Hong Kong, which stands for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is a global metropolis as well as an international financial, services, shipping and trade centre. It is known for its free capitalist economy, indirect democracy, efficient government and excellent public security.
The sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as China or PRC) in 1997; however, Hong Kong retained its highly developed capitalist economy system under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ policy of China. Currently, it enjoys a high degree of autonomy in areas such as currency (Hong Kong dollar or HKD), legal system, political system, immigration control and rule of the road. However, foreign affairs and defence are under the jurisdiction of PRC.
Hong Kong has maintained strong economic growth over the past two decades, with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increasing at an average annual rate of 4.1 percent. In 2008, its GDP amounted to EUR 145 billion, indicating a 2.5 percent growth (real GDP). However, the figure is lower than the 6.4 percent growth recorded in 2007, weakened by the impact of the global financial crisis.
Hong Kong is a service-oriented economy, with the services sector accounting for over 92 percent of its GDP. This sector comprises wholesale, retail and import/export trade; restaurants and hotels; transport, storage and communications; finance, insurance, real estate and business services; community, social and personal services, and ownership of premises.
The success of Hong Kong as an international city is driven by the following fundamental advantages: 1
Foreign direct investment (FDI): It was ranked Asia’s second largest and the world’s seventh largest FDI recipient in 2008 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Competitiveness: It ranked second in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2009.
Business environment: It was rated the Best Location in Asia- Pacific for business in the Asia-Pacific Cities Monitor 2008; the Global Enabling Trade Report 2009 ranked Hong Kong second in the world for its openness to international trade; the Economic Freedom of the World Annual Report 2009 has been judging it the World’s Freest Economy for 13 consecutive years.
Cost of doing business and business risk: Milken Institute ranked Hong Kong second in the list of economies with the lowest costs of doing business and business risks, after Finland.
Taxation: According to Forbes Tax Misery Index 2009, Hong Kong has the lowest tax misery in Asia-Pacific and the third lowest in the world.
Rule of law: According to Political & Economic Risk Consultancy, Hong Kong has the best judicial system in Asia. In addition, according to Asian Corporate Governance Association’s CG Watch 2007, Hong Kong has the best corporate governance in Asia.
Availability of talent: Hong Kong’s three universities feature in the list of the world’s top 50 institutes, compiled by the Times Higher Education QS World University Rankings 2009. The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology EMBA programme ranks second in the world.
Immigration policies: In order to attract professionals, talent and investors, and ensure its continued competitiveness, Hong Kong focuses on promoting friendly immigration policies. Currently, it offers four types of visas for foreign nationals to live, work or invest in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has a population of 7 million and an area of 1,054 km2, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
The official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English; however, Cantonese, a Chinese language originating in Guangdong Province, is the first language of 95 percent of the population.
This section discusses the common investment vehicles available to foreign investors, the procedures to be followed in order to establish them and related regulations for each investment mode.
Setting up a business by foreign investors in Hong Kong is easy, convenient and cheap. Generally, there is little difference between Hong Kong residents and foreigners when registering a company or unincorporated entity. Foreign investors can choose to set up either an incorporated or unincorporated entity based on their requirements. There are different options for company structure to suit different business requirements, of which the most popular is a limited company.
Table 1 lists the most common modes of setting up businesses by foreign investors and the legal characteristics involved in each type.
Source: InvestHK; Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong;
Companies Registry, Hong Kong
Setting up an incorporated entity is suitable either for a foreign corporate body or foreign individuals. It is the most accepted way of setting up a business in Hong Kong. Moreover, an unlimited company is not a good choice today as registering a limited company does not have many constraints but can offer many conveniences.
The Companies Ordinance governs the process of setting up a company— private and public, limited and unlimited—in Hong Kong.
A private company means a company that by its articles
A public company is also called a listed company, meaning a company that has its shares listed on a recognised stock market.
A limited company is one that is limited either by shares or by a guarantee. A company limited by shares has the liability of its members limited by the memorandum to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares respectively held by them, while a company limited by guarantee is a company having the liability of its members limited by the memorandum to such amount as the members may respectively thereby undertake to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up.
An unlimited company is a company that does not have any limit on the liability of its members.
InvestHK, the department for FDI in Hong Kong, lists the following steps for incorporating a company on its website: 4
Company Name and Structure Selection
Post-establishment Registration: Opening of bank account, selection of business premises, hiring of staff and applying for visas
The registration of a company includes the incorporation of a local limited company in Hong Kong and the registration of a non-Hong Kong company (for instance, a company incorporated outside Hong Kong which has established a place of business in Hong Kong).
Step 1: Select a name for the company
A unique company name needs to be chosen. The tentative name can be checked against The Hong Kong Companies Registry, which holds the names of all local limited companies in Hong Kong. The website can be accessed via an online company name search at the Companies Registry’s Cyber Search Centre (http:// www.icris.cr.gov.hk/csci) or at its Public Search Centre on the 13th floor of the Queensway Government Offices in Hong Kong. A name that may infringe on the intellectual property rights (IPR) of a third party cannot be adopted. In addition, a search in the Trademark Register (http://ipsearch.ipd.gov.hk) maintained by the Intellectual Property Department should also be conducted.
Step 2: Submit the following incorporation documents with the required fees to the 14th floor of the Queensway Government Offices:
Step 3: Collect the Certificate of Incorporation
Foreign investors need to register the business with the Inland Revenue Department of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administration Region after obtaining the approval of the Company Incorporation. The Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) requires every person (including foreigners) who carries on a business in Hong Kong to apply for business registration within one month from the date of commencement of the business, and to display a valid Business Registration Certificate at the place of business. Furthermore, if the registered particulars of the business have been changed, the business operator has to notify the Inland Revenue Department within one month of the change. 5
Documents required for business registration include a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Hong Kong Companies Registry and Form 1 (b) (specimen available at http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/pdf/br_form1b_e.pdf) issued by the Inland Revenue Department.
Step 5: Post-establishment Registration: Opening of bank account, selection of business premises, hiring of staff and applying for visas
Step 1: Select a name for the company
The steps to be followed are similar to the guidelines for registering a local limited company in Hong Kong.
Step 2: Submit the following documents with the appropriate fees to the 14th floor of the Queensway Government Offices:
Step 3: Collect the Certificate of Registration
As in the establishment of a limited company, foreign investors need to register the business with the Inland Revenue Department of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administration Region after obtaining the approval of the Company Incorporation. The documents required for business registration are a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation or Certificate of Registration of Non-Hong Kong Company issued by the Hong Kong Companies Registry, and Form 1(b) issued by the Inland Revenue Department.
Step 5: Post-establishment Registration: Opening of bank account, selection of business premises, hiring of staff and applying for visas
Setting up an unincorporated entity in Hong Kong has fewer requirements than setting up an incorporated entity. The primary process that foreign investors need to complete is a business registration with the Hong Kong Companies Registry. The documents required include a Proof of Identity and an Application Form issued by the Inland Revenue Department, as shown in Table 2.
Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the freest economic zones in the world in terms of convenience of setting up a business. According to Doing Business, a project supported by the World Bank, Hong Kong ranks 18th (Doing Business 2010 ranking, data for 2009) among the 183 economies (countries, regions and cities) in the world it studied.
Table 3 lists the data released by Doing Business related to starting a business in Hong Kong.
Doing Business 2010 ranking also shows that starting a business in Hong Kong is easier than in most other countries and regions.
Doing Business 2010 ranking
Note: OECD = Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Foreign nationals must apply for a visa/work permit to visit, work, study, establish or join any business or to stay in Hong Kong longer than the allowed visa free period from the Hong Kong Immigration Authority, otherwise Hong Kong has the right to refuse the arrival and stay of foreign nationals.
Foreign nationals entering Hong Kong are required to apply for a visa or an entry permit, except
If they possess the following documents:
If they enter the country for visit purposes, but only within the regulated time period
Source: Immigration Department, Hong Kong
Source: Immigration Department, Hong Kong
Documents required for a visa application differ according to the visa type. In general, the following documents are required when applying for any visa type:
Supporting documents, such as financial standing
Foreign nationals can obtain a work permit in Hong Kong under the General Employment Policy.
Good educational background – Proof of special skills or abilities can be a substitute in some special circumstances
An income that meets the prevailing market level in Hong Kong
The following documents are required for a work permit application in Hong Kong:
Recent photographs of the applicant
Photocopy of the applicant’s travel document
Photocopy of the applicant’s Hong Kong identity card (if any)
Photocopy of academic qualifications and relevant working experience proof
Hong Kong is one of the Asian cities with a high cost of living. It ranked 29th in ECA International’s 2009 global living cost survey.
Housing Cost: It constitutes the major part of the living cost; the rental cost varies according to the district while the average monthly rental cost is EUR 4–17 per square metre.
Transportation: Taxis and MRT (subway) are the popular modes of transport in Hong Kong; the monthly transport cost in Hong Kong is approximately EUR 88–175.
Food: Restricted by its geographical location, most of Hong Kong’s food comes from Mainland China and other countries, which results in higher prices; the monthly food cost in Hong Kong is about EUR 263 on an average.
Overall, the average monthly living cost in Hong Kong is in the range of EUR 875–1,313.
Hong Kong’s government has established a non-contributory social security system to provide the basic and special needs for those who need financial or material assistance. The non-contributory social security system consists of the following five parts:
Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme
Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme
Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme
The CSSA Scheme will provide the necessary financial support to eligible people to meet their basic needs.
The applicants should satisfy the following requirements to receive this assistance:
Financial requirements – The total asset value should not be more than
Table 6 lists the assistant amount according to the three different payment types under the CSSA Scheme.
Source: Social Welfare Department, Hong Kong
The social security allowance scheme is applicable to those who are severely disabled or aged 65 or above.
Applicants should satisfy the following requirements to receive this assistance:
Should have been a Hong Kong resident for not less than seven years and should have resided in Hong Kong for at least one year (continuously) before the application
Should be residing in Hong Kong during the period of getting the allowance
Should not receive any other allowance under the scheme or allowance from the CSSA scheme
Is not under detention or imprisonment
Should satisfy the following criteria for receiving individual allowance:
Source: Social Welfare Department, Hong Kong
The scheme allows for the provision of necessary financial support to people who have been injured because of a crime or by a law enforcement officer. It is a non-contribution scheme.
Applicants should satisfy the following requirements in order to receive this assistance:
The incident was reported to the police in time
The victim should have been a legal resident of Hong Kong when the incident happened
The application should be raised within three years after the incident
The victim died, or became disabled, or had to take at least three days of sick leave, because of the incident
The scheme allows for the provision of prompt financial assistance to those who suffer road accidents. The assistance can be availed by those satisfying the following requirements:
The accident was in the scope of the Traffic Accident Victims (Assistance Fund) Ordinance (Chapter 229 of the Laws of Hong Kong) and has been referred to the police.
The victim was a legal resident of Hong Kong at the time of the accident.
The application should be made within six months after the accident.
The victim died, or became disabled, or had to take at least three days of sick leave because of the accident.
The service aims to provide meals or goods to people who are affected by natural disasters such as floods, fires and typhoons.
Hong Kong itself acts as a special economic zone (SEZ) and is considered as a model for SEZs by other economies. In fact, the term ‘SEZ’ was first coined by China in the 1990s by applying the successful experiences of Hong Kong to special areas/cities in Mainland China, such as Shenzhen and Zhuhai, which are located close to Hong Kong. 10
Hong Kong has many advantages that have been elaborated throughout this market entry guide, enabling it to attract business and investment from the global market: 11
It is a free port. Hong Kong is a natural port with advanced and highly efficient port facilities. Most importantly, Hong Kong does not have any customs tariffs, tariff quotas or surcharges on imports and exports except on four types of goods: liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol.
It is a low taxation territory with a simple structure. There are no sales taxes, no capital gains taxes, no withholding taxes, no value-added taxes (VAT), no annual net worth taxes and no accumulated earnings taxes in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the tax rates in Hong Kong are extremely low in comparison to other economies.
It has world-class infrastructure in terms of public facilities, transportation (air, road and marine) and communication. It is the capital centre of Asia as well as the gate to Mainland China.
It applies Common Law, which is easily accepted by most western countries. Furthermore, the Hong Kong government is famous for its high efficiency.
It has an international business environment. In addition, English is one of its official languages.
It has a skilled and efficient workforce.
Hong Kong is the world’s ninth largest international banking centre, housing 146 licensed banks (23 incorporated in Hong Kong), 26 restricted licence banks (14 incorporated in Hong Kong) and 28 deposit-taking companies under the featured Three-tier Banking System, as of 16 October 2009. These institutes, together with 72 local representative offices of overseas banks, form a strong and sound financial network across Hong Kong. In 2008, the banking system remained robust and open; however, the global financial crisis led to low profitability during the period. 12, 13
Hong Kong does not have its own central bank; the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) acts as a government authority that maintains the region’s banking system. HSBC, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) and Standard Chartered Bank are the three authorised local commercial banks that issue Hong Kong dollar banknotes. According to the Banking Ordinance, all those authorised institutions in which deposits can be made are classified as banks, restricted licence banks and deposit-taking companies, among which only banks are allowed to operate current and savings accounts. 14,15
The Hong Kong banking system has a non-discriminatory low tax regime and trimmed taxation structure. The system is considered efficient because it is supported by generous deductible allowances. Besides the HKD market, an RMB market is emerging in Hong Kong, which has boosted liquidity in the Hong Kong banking system. 16
The following table lists major general banks in Brazil.
Source: Hong Kong Monetary Authority
The process and documents required to open a company bank account varies with the type of company and the bank. The basic requirements are as follows:
Certificate of Incorporation number (if the company is limited) or Business Registration Certificate number (if the company is a partnership or sole proprietorship)
Details of directors, authorised signatories and principal shareholders/beneficial owners
Telephone number of the company’s representative
Minimum deposit of about HKD 2,000 (EUR 175)
Generally, a passport and a minimum deposit of HKD 200 (EUR 17.5) are required to apply for a personal bank account in Hong Kong.
Online recruitment is the most widely used method of hiring in Hong Kong. Other common channels include campus recruitment, head-hunting agencies and media advertisements (newspapers, magazines, TV and broadcasting), depending on the recruiter’s requirements.
The Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) is responsible for the overall administration of the labour sector in Hong Kong. Its responsibilities include promoting employment, maintaining harmonious labour relations, safeguarding the labour rights of employees and enhancing safety and health at work.
The following are the major legislations enacted for regulating manpower in Hong Kong:
Employment Ordinance, Chapter 57: The Employment Ordinance, enacted in 1968, is the primary legislation governing the conditions of employment in Hong Kong. It includes a range of employee protection policies and benefits, including
Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, Chapter 59: It regulates the policies providing safety and health protection to workers in the industrial sector.
Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, Chapter 282: It is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a no-fault, noncontributory employee compensation system for work injuries.
Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Chapter 509: It regulates safety and health protection policies for employees in both industrial and non-industrial workplaces. It is an enabling ordinance deciding requirements in general terms.
Table 9 lists the major recruitment agencies in Hong Kong and their websites.
The median salary ranges (per year) by job, employer type, industry, city and degree in Hong Kong in 2009, as per Payscale, are presented in tables 10–14.
Hong Kong is known for its low tax rate and simple taxation structure. It levies tax according to the territorial source principle, which means taxes are only levied on income ‘derived from or arising in’ Hong Kong, and not on income obtained from outside of its territory. Foreigners and locals residing in Hong Kong are liable to pay the same taxes such as salaries tax and profit tax.
The tax rates in Hong Kong are extremely low in comparison with other economies. In addition, there are no sales taxes, no capital gains taxes, no withholding taxes, no value-added taxes (VAT), no annual net worth taxes and no accumulated earnings taxes. The income tax rate is 2/7/12/17 percent for those who earn less than EUR 3,501/between EUR 3,501 and EUR 7,002/between EUR 7,002 and EUR 10,504/more than EUR 10,504 yearly, respectively. Corporate tax/profit tax is 16 percent of assessable profits.
Since Hong Kong is a free port, it does not have any customs tariff, tariff quotas or surcharges on imports and exports. Furthermore, no ‘value added’ or ‘general services’ taxes are imposed on imports and exports. However, import and export duty is levied on the following four types of goods: 19
Furthermore, foreign investors and businesses are required to pay three types of business taxes: business registration fee (considered as tax in Hong Kong), profit tax and property tax and stamp duty. Table 15 lists the tax types and respective rates.
On matters pertaining to the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch:
Level 29, One Pacific Place 88
Queensway Hong Kong
On matters pertaining to the Communications and Technology Branch:
1/F – 2/F Murray Building Garden Road,
Central, Hong Kong
On matters pertaining to the Office of the Governmen Chief Information Officer:
15/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road,
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
On matters pertaining to the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +852-2918 7500
Fax: +852-2840 1621
On matters pertaining to the Communications and Technology Branch:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +852-2189 2222
Fax: +852-2827 6646
On matters pertaining to the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +852-2582 4520
Fax: +852-2802 4549
The Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg declines all responsibility regarding the use of information featured in this document. The contents are provided for information purposes only. They contain information which is not necessarily complete, exhaustive, precise or up to date. In the event of discrepancies between the texts of this publication and the original documents, the original documents as officially published shall apply. This publication may refer to external sites over which the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has no control and for which it declines all responsibility.
Luxembourg for Business
19-21 Boulevard Royal
L-2914 Luxembourg
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
[email protected]
www.luxembourgforbusiness.lu
1 Source: InvestHK
Conversion Rate: The figures in the document have been converted with the following exchange rate conversion
1 HKD = 0.08783 EUR
2 Source: Companies Ordinance of Hong Kong
3 Sources: InvestHK; Companies Registry, Hong Kong
4 Note: Some businesses will require licenses or registration to conduct a specific activity, such as restaurants, travel agencies, employment agencies, banks, fund managers, insurance brokers and lawyers.
5 Note: The Business Registration Ordinance regulates that the following businesses are exempted from registration: (1) The activities of charities; (2) The business of agriculture, market gardening or fishing (exemption not applicable to companies incorporated or required to be registered under the Companies Ordinance); (3) The business of a bootblack; (4) Business carried on by such hawkers who require licences under the Hawker Regulation, except businesses carried on inside the main structure of a building.
6 Source: Immigration Department, Hong Kong
7 Source: Immigration Department, Hong Kong
8 Source: Employment Conditions Abroad
9 Source : Social Welfare Department, Hong Kong
10 Source: Wikipedia: SEZ
11 Source: InvestHK
12 Sources: Hong Kong Monetary Authority Annual Report 2008; Hong Kong Monetary Authority 2008 Year-end Review
13 Source: Lowtax.net
14 Source: Hong Kong Monetary Authority
15 Note: The Ordinance sets forth minimum capital requirements for authorised institutions. Locally incorporated banks must have paid-in capital equal to EUR 260 million and net assets of EUR 347 million to operate a licensed bank. Applicants for a restricted licence bank must have paid-in capital equal to EUR 8.6 million.
16 Sources: Lowtax.net; Hong Kong Monetary Authority Report
17 Source: InvestHK
18 Source: labour.gov.hk
19 Source: Customs Department, Hong Kong
20 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
21 Note: For a new business, the commencement date of its first registration certificate is its date of commencement of business, not the date of application for business or branch registration. For a company incorporated in Hong Kong under the Companies Ordinance, the commencement date of its first business registration certificate is its date of incorporation.
22 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
23 Sources: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong; Lowtax.net
24 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
25 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
26 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
27 Note: there are restrictions on the exemption from payment of business registration fee and levy, including that the company can not be company incorporated or required to be registered in Hong Kong under the Companies Ordinance, and that the proprietor or partners can not have more than one business.
28 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
29 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
30 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
31 Source: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong
As an incorporated entity under the Companies Ordinance:
Wholly foreign-owned enterprise Limited Company Unlimited Company
Limited company is the most popularly used company structure.
The procedure of registering a wholly foreign-owned subsidiary is similar to that for a wholly foreign-owned enterprise.
A JV can be established without the involvement of a Hong Kong resident.
This mode is advisable for a company that wants to explore the Hong Kong market before making a larger investment.
An RO cannot engage in profit-making activities.
This mode is advisable for a company that wants a branch office in Hong Kong to help in its business.
It is suitable for small business.
This mode does not require the involvement of a Hong Kong resident.
A copy of the passport or a copy of the identity card issued by the mainland (for people from Mainland China only)
Copies of the passports of all partners, or copies of the identity cards of all partners issued by the mainland (for people from Mainland China only)
A copy of the passport, or a copy of the identity card issued by the mainland (for people from Mainland China only)
Paid in Minimum Capital (% of income per capita)
Algeria, Angola Diplomatic/Official Passport, Bangladesh Diplomatic/ Official Passport, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi Diplomatic/Official Passport, Cameroon Diplomatic/Official Passport, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Republic of) Diplomatic/Official Passport, Croatia, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia Diplomatic/Official Passport, Gabon, Ghana Diplomatic/Official Passport, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Lesotho, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Marshall Islands (Republic of), Mauritania, Micronesia (Federated States of), Mongolia, Mozambique, Niger, Pakistan Diplomatic/Official Passport, Palau, Philippines, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Sao Tome And Principe, Sri Lanka Diplomatic/Official Passport, Suriname, Togo Diplomatic/ Official Passport, US Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (Holders of US trust territory passports only), Vatican City.
Bahrain, Bolivia, Cape Verde (Republic of), Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Samoa (Western), Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Yemen (Republic of).
Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Britain (British Overseas Territories Citizens, British Overseas Citizens, British Subjects And British Protected Persons), British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus (Republic of), Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica (Commonwealth of), Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Falkland Islands & Dependencies, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Republic of), Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Republic of), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie & Oeno Islands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, St. Helena, St. Helena Dependencies (Ascension, Tristan Da Cunha), St. Kitts – Nevis Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vincent And The Grenadines, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, The South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands, The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri And Dhekelia, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Turks And Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uruguay, U.S.A., Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia.
Countries except those in the table mentioned above and Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo (Democratic Republic of) (Formerly known as Zaire), Congo (Republic of), Costa Rican Provisional passports, “Documento de Identidad Y Viaje” issued by Costa Rican Government, Cote D’Ivoire (Republic of), Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgystan, Laos, Ebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova (Republic of), Montenegro (Republic of), Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine (States of), Panama, Special Peruvian passports, Senegal, Serbia (Republic of), Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tongan National passports, Tongan Protected Persons passports, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu (with national status stated as ‘I-Tuvalu’), Ukraine, Uruguay passports issued under Decree 289/90, Uzbekistan, Vatican Service passports, Vietnam, All ‘stateless’ travel document holders.
People who want to visit/transit Hong Kong but cannot enjoy the visa free period
People who want to stay beyond the entitled visa free period
Onward journey ticket unless the destination is either Mainland China or Macau
People who want to enter/stay in Hong Kong for employment as professionals
Proof of employment (except for nonlocal fresh graduates)