Relocation plan: Hong Kong

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

1. You and the employer submit the application to the Immigration Department (ImmD), usually online.
2. 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

1. Confirm in writing the gross annual salary in HK$, bonuses, the start date and the relocation support, including housing.
2. Submit the visa application with the employer and wait for approval.
3. Find housing: rents are among the highest in the world; a 2-month deposit plus 1 month in advance is usual.
4. 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

1. Book your HKID at the ImmD (deadline: 30 days).
2. Open a bank account and give the details to your employer.

First month

1. Check your MPF enrolment.
2. Set aside part of your salary for the annual tax, which is not withheld monthly.