Do you need a visa?
Yes, for any nationality. You can visit Hong Kong without a visa on a Portuguese passport, but you cannot work.
- General Employment Policy (GEP): a work visa sponsored by the employer. It requires a genuine vacancy, good education or relevant experience and a salary in line with the market. There is no list of sectors.
- Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS): no job offer needed, for people who earned at least HK$2.5 million in the previous year or graduated from a university on the official list.
How to apply
- You and the employer submit the application to the Immigration Department (ImmD), usually online.
- Once approved, you receive an e-Visa and enter Hong Kong.
ImmD: General Employment Policy · ImmD: Top Talent Pass Scheme
Documents and where to get them
In your country, before you leave
- Passport, valid for the whole move; the visa is issued in the passport.
- Birth certificate (and marriage certificate, if married). Usually with an apostille (or legalisation) and a certified translation; check with the embassy.
- Criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and, if different, from where you lived recently: visa applications often require it. Request it close to the date it will be used.
- Degree, transcript and references from previous jobs, digitally, with certified translations if the visa asks for them.
In Hong Kong
- Hong Kong identity card (HKID): compulsory for people allowed to stay more than 180 days, within 30 days of arriving, by appointment at the ImmD.
- Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF): the employer enrols you; it deducts 5% of salary, up to HK$1,500 a month.
- Salaries tax: not withheld from your pay; you receive a return once a year and pay the tax office (IRD) directly.
Step by step
Before you leave
- Confirm in writing the gross annual salary in HK$, bonuses, the start date and the relocation support, including housing.
- Submit the visa application with the employer and wait for approval.
- Find housing: rents are among the highest in the world; a 2-month deposit plus 1 month in advance is usual.
- In your country, tell the authorities you are moving: update your registered address and your tax residence. In the year you leave, tax may be due for the part of the year you were still resident.
First week
- Book your HKID at the ImmD (deadline: 30 days).
- Open a bank account and give the details to your employer.
First month
- Check your MPF enrolment.
- Set aside part of your salary for the annual tax, which is not withheld monthly.