Visiting and staying in Hong Kong

How long can I stay in Hong Kong without a visa?#

It depends on your passport. The Immigration Department (ImmD) publishes a table of 225 numbered rows, one per nationality or travel-document type. Each row gives a visa-free period in days, or says a visa is required. ImmD says nationals of about 170 countries and territories may visit without a visa for 7 to 180 days.

The passport type matters too: ImmD lists Albanian biometric passports at 14 days and non-biometric passports as visa required. Row 225 gives nationals of other foreign countries 7 days.

ImmD says the table was updated in August 2026 and may change. We checked it on 25 October 2026.

How many days do people from common countries get?#

These are rows from ImmD's table (updated August 2026, checked 25 October 2026). ImmD lists British citizens at 180 days. It lists 90 days for Germany, France, the U.S.A., Japan and Malaysia, 30 days for Thailand and Indonesia, and 14 days for the Philippines and the Russian Federation. India is 14 days, but only after online registration (next section).

The U.S.A. Diplomatic passport is a separate row marked visa required. British Overseas Territories citizens are listed separately at 90 days. Ordinary passports of Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam are listed as visa required. For any other passport, read its row on ImmD's page.

Do Indian passport holders have to register before travelling?#

Yes. ImmD says Indian nationals must complete pre-arrival registration (PAR) online before they can visit or transit Hong Kong visa-free.

PAR is free. It needs an Indian passport valid for at least six months and a stay of no more than 14 days. It lasts six months, with multiple visits of up to 14 days each. A new registration is allowed only after it expires.

The registrant prints and signs the Notification Slip. Both the slip and the same passport are needed before boarding and on arrival, or boarding and entry are refused. Register again if the passport is renewed or replaced. The slip does not guarantee entry.

Who is exempt from India pre-arrival registration, and what if I stay longer?#

ImmD says PAR is not required for Indian nationals in direct transit by air who do not leave the airport transit area, holders of Indian diplomatic or official passports, a UN Laissez Passer on UN business, a valid HKSAR Travel Pass or a valid Hong Kong entry visa, or people enrolled in the e-Channel service for frequent visitors.

A stay of more than 14 days, or any purpose other than a visit, needs a visa applied for directly with ImmD. ImmD says Chinese missions do not accept Indian visit-visa applications. For a registrant under 16, a parent or legal guardian checks and signs the slip.

Which passports need a visa to visit Hong Kong?#

ImmD's table has a visa-required column. Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam are in it for ordinary passports. Diplomatic and official passports of those countries are different: ImmD lists up to 14 days visa-free for Nepal, Bangladesh and Vietnam, and up to 30 days for Pakistan.

Korea (Democratic People's Republic of) is visa required, including for airside transit. So is the U.S.A. Diplomatic passport.

Bangladeshi and Pakistani ordinary passport holders also need a visa to transit airside (see the airside transit section). ImmD says that to stay longer than the visa-free period, a visitor must apply for a visa or entry permit before travelling.

How do I apply for a visit or transit visa, and what does it cost?#

ImmD says an application can go online, by post or through a local sponsor to ImmD, or to the nearest Chinese diplomatic or consular mission. Indian nationals apply to ImmD directly. Processing normally takes four weeks after all documents are received.

ImmD's fee table lists an ordinary visa (others) at HK$330 and a transit visa at HK$170 (table footer 8 April 2026). The e-Visa is issued after the fee is paid and can be shown on a phone or printed on A4.

A person who needs a transit visa to leave the airport must show adequate funds and, unless going to the Mainland or Macao, an onward ticket.

How long must my passport be valid to enter Hong Kong?#

Sources differ, and we do not pick one. In the pages we read, ImmD gives no minimum remaining validity for ordinary visitors. It states six months only for India pre-arrival registration and certain e-Channel enrolments.

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin, an HKSAR Government office, says all visitors must have a passport valid for at least six months after the planned departure date (undated page).

The German Federal Foreign Office says one month longer than the intended stay. It adds that some South-East Asian countries require six months for onward travel and that airlines may apply their own rules. The next section gives four more governments.

What do other governments' travel pages say about passport validity?#

Each says one month, with differences. The UK: at least one month after the planned departure date. Canada: at least one month beyond the expected departure, and transport companies may be stricter (page updated 14 October 2026). The Netherlands: at least one month at departure (changed 12 June 2026).

France (updated 15 September 2026): at least one month after the planned end of stay. It adds that most Asian countries require more than six months after exit, and a traveller may be refused onward travel or turned back from Hong Kong.

Do I need to fill in an arrival or departure card?#

No. ImmD's immigration clearance FAQ (page footer 6 October 2026) says visitors are not required to complete and furnish an arrival or departure card for immigration examination in Hong Kong.

ImmD's review of 2024 says the requirement was cancelled with effect from 16 October 2024, for all passengers.

This is separate from the India pre-arrival registration Notification Slip, which ImmD still requires of Indian nationals who register (see the India sections above).

Do I need a visa just to change planes in Hong Kong?#

Usually no. ImmD's table says a person in direct transit by air who does not leave the airport transit area needs no visa, even for nationalities in the visa-required column. The exception is 31 rows marked as needing a visa 'including those who are in transit and remain on the airside'. Examples: all nationals of Afghanistan, Iran and Nigeria; Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, except diplomatic and official passports.

Nepal: ImmD announced on 14 November 2025 that from 15 November 2025 Nepali nationals in direct transit by air who do not leave the airport transit area may transit visa-free. Other visa arrangements for Nepali nationals were unchanged.

Can I extend my stay, and by when must I apply?#

Visitors must generally leave before their limit of stay expires. ImmD says that with a special or urgent need to stay longer, a visitor may apply for an extension, considered on its own merits and not guaranteed.

Apply online when the remaining limit of stay is within 14 days. Apply by other means (in person, by post or drop-in) within 7 days before the limit of stay expires.

The online service cannot be used if the limit of stay has expired, if the applicant is not in Hong Kong when applying or collecting the e-Visa, if the previous condition was foreign domestic helper, or by a non-permanent resident.

How do I apply for an extension?#

Online, the applicant uploads the travel document, a document showing the current limit of stay (landing slip, extension label or e-Visa) and evidence of the need to extend. Files must be 5 MB or less, in JPEG, PDF, GIF, PNG or TIF. A parent or guardian signs online if the applicant is under 16.

In person or by post, send form ID 91 with the original and a copy of the passport and supporting evidence to the Extension Section, 5/F Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O. It is open 8:45 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday and closed on weekends and public holidays.

What does an extension cost, and what if I am still waiting for a decision?#

ImmD's fee for change of condition of stay, including extension of limit of stay, others, is HK$330. It is payable after approval, through the link in the result notice, GovHK or the ImmD app, or at the Extension Section. Online applications are normally processed the next working day; in person, normally the same day.

A person who has applied but is not yet approved must still leave before the limit of stay, or is deemed to have overstayed. If refused, the result notice invites the applicant to attend the Extension Section for departure arrangements.

For typhoon closures of ImmD offices, see the typhoon and holidays guide (offices section).

What happens if I overstay?#

ImmD says that unless an extension is approved, visitors must depart before their limit of stay expires, otherwise they are deemed to have overstayed.

Under section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an overstayer is prohibited from any employment, paid or unpaid, and from establishing or joining any business, with a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. The maximum penalty for an employer of an overstayer is a HK$500,000 fine and 10 years' imprisonment.

Under section 20(1)(a) the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment of not less than two years (ImmD release, 8 May 2026).

Can I leave and come back to start a new stay?#

No ImmD page we read says whether leaving and returning starts a new visa-free period, so we do not say. This guide does not suggest it.

What ImmD does say: a visitor who wants to stay longer than the visa-free period must apply for a visa or entry permit before travelling, and visitors cannot normally change status after arrival except in the most unusual circumstances.

ImmD also says that even where all requirements are met, travellers 'should not assume that they can gain automatic entry'. Immigration authorities may refuse permission to land. Visitors need adequate funds and, unless in transit to the Mainland or Macao, onward or return tickets.

What may visitors not do?#

ImmD says visitors are not allowed to take any employment, paid or unpaid, to establish or join any business, or to become a student at an educational institution. Contravening a condition of stay carries a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for 2 years (section 41, Immigration Ordinance).

ImmD's permissible-activities page allows business activities such as concluding contracts, submitting tenders, and taking part in exhibitions (but not selling or supplying services to the public). Unpaid speeches or presentations are allowed for up to 14 consecutive calendar days per period of stay. Paid speaking is possible only under the Short-term Activities (STV) scheme launched on 1 June 2024.

Can a student work part-time in Hong Kong?#

Not as a visitor, who may not become a student. For non-local students, ImmD says the condition of stay normally bars any employment, paid or unpaid.

ImmD's standing relaxation lets eligible students (full-time locally accredited programmes at undergraduate level or above, at least one academic year) take study-related internships, part-time on-campus work of not more than 20 hours a week, and summer work from 1 June to 31 August.

Separately, since November 2023 for postgraduates and 1 November 2024 for undergraduates, such students (not exchange students) are 'temporarily exempted' from the work restrictions. A LegCo reply of 15 July 2026 still calls it temporary and gives no end date.

Can I work on a working holiday in Hong Kong?#

ImmD's Working Holiday Scheme is for nationals aged 18 to 30 of 13 listed partner countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Korea (Republic of), the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A visa is applied for in advance. Stay is up to 12 months, with short-term employment and short courses. Permanent employment is not allowed, and an extension is not normally considered.

Work limits differ: not more than three months with one employer for Australians, Canadians and Germans, six months for French, Dutch, Japanese and Korean citizens, up to 12 months for British citizens. Annual quotas include Japan 1,500, UK 1,000 and Germany 300, first come, first served.

Can visitors use the e-Channel at the airport?#

Departing visitors may use Smart Departure without enrolment if aged 7 or above (at least 1.1 m tall) and holding a valid ICAO-compliant electronic travel document from a country on ImmD's list. Counter clearance remains available. The 102-line list is for reference only and may change without notice. It includes Germany, the UK, the U.S.A., India and Nepal, and does not include Vietnam, Pakistan or Bangladesh.

Arrival e-Channel needs free enrolment. The Frequent Visitor service needs age 18 or above, a valid travel document, no adverse record, and either two or more visits through Hong Kong International Airport in the past 24 months or another listed qualifying card.

Do children need a parent to sign visa forms?#

ImmD's pages ask for a parent or legal guardian's signature when the applicant is under 16. This applies to the visit or transit visa application (all forms must be signed), the extension of stay form ID 91 and online extension, and the India PAR Notification Slip, which the parent or guardian checks and signs.

For e-Channel, ImmD sets age floors: Smart Departure from 7 (at least 1.1 m), Singapore and Thai tracks from 11, Korea 17, Germany and Frequent Visitor 18. Thai visitors under 16 and Singapore visitors 11 to 17 must be accompanied. The page describes no e-Channel track for younger children.

Do these rules cover Mainland China and Macao?#

No. Entering mainland China from Hong Kong follows mainland rules, not ImmD's table. The National Immigration Administration publishes its own page on countries covered by unilateral visa exemption. We do not copy its list.

Entering Macao follows Macao rules. The Macao government page on non-residents sets passport, ticket and funds conditions; we do not copy them. It says visitors from Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam must apply for a Macao visa in advance through a Chinese embassy or consulate.

Mainland and Macao residents coming to Hong Kong have a separate ImmD page.

What could we not confirm?#

We could not confirm: one passport-validity rule (the US, Australian and Japanese government pages could not be opened); an hour limit for airside transit; how an overstay affects later entry or visas; or whether leaving and returning restarts a stay. No official page we read says these.

Partly confirmed only: the HK$50,000 and two years' maximum for breaching a condition of stay (a 2015 LegCo reply and an ImmD FAQ; the Ordinance text was not opened), and landing slips for e-Channel users (no page says all visitors get one).

ImmD's Working Holiday page says Irish, Japanese and Korean visas are free of charge, yet describes a payment link.

Explore the connections#