Visit World - US Citizens Traveling to Hong Kong: Entry Rules, Visa Requirements & Regulations

Electronic visa «E-visa».

Аgreement «Electronic visa» (entered into force with 28 December, 2021)

From 28 December, 2021, the Department of Immigration («ImmD») introduced an agreement «e-Visa». The applicant for an entry visa/permit, extension of stay or change of status and etc. will be issued an «electronic visa», such as «notification of entry visa/permit» or «notification of conditions of stay», after the application is approved and the corresponding fee is paid (if any).

«E-Visa» is a collective term for relevant emails in PDF format. With the introduction of the «e-Visa» agreement, ImmD stopped issuing physical labels: stickers for an entry visa/permit and extension of stay, etc.

Read more here: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/e-visa.html

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Foreigners don’t need a visa to visit Hong Kong for a period not exceeding 14 days. If you plan to stay for more than 14 days, you must apply for a visa. In case of visiting the same trip to Hong Kong and China, a visa to China is required.

When traveling from China to Hong Kong and back to China, you need a twice repeated Chinese visa.

For a longer visit, you need to obtain a visa at the official representative offices (embassies and consulates) of the people's Republic of China or the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong SAR of the people's Republic of China.

The following documents are required to apply for a visa:

1) Questionnaire

2) Photo on a white background in digital form in JPEG format, with size 3.5x4.5

3) The original passport for pasting the visa (the presence of at least 2 blank pages of the passport, as well as a photocopy of the passport pages with data and a photo).

4) A copy of all 32 pages of the second valid passport (good quality photocopies, 2 spreads on an A4 sheet, observing the sequence of pages).

Attention: if the visa applicant does not have a second valid passport, it is necessary to provide a certificate from the State Migration Service of Ukraine (Ovir) confirming the presence of only one passport / or cancellation of invalid passports.

5) A copy of all 16 pages of the internal passport (good quality photocopies, 2 spreads on an A4 sheet, following the sequence of pages) / or a copy of the identity card on both sides + a copy of the extract from the place of registration.

6) Certificate from the place of work on letterhead with a seal and signature, also, the salary for the last six months should be indicated, divided by month. For private entrepreneurs - a photocopy of the registration certificate. For non - working people - a certificate from the bank about the availability of funds.

7) Visa to China or the country through which entry to Hong Kong is made.

Additional documents for children:

1) A copy of the birth certificate.

2) Certificate from the educational institution.

3) If a child (under 18 years of age) is traveling with one of the parents, then it is necessary to provide the original notarized power of attorney for the removal of the child from one of the parents.

Additional documents for pensioners:

1) A copy of the pension certificate + an extract from the pension fund on pension accrual for the last 6 months or a certificate from the bank on the account status (not less than 1500 USD).

2) A copy of health insurance (for tourists over the age of 60).

Package of documents for applying for a visa at the airport:

1) International passport (at least with two blank pages);

2) Proof of solvency;

3) Booking air tickets;

4) Be sure to take a Migration Card and Departure Card from the flight attendant – without filling them out, the visa will not be issued.

The Hong Kong migration card is filled in for everyone who arrives in the country (except for those officially residing in Hong Kong), including children. Officially, this document is called the Hong Kong arrival card, and you can fill it out at the plane or airport in Hong Kong before passport control.
Before departure, you must fill out a similar card - Departure card Hong Kong, the fields of which are similar to the fields of the migration card of arrival in Hong Kong. Information from arrival and departure Cards is required for Hong Kong's Migration Police, a migration control service.

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You can also apply for a guest visa.

If it just so happens that you are going to travel to the country where your relatives or friends live, then you can apply for a guest visa.

Obtaining a guest visa.

First of all, it is important to clearly understand that the main condition for such a visa is the presence of a correctly drawn up invitation.

There are 2 types of invitations:

All expenses for housing, insurance, and travel are paid by part who accepts. In this case, it is easier to make a guest visa. During the interview, you do not need to argue that you have funds for travel. In addition, there will be no need to control the financial situation. It is enough that you have a permanent income and have an apartment.
Travel and expenses are paid by the guest. If you fall into the second category, then the process of opening a guest visa takes place as usual, with a thorough check of all documents.

The main questions, in addition to those related to your monetary condition, will focus on your attitude to your country. In other words, you will need to assure the employees of a particular embassy that you are not going to stay abroad. In addition to the conversation and invitation, do not forget about the standard package of papers, which includes identity documents and material resources.

You don't need a transit visa.

Pets (cats and dogs) are allowed to be imported to Hong Kong.

Imported animals must be at least 2 months old. Animals under 4 months of age are imported into the country only with a veterinary examination.

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What do I need to import a pet?

When importing pets (dogs and cats) over the age of 4 months, you must present a veterinary certificate with a note on rabies vaccination.

You must have a veterinary certificate marked with rabies vaccination.
International Veterinary passport.
Animals must be identified with an implanted microchip.

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All animals must be transported by the shortest route (on direct flights) to Hong Kong. The consignee must obtain a permit to import the animal into Hong Kong (Import Permit) before shipment.

In case of emergencies, you can contact the local police, ambulance, fire department or other emergency services at a single number - 999.

Hong Kong customs regulations do not restrict the import of foreign currency, and any amount is subject to a mandatory declaration. Import of the national currency is strictly prohibited.

Hong Kong can be imported without duty:

1 liter of various alcoholic beverages;
200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco;
60 ml of perfume and 250 ml of еau de toilette;
import of personal items is allowed for personal use.

Forbidden:

import of weapons (including gas canisters and stun guns);
pornography on any media;
toxic substances;
counterfeit products;
poisons and Explosives.

Website of the Department of Customs and excise duties. .

Important! Narcotic Drugs, certain types of antibiotics and medicines, combustible and explosive substances can only be imported with a special permit obtained in advance from the Competent Authorities of Hong Kong. It is forbidden to export valuable items and works of art without presenting a store receipt.

The international driver's license (IDP) is valid in Hong Kong, so you can rent a car. You must have it with you:

passport;
internal driver's license.

Age requirements.

Most often, car rental companies allow visitors to Hong Kong to rent a car if they are 21 years old. However, there are car rental companies that can charge you an additional «fee for young driver» if you are under the age of 25.

1. Be alert to typhoon signals.

Hong Kong experiences typhoons in the spring and summer (most often between July and September), but there is a warning system in place to help keep everyone safe.If you are visiting Hong Kong in the spring and summer, the HKO app can be useful for receiving warnings about thunderstorms, rain, and typhoons.

The system categorizes typhoons by number from 1 to 10. So, for example, a signal number 1 (or "T1") means a tropical cyclone that is still far from Hong Kong but may affect its territory. At the other end of the scale, the very rare Tropical Storm Signal 10 (or "T10") means strong, sustained winds of more than 118 km/h with destructive force.

2. Purchase an octopus card.

The octopus can go almost anywhere, and that's the idea behind the well-known Hong Kong Octopus card, a multi-purpose card (physical or digital) that can be used to pay for any public transportation throughout Hong Kong.

You can also use it to buy movie tickets, vending machine items, convenience stores and supermarkets, and even full meals and drinks at dozens of different restaurants and chains. The best place to buy an Octopus card is at 7-Eleven in the airport arrivals hall. You can reload the card at any 7-Eleven or Circle K store, as well as at metro stations and through the Octopus app.

By the way, if you don't want to carry a physical card with you, you can use Octopus mobile. Simply download the Octopus for Tourists app and you can top up directly from your credit or debit card without queuing. You can also easily apply for a refund when you leave Hong Kong.

3. Take the Airport Express and enjoy a free subway ride.

If you've already got your Octopus card organized, a great way to use it for the first time is to take the Airport Express. It's part of the extensive Hong Kong MTR network that takes you from Hong Kong International Airport to Central Station in just 24 minutes.

4. Download MyMapHK for hiking.

MyMapHK is a useful all-in-one application that will help you get your bearings. It provides convenient access to official maps published by the Department of Land Resources with all the necessary information about public facilities near your location.

5. Bring your own shopping bag.

In December 2022, the tax on plastic bags in Hong Kong was doubled to HK$1 to encourage people to carry reusable bags and do the right thing for the environment.

6. "Use water for free" application.

Another initiative that helps the environment and is also very convenient for visitors is the Water for Free app. Simply download the app and it will show you directions to the nearest fresh water drinking fountain. All you need to do is bring a refillable water bottle with you.

Author: Expat Living

April 18, 2023

Source: https://expatliving.hk

Hong Kong embassies in different countries can be found here: https://www.embassypages.com/hongkong

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