Hong Kong

Visa Hong Kong

Asie · Asie de l’Est

In Hong Kong, visas and entry permits fall under the Immigration Department of the special administrative region. The pages consulted on 2026-09-17 state that a visa or entry permit is required in order to work, study, establish or join a business, or settle. The application may be filed online, by post, through a local sponsor, or with the nearest Chinese diplomatic or consular mission. The authorization is issued in the form of an "e-Visa".

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority: Immigration Department, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Submission channel: Online electronic services, by post directly or through a local sponsor, or the nearest Chinese diplomatic or consular mission, according to the pages consulted
Electronic visa: Yes: the portal states that the applicant receives an "e-Visa" to download or print themselves
Portal language: English, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese (English version consulted)

Do you need a visa?

Your nationality

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

"Visit / Transit" — visit and transit visa or entry permit: Regime named by the portal for visits and transits. The conditions depend on the travel document held and on nationality; they are not reproduced here. Official page (new tab)
"Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)": Admission scheme named by the "Visas / Entry Permits" page; its conditions are not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
"General Employment Policy (GEP)": Employment regime named by the "Visas / Entry Permits" page; its conditions are not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
"Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)": Admission scheme named by the "Visas / Entry Permits" page; its conditions are not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
"Students" — stay for study purposes: Category named by the "Visas / Entry Permits" page; its conditions are not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
"Dependants" — dependent persons: Category named by the "Visas / Entry Permits" page; its conditions are not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The page consulted on 2026-09-17 states that a visa or entry permit is needed in order to work, study, establish or join a business, or settle in Hong Kong. It states that the application may be sent to the Immigration Department directly by post or through a local sponsor, and that the forms and documents may be sent by fax in the first instance.

The same page states that an application may also be made to the nearest Chinese diplomatic or consular mission. For residents of Taiwan, it refers to filing through an authorized airline.

The page devoted to electronic services states that these services have been extended, since November 29, 2022, to all types of visa application, including visas and entry permits for visit, employment, investment, training, residence and study, and that the application can be filed online without going to an immigration office.

Steps in the procedure

Identify the regime or scheme matching the purpose of the stay among those listed by the portal.
Complete the corresponding application form.
File the application online through the electronic services, or by post directly or through a local sponsor, or with the nearest Chinese diplomatic or consular mission.
Send in the original duly completed form: the page states that a visa or entry permit is issued only on receipt of that original.
After approval, pay the issuance fee online or in person at an immigration office.
Download or print the "e-Visa" yourself, on a blank A4 sheet according to the page.
On arrival, present the valid travel document and the "e-Visa", stored on a mobile device or printed, and have the encrypted QR code scanned.

Documents mentioned by the authority

Visa or entry permit application form, original and duly completed.
Photographs, required with the postal submission according to the page.
Supporting documents accompanying the form, with no detailed list on the page consulted.
Not stated on the portal consulted for the detail of the documents, which depends on the regime applied for and on the situation.

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, filing the application through the electronic services is presented as a free service. Applications under the "Specified Schemes" give rise to an application fee and an issuance fee; the page states that application fees are not refundable under any circumstances, whatever the outcome.

The same page refers to a new fee schedule applicable since February 26, 2025, without publishing the amounts on the page read: "Not stated on the portal consulted".

Issuance fees may be paid online by bank card, PPS, FPS or a mainland China electronic wallet, or in person at an immigration office. No processing time is stated on the pages consulted: "Not stated on the portal consulted".

After the decision

According to the page devoted to the "e-Visa", an applicant for a visa or entry permit, an extension of stay or a change of status receives an "e-Visa", which they download or print themselves from a web link or from the department's mobile application.

On arrival, the holder presents their valid travel document and the "e-Visa", on a personal mobile device or printed on a blank A4 sheet, and has the encrypted QR code scanned.

The portal has separate sections on extension of stay and on returning to Hong Kong, which were not consulted. The decision rests with the Immigration Department.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Hong Kong to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required to travel to Hong Kong?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. The portal states that a visa or entry permit is required in order to work, study, establish or join a business, or settle.

Where is the application filed?

Online through the electronic services, by post directly or through a local sponsor, or with the nearest Chinese diplomatic or consular mission, according to the pages consulted on 2026-09-17.

Is there an electronic visa?

Yes. The portal states that the authorization is issued in the form of an "e-Visa", downloaded or printed by the applicant, then presented on arrival with the travel document so that the encrypted QR code can be scanned.

Is filing online chargeable?

According to the page consulted on 2026-09-17, filing through the electronic services is presented as a free service; applications under the "Specified Schemes" give rise to application and issuance fees, which are not refundable.

What are the fee amounts?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The page refers to a fee schedule applicable since February 26, 2025, without publishing the amounts on the page read.

What processing times does the authority announce?

Not stated on the portal consulted. No processing time is stated on the pages read.

Official sources

Visas / Entry Permits — Immigration Department (new tab) Authority

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

Visas / Entry Permits | Immigration Department (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Visit Visa / Entry Permit Requirements for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | Immigration Department (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Electronic Services for Visa Application (titre HTML non exposé) (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Arrangements for « e-Visa » Issuance (titre HTML non exposé) (new tab) read on 17 September 2026

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

The portal names a large number of additional admission schemes that were not consulted: only six have been retained here, the others remain to be documented.
The amounts of the application and issuance fees do not appear on the pages read; the page devoted to the fee schedule for the "Specified Schemes" was not consulted.
No processing time is published on the pages consulted.
The lengths of stay allowed for visitors vary according to nationality and travel document: they are not reproduced here and fall under the visa policy rules reviewed separately.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

Describe your situation

Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.
Check at the source

Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.
Track what is left to do

Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

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