Here's the procedure for foreigners to travel to Hong Kong on a tourist visa and what to expect.
9 March 2014
| Last updated on 16 August 2017
Holidaying in Hong Kong is quite easy due to the fact that many nationalities are eligible for a visa on arrival. The countries that need a visit visa will have to apply beforehand in their home country.
Here is some information from the immigration website:
Even where all immigration requirements set out in this chapter are met, travellers should not assume that they can gain automatic entry. The HKSAR immigration authorities have the right to refuse any person permission to land except those inPart I of this chapter.
If you need advice on individual cases, please address your enquiries to :
• any Chinese diplomatic and consular mission; or
• the Immigration Department.
No visa or entry permit is required for any purpose if you hold any of the following travel documents:
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport,
- British National (Overseas) Passport,
- Hong Kong Certificate of Identity,
- Hong Kong Re-entry permit (for entry from the Mainland of China and the Macao Special Administrative Region only),
- Hong Kong Seaman's Identity Book,
- Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes provided that the document is valid or the holder's limit of stay in Hong Kong has not expired.
Travel documents bearing one of the following endorsements:
- "Holder's eligibility for Hong Kong permanent identity card verified."
- "The holder of this travel document has the right to land in Hong Kong. (Section 2AAA, Immigration Ordinance, Cap. 115, Laws of Hong Kong)"
- Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card.]
HKSAR visa requirements for the following foreign countries / territories:
Nationality of foreign country (Territory)/ Type of Travel Document Visa free period for visit not exceeding Always require VISA, except in direct transit by air and when the person does not leave the airport transit area
The following passport holders always require VISA, except in direct transit by air and when the person does not leave the airport transit area
| Afghanistan | Albania (non-biometric Passports) | Angola ^ | Armenia # |
| Azerbaijan ^ | Bangladesh ^ | Belarus # | Burundi ^ |
| Cambodia # | Cameroon ^ | Congo (Republic of) ^ | Congo (Democratic Republic of) * |
| Provisional passports od Costa Rica | "Documento de Identidad Y Viaje" issued by Costa Rican Government | Cote D'Ivoire * | Cuba |
| Eritrea * | Ethiopia ^ | Georgia | Ghana ^ |
| Guinea-Bissau * | Iran | Iraq * | Korea (Democratic people's republic of) |
| Kyrgyzstan # | Laos # | Lebanon | Liberia * |
| Libya | Moldova # | Myanmar # | Nepal * |
| Nicaragua | Nigeria | Pakistan ^ | Palestine |
| Panama | Special Peruvian Passports | Philippine Diplomatic and Official Passports | Senegal |
| Serbia (non-biometric passports) | Sierra Leone * | Solomon Islands | Somalia* |
| South Sudan | Sri Lanka ^ | Sudan | Syria |
| Tajikistan # | Togo ^ | Tongan national passports | Tongan protected person's passports |
| Turkmenistan # | Uzbekistan # | Tuvalu (with national status stated as 'I-TUVALU') | Uruguay passports issued under Decree 289/90 |
| Vatican service passports | Vietnam | All 'stateless' travel document holders |
Remarks:
* All nationals are required to hold a valid visa for the HKSAR for whatever purpose (including those who are in transit and remain on the airside).
^ All nationals (except holders of Diplomatic and Official passports) are required to hold a valid visa for the HKSAR for whatever purpose (including those who are in transit and remain on the airside). Holders of Diplomatic and Official passport may visit the HKSAR visa-free for a stay not exceeding 14 days.
# Holders of Diplomatic and Official passport may visit the HKSAR visa-free for a stay not exceeding 14 days.
Holders of the following passports will have a 14 day visa free stay in Hong Kong:
| Albania (biometric passports) | Algeria | Benin | Bhutan |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Burkina Faso | Central African Republic | Chad |
| Comoros | Djibouti | Equitorial Guinea | Gabon |
| Guinea | Haiti | India | Kazakhstan |
| Lesotho | Macedonia | Madagascar | Mali |
| Marshall Islands (Republic of) | Mauritania | Micronesia (Federation States of) | Mongolia |
| Montenegro (Republic of) | Mozambique | Niger | Palau |
| Philipines | Russian Federation | Rwanda | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Serbia (biometric passports) | Suriname | Ukraine | US Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (US Trust Territory passports) |
| Vatican City |
Holders of the following passports will have a 30 day visa free stay in Hong Kong:
| Bahrain | Bolivia | Cape Verde (Republic of) | Costa Rica |
| Dominican Republic | El Salvador | Guatemala | Honduras |
| Indonesia | Jordan | Kuwait | Morocco |
| Oman | Paraguay | Peru | Qatar |
| Samoa | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Tunisia |
| Uganda | United Arab Emirates | Yemen (Republic of) |
Holders of the following passports will have a 90 day visa free stay in Hong Kong:
| 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 Darussalam | Bulgaria | Canada |
| Cayman Islands | Chile | Colombia | Croatia |
| Cyprus (Republic of) | Czech Republic | Denmark | Dominica (Commonwealth of) |
| Ecuador | Egypt | Estonia | Falkland Islands & Dependencies |
| Faore Islands | Fiji | Finland | France |
| Gambia | Germany | Gibraltar | Greece |
| Greenland | Grenada | Guyana | Hungary |
| Iceland | Ireland (Republic of) | Israel | Italy |
| Jamaica | Japan | Kenya | Kiribati |
| Korea (Republic of) | Latvia | Liechtenstein | Lithuania |
| Luxembourg | Malawi | Malaysia | Maldives |
| Malta | Mauritius | Monaco | Monteserrat |
| Namibia | Nauru | 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 Dependancies (Ascension, Tristan Da Cunha) | St Kitts – Nevis Anguilla | St Lucia |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Swaziland | Sweden | Switzerland |
| Tanzania | Thailand | 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 | Zimbabwe |
British Citizens automatically get a 180 day visa free visit
Nationals of other foreign countries not mentioned here do not require visas for a visit of 7 days or less
