If a person wishes to visit or transit the HKSAR but does not enjoy the visa waiver concession; or if he/she wishes to stay beyond the entitled visa free period, he/she must obtain a visa/entry permit before coming. Information on the visa waiver concession and visa requirements of the HKSAR for respective countries can be found in the Visit Visa / Entry Permit Requirements for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region webpage.
This entry arrangement does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland and Taiwan (other than People’s Republic of China passport holders and Chinese residents of Taiwan living overseas).
Eligibility Criteria
An application for a visa/entry permit to enter the HKSAR for a visit or transit may be favourably considered if:
- the applicant’s bona fides are not in doubt;
- the applicant has adequate funds to cover the duration of his/her stay without working; and
- where the application is for a transit visa/entry permit, he/she holds an onward ticket to the place of his/her destination unless the destination is the Mainland of China or Macao.
In general, unless a person has the right of abode or right to land in the HKSAR, he/she requires a visa/entry permit to stay in the HKSAR as a visitor longer than the allowed visa free period. While each application is determined on its individual merits, an applicant should meet normal immigration requirements (such as holding a valid travel document with adequate returnability to his/her country of residence or citizenship; be of clear criminal record and raise no security or criminal concerns to the HKSAR; have no likelihood of becoming a burden on the HKSAR, etc.) as well as the relevant specific eligibility criteria detailed above before he/she may be considered for the grant of a visa/entry permit. It should be noted that the eligibility criteria may be subject to change from time to time.
Processing Time
It normally takes four weeks to process a visit/transit visa/entry permit application upon receipt of all the required documents. The Immigration Department will not be able to start processing the application unless all the required documents and information have been received. Please refrain from making enquiries about the progress of the application unless it is absolutely necessary, as it may delay the processing of the application.
All applications are processed and determined by the Immigration Department. Approval of applications is entirely discretionary and is subject to changes in government policies. The Director of Immigration reserves absolute discretion to refuse any application even if the application meets all eligibility criteria.
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