Hong Kong's Immigration Department says you may not need a visa or entry permit for a visit, depending on your nationality or the type of travel document you hold; its table gives, for each listed nationality or travel document, either a visa-free period for a visit or that a visa is required. Indian nationals must complete pre-arrival registration online, free of charge, before they can visit visa-free, and anyone who needs a visa or entry permit for a visit should obtain it before travelling.
Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 26, 2026· How this site works
Check requirements for your passport
Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.
Visas & entry authorisations
Visit visa or entry permit
Fee
330 HKD
Processing
—
The Immigration Department's fee table lists HK$330 for an ordinary visa and HK$330 for an entry permit valid for one entry, in each case outside an approved specified scheme. You may apply through the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission, or to the Immigration Department directly by post or through a local sponsor; visit visa applications from Indian nationals go to the Immigration Department direct. The Department's guidebook (ID(E) 1004) says an application normally takes four weeks to process upon receipt of all the required documents.
Pre-arrival Registration for Indian Nationals
Fee
Free
Processing
—
Validity
180 days
Stay per entry
14 days
Entries
multiple
Pre-arrival Registration for Taiwan Residents
Fee
Free
Processing
—
Validity
60 days
Stay per entry
30 days
Entries
double
Entry requirements
Passport validity
The UK Foreign Office says your passport must be valid for at least one month after the date you plan to leave Hong Kong.
No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.
Travel insurance
Not officially stated
No official source we could read makes travel insurance a condition of entry for visitors. The UK government tells travellers to check before they travel that they have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation, and says medical treatment for uninsured foreign visitors to Hong Kong is expensive.
Hong Kong's Immigration Department says visitors are required to have adequate funds to cover the duration of their stay without working. No official source we could read states a fixed amount.
Unless an extension of stay is approved, visitors must leave Hong Kong before their limit of stay expires; otherwise they are deemed to have overstayed. Anyone who breaches a condition of stay, such as by overstaying, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of up to HK$50,000 and imprisonment for 2 years.
Air Passenger Departure Tax — 200 HKD per person per trip. Included in the air ticket.
The Air Passenger Departure Tax is HK$200 per passenger departing by air through Hong Kong International Airport, or by helicopter from the heliport at the Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal. Passengers pay it when they buy the ticket from the airline, travel agent or helicopter company. Passengers under 12, and direct transit or airside transfer passengers who do not pass through arrival immigration control, are exempt.
Exemptions: Passengers under 12; direct transit and connecting airside transfer passengers who do not pass through arrival immigration control.
Hong Kong Customs says any person arriving at a specified control point with currency and bearer negotiable instruments of a total value of more than HKD 120,000 must make a declaration to a Customs officer, using the Red Channel.
Hong Kong Customs says a passenger aged 18 or above may bring into Hong Kong duty-free, for their own use, 1 litre of alcoholic liquor above 30% alcohol by volume, and 19 cigarettes, or 1 cigar or 25 grams of cigars, or 25 grams of other manufactured tobacco.
The UK FCDO says it is prohibited to bring e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes or related devices into Hong Kong, including in personal luggage.
The UK Foreign Office says violent crime is low but pickpocketing and other street crime can happen, that the typhoon season runs from May to November, and that national security laws can be interpreted broadly. It says protests are rare but could take place at any time, and that if you are near a demonstration you should follow the advice of local authorities and move away.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab) · archived copy May 19, 2026 (opens in a new tab) May 19, 2026
Power plugs
D, G · 220V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 999
Languages
Chinese, English
Time zone
UTC+8
Driving side
left
International Driving Permit
Hong Kong's Transport Department says visitors may drive on the strength of their valid driving licence or international driving permit issued outside Hong Kong (a visitor being anyone who arrives other than to take up residence for more than 12 months). It says Regulation 37 of the Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Regulations (Cap. 374B) allows a visitor holding a valid international driving permit or a domestic driving licence issued outside Hong Kong to drive, during the 12 months following their last entry into Hong Kong, the classes of vehicle that permit or licence authorises, provided they have reached the minimum age set for that class.
No official source we could read names a best time to visit. The Government of Canada says the rainy (or monsoon) season extends from May to October and that typhoons usually occur between April and October; the UK FCDO says the typhoon season runs from May to November.
Tips & warnings
The Government of Canada says that if you plan to visit or transit through mainland China, you should make sure you obtain a Chinese visa before your trip, and that if you plan to travel between Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China, you should apply for a visa allowing multiple entries.
Hong Kong's Immigration Department says Indian nationals must complete pre-arrival registration online, free of charge, before they can visit Hong Kong visa-free. A registration is valid for six months and can be used for multiple visa-free visits of up to 14 days each.
The UK FCDO says the typhoon season runs from May to November in Hong Kong, that you should follow any local warnings issued in advance, that public offices and public transport will shut down when there is a 'Typhoon 8' storm signal, and that you should check the Hong Kong Observatory.
Visa requirements by nationality
Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
It depends on your nationality or the type of travel document you hold. The Immigration Department's table gives, for each listed nationality or travel document, either a visa-free period for a visit or that a visa is required — for example 90 days for the USA (except diplomatic passports), Canada, Australia and Japan, and 180 days for British citizens. Indian nationals must complete pre-arrival registration online, free of charge, before they can visit visa-free; anyone who needs a visa or entry permit for a visit should obtain it before travelling.
Is a Chinese visa valid for Hong Kong?
No official source we could read says a mainland Chinese visa is valid for Hong Kong. Hong Kong's Immigration Department sets out the visa or entry permit requirements of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Government of Canada says that if you plan to visit or transit through mainland China, you should make sure you obtain a Chinese visa before your trip.
How long can British citizens stay in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong's Immigration Department lists British citizens as able to visit visa-free for up to 180 days.
Do Indian citizens need a visa for Hong Kong?
Hong Kong's Immigration Department says Indian nationals must apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival registration online, free of charge, before they can visit or transit Hong Kong visa-free. A registration is valid for six months and can be used for multiple visa-free visits of up to 14 days each. Before boarding and on arrival, the registrant must hold the notification slip and the same valid Indian passport used for the registration.
Can I extend my stay in Hong Kong as a visitor?
The Immigration Department's fee table lists HK$330 for a change of condition of stay (including extension of limit of stay) outside an approved specified scheme. The Department says that, except in the most unusual circumstances, visitors are not allowed to change their immigration status after arrival, and that if you want to stay longer than the visa-free period allowed, you must apply for a visa or entry permit before travelling. No official source we could read states when a visitor's extension is granted.
Sources & verification
Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources: