENEGAL - Visa Required
168 SERBIA (REPUBLIC OF) (holders of Serbian biometric passports only) 14 Days -
169 SERBIA (REPUBLIC OF) (holders of Serbian non-biometric passports or Serbian passports issued by the Coordination Directorate in Belgrade) - Visa Required
170 SEYCHELLES 90 Days -
171 SIERRA LEONE - Visa Required*
172 SINGAPORE 90 Days -
173 SLOVAK REPUBLIC 90 Days -
174 SLOVENIA 90 Days -
175 SOLOMON ISLANDS - Visa Required
176 SOMALIA - Visa Required*
177 SOUTH AFRICA 30 Days -
178 SOUTH SUDAN - Visa Required*
179 SPAIN 90 Days -
180 SRI LANKA - Visa Required^
181 ST. HELENA 90 Days -
182 ST. HELENA DEPENDENCIES (ASCENSION, TRISTAN DA CUNHA) 90 Days -
183 ST. KITTS - NEVIS ANGUILLA 90 Days -
184 ST. LUCIA 90 Days -
185 ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES 90 Days -
186 SUDAN - Visa Required*
187 SURINAME 14 Days -
188 SWEDEN 90 Days -
189 SWITZERLAND 90 Days -
190 SYRIA - Visa Required*
191 TAJIKISTAN - Visa Required#
192 TANZANIA 90 Days -
193 THAILAND 30 Days -
194 THE SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS 90 Days -
195 THE SOVEREIGN BASE AREAS OF AKROTIRI AND DHEKELIA 90 Days -
196 TOGO - Visa Required^
197 TONGA 90 Days -
198 Tongan National passports - Visa Required
199 Tongan Protected Persons passports - Visa Required
200 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 90 Days -
201 TUNISIA 30 Days -
202 TURKEY 90 Days -
203 TURKMENISTAN - Visa Required#
204 TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS 90 Days -
205 TUVALU 90 Days -
206 TUVALU (with national status stated as 'I-TUVALU') - Visa Required
207 UGANDA 30 Days -
208 UKRAINE 14 Days -
209 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 30 Days -
210 URUGUAY 90 Days -
211 Uruguay passports issued under Decree 289/90 - Visa Required
212 U.S.A. (except U.S.A. Diplomatic passports) 90 Days -
213 U.S.A. Diplomatic passports - Visa Required
214 US TRUST TERRITORY OF PACIFIC ISLANDS (holders of US Trust Territory passports only) 14 Days -
215 UZBEKISTAN - Visa Required#
216 VANUATU 90 Days -
217 VATICAN CITY 14 Days -
218 Vatican Service passports - Visa Required
219 VENEZUELA 90 Days -
220 VIETNAM - Visa Required#
221 YEMEN (REPUBLIC OF) - Visa Required*
222 ZAMBIA 90 Days -
223 ZIMBABWE 90 Days -
224 All 'stateless' travel document holders - Visa Required
225 Nationals of other foreign countries do not require visas for a visit 7 Days -

Remarks:

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

All nationals (except holders of Diplomatic and Official passports) are required to hold a valid visa for Hong Kong for whatever purpose (including those who are in transit and remain on the airside). Holders of Diplomatic and Official passports may visit the HKSAR visa-free for a stay not exceeding 30 days.

# Holders of Diplomatic and Official passports may visit the HKSAR visa-free for a stay not exceeding 14 days.

% Indian nationals are required to apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival registration (PAR) online before they can visit Hong Kong visa-free.

How to Apply for a Hong Kong Visa

Applying for a Hong Kong visa is a straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you through the application.

1. Determine the Type of Hong Kong Visa You Need.

Hong Kong offers various types of visas for different purposes, such as employment, study, investment, or family reunion. Identify the appropriate visa category based on your purpose of visit.

2. Gather the Required Documents.

Each visa category has specific document requirements. Typically, you will need these documents for getting a Hong Kong visa:

3. Complete the Hong Kong Application Form.

Download the visa application form from the Hong Kong Immigration Department's website or our website. Fill it out accurately and legibly, ensuring all information matches your supporting documents.

4. Submit Your Application.

Option 1: Submit all necessary documents in person at the nearest China Embassy or Consulate in your country.

Some Chinese Embassies and Consulates have established China Visa Application Service Centers (CVASC) to handle the application process. You can submit the required documents directly to them. The CVASC will accept and forward the application to the embassy for further processing and issuance.

Option 2: Submit all the necessary documents to Hong Kong Immigration Department by express mail directly. 

Application Mailing Address: Receipt and Despatch Sub-unit, Immigration Department, 2/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港灣仔告士打道七號 入境事務大樓二樓 入境事務處收發分組)

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 forms and the photograph required should be sent immediately to the Hong Kong Immigration Department by air mail. A visa will be issued only on receipt of original, properly completed visa application forms.

5. Collect Your Hong Kong Visa.

Once your visa is approved, collect it from China Embassy or Consulate or the designated visa collection point. Ensure all details on the visa are accurate, including the validity dates and visa category.

How Long Does Hong Kong Visa Processing Take?

The processing time for a Hong Kong visa application may vary depending on the location where you submit your application. When you apply at the Chinese Embassy or China Visa Application Service Center, the regular processing time is typically around 4 working days.

However, if you choose to send your application materials directly to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, the overall application process may take at least 4 weeks

Actual processing times may vary based on individual circumstances and the volume of applications received.

Hong Kong Visa Fee

  Item Fees
1 Ordinary visa HKD 230
2 Transit visa HKD 120
3 Change of conditions of stay or extension of the limit of stay HKD 230
4 Endorsement of a travel document for which no specific fee is provided HKD 240

Note: 1 USD ≈ 7.85 HKD

Enjoy a Visa-Free Hong Kong Tour

Our experienced team is ready to assist you in crafting a personalized Hong Kong itinerary that suits your needs and preferences. Whether you're visiting for business, leisure, or family reasons, we'll take care of all the details, including visa guidance, accommodation, transportation, and curated activities.

Contact us to book your unforgettable trip to Hong Kong and let us tailor an experience just for you.

Here are our popular tours for your reference.

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