Hong Kong

HKG

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China with its own immigration regime, judicial system, and tax authority. Salaries-tax rates are capped at 17% on assessable income; profits tax for businesses is 16.5%. Hong Kong operates a strict territorial tax system — only Hong Kong-source income is taxed.

Permanent residency requires 7 years of ordinary residence under a qualifying visa (Quality Migrant, GAS, IANG, Top Talent Pass) before HKID right-of-abode is granted. Hong Kong passport holders enjoy strong visa-free access including Schengen and the UK. Note: ongoing political reorganisation since 2020 has changed several civic institutions.

Naturalisation: 7 years
Tax system: Territorial
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Dual citizenship: Allowed
Capital: Hong Kong
Region: asia
Population: 7,500,000
Cost-of-living: 87 /100

→ If you hold a Hong Kong passport, see the Hong Kong nationality guide

Passport Rank

#17

Visa-Free

150

destinations

Visa-free travel

A Hong Kong passport has visa-free access to 150 destinations. See the full Hong Kong passport breakdown →

Passports that enter Hong Kong without a prior visa (145)

Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.

Bosnia and Herzegovina+127 more

Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.

4 approved English test centres in Hong Kong →

Immigrating to Canada from Hong Kong

Current IRCC processing times for Hong Kong nationals, by application type.

Visitor visa (outside Canada)	19 days
Super visa	51 days
Study permit	5 weeks
Work permit	16 weeks
Sponsor a dependent child	No processing time available
Adopted child (citizenship)	Not enough data
Government-assisted refugees	Not enough data
Privately sponsored refugees	sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data

Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.

As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.

Sources & last verified

Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)

Official source

Country Details

Capital: Hong Kong
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Languages: Cantonese, English, Mandarin Chinese
Population: 7,500,000
Tax System: Territorial
Dual Citizenship: Allowed
Naturalisation: 7 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Humid subtropical
English Proficiency Rank: #31
GDP per capita: $56,983
Life expectancy: 85.39 yrs
Population growth: -0.34%/yr
Territorial Taxation: Yes — foreign-sourced income may not be taxed

GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

167

Tax Summary

Tax System: Territorial
Territorial Taxation: Yes — foreign-sourced income may not be taxed
Naturalisation: 7 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Hong Kong	$2,700	$1,900	$480	$220	$80

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Visitor / Tourist
Student
General Employment Policy (GEP)
Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP)
Investment as Entrepreneurs
Dependant

Authority: Hong Kong Immigration Department
Official Portal: www.immd.gov.hk
Phone: +852-2824-6111
Email: enquiry@immd.gov.hk

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years: 7
Language Test: No
Civic Test: No
Oath Required: Yes
Dual Allowed: Yes
Fee: $64
Processing: ~6 months

International Schools

← scroll the table →

International schools by city, curriculum, and annual tuition
School	City	Curriculum	Tuition (USD/yr)
Hong Kong International School	Hong Kong	American	$28,000–$45,000
Chinese International School	Hong Kong	IB / Mandarin-bilingual	$26,000–$42,000

Daily Life Logistics

Internet

280 Mbps median

99% fibre coverage

eSIM: CSL, 3HK, China Mobile HK, SmarTone

LGBTQ+ Legal Status

Same-Sex Marriage: Not legal
Civil Partnerships: Recognised
Anti-Discrimination Law: No
ILGA Rank: —

Religious Life

Halal Food: Widely available
Kosher Food: Widely available
Prayer Facilities: Common

Regulators & official sources

Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Hong Kong, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.

The Law Society of Hong Kong

Law Society

Statutory body regulating the professional conduct of solicitors, trainee solicitors and foreign lawyers in Hong Kong, including those who provide immigration advice.

The Law Society of Hong Kong

Sources & last verified

Index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-20.

Official source

Related Guides

Zero and low-tax residencies: the real list

Countries with zero personal income tax, territorial-only taxation, or special expatriate regimes — and what each one actually requires from you to qualify as a resident.

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Life logistics

Reference tables

Visa routes

Official visa and residence routes for Hong Kong, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.

Work (sponsored)

General Employment Policy (GEP)

Work (sponsored)

Hong Kong's main employer-sponsored route for non-local professionals with a confirmed job offer that cannot be readily filled locally.

Sponsor requiredLeads to settlementInitial stay normally up to 36 months on employment conditions; extensions typically follow a 3+3+2-year pattern.

Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) · reviewed 2026-07-09

Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS)

Work (sponsored)

Fast-track scheme for eligible technology companies to admit non-local R&D talent against a quota allotted by the Innovation and Technology Commission.

Sponsor requiredLeads to settlementEmployment-based stay aligned with the company quota and the applicant contract; renewable subject to continued eligibility.

Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) · reviewed 2026-07-09

Family

Entry for Residence as Dependants

Family

Route for spouses, civil partners, dependent children and (for permanent-resident sponsors) elderly parents to reside in Hong Kong.

Sponsor requiredLeads to settlementStay normally aligned with the sponsor permitted period of stay; renewable alongside the sponsor.

Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) · reviewed 2026-07-09

Investor

Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES)

Investor

Investment-migration route relaunched in 2024 for people who place a substantial sum in permissible Hong Kong assets.

Leads to settlementInitial stay granted under the scheme, renewable while the investment and asset requirements continue to be met.

Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) · reviewed 2026-07-12

Entrepreneur

Entry for Investment as Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur

Route under the General Employment Policy for people establishing or joining a business in Hong Kong as entrepreneurs.

Leads to settlementInitial stay normally up to 36 months on employment (business) conditions; extensions follow the standard pattern.

Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) · reviewed 2026-07-09

Skilled migration

Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)

Skilled migration

Points-based talent route for highly skilled or talented people to settle in Hong Kong without first securing a job offer.

Leads to settlementInitial stay normally up to 36 months under the General Points Test (or a longer initial period for Achievement-based applicants); renewable.

Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) · reviewed 2026-07-09

Work (unsponsored)

Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)

Work (unsponsored)

Route for non-local graduates of Hong Kong institutions (and eligible Greater Bay Area campuses) to stay and work after graduation.

Leads to settlementInitial stay of 24 months on time limitation only; renewable subject to meeting the criteria.

Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) · reviewed 2026-07-09

Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)

Work (unsponsored)

Talent route for high earners and graduates of top-ranked universities to enter Hong Kong without a prior job offer.

Leads to settlementInitial stay of 36 months (Category A) or 24 months (Categories B and C); renewable on meeting the criteria.

Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) · reviewed 2026-07-09

Sources & last verified

Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.

Official source

Cities in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong remains one of Asia's great commercial cities — a low-tax, common-law financial centre with world-class infrastructure and direct access to mainland China as a Special Administrative Region with its own currency, judiciary, and immigration regime. Its territorial tax system taxes only Hong Kong-source income, with salaries tax capped at 17% and no capital gains, dividend, or inheritance tax, long making it a preferred base for finance professionals across Asia. Permanent residency requires seven years of continuous ordinary residence under a qualifying visa. The city's expat landscape has been visibly reshaped since 2019. That year's political unrest, the 2020 National Security Law, and some of the world's strictest pandemic border controls drove a substantial outflow of long-term Western residents, many relocating to Singapore. Hong Kong's government has since pushed talent-attraction schemes to rebuild the pool of skilled foreign professionals, and the international business community, smaller and different in composition than a decade ago, remains active and well-resourced. Real estate remains among the most expensive in the world, which keeps most foreign professionals renting rather than buying. Hong Kong is not a budget destination or a residency-by-investment shortcut; it suits professionals with a specific Asia-based career reason to be there.