The Hong Kong government offers visa-free stays in Hong Kong to visitors from certain countries for a limited period.
Hong Kong, designated as a Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of China, is a favored spot for tourists. It is celebrated for its culture and landscapes.
Further, the HKSAR passport holds a prestigious status, since HKSAR passport holders have visa-free access to 140 countries and territories (as of March 2024).
But, turning things around, how long can each country's nationals stay in Hong Kong visa-free?
Hong Kong is a remarkable tourist destination.
The beautiful sceneries, exquisite Asian cuisines, luxury malls, and vibrant nightlife make the city a worthy place to spend your next vacation.
But these tourists' thrills are not the major motivation for many people seeking to visit the city.
The opportunity to spend considerable time in the region without a visa is a dream come true for travelers and tourists, and the major reason why many people visit the city.
A visa-free stay in Hong Kong makes the city the ideal location for emergency vacations and business meetings.
Keep reading to find out if you are eligible for a visa-free stay in Hong Kong.
Who Can Enter Hong Kong Without a Visa (Visa-Free Access)?
If you want to visit Hong Kong for work, business, studies, or vacation, there are mandatory immigration requirements that you must fulfill to enter the city legally.
However, unlike some countries that use Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), Hong Kong offers visa-free stays in Hong Kong to visitors from certain countries for a limited period.
This includes Hong Kong passport holders (Hong Kong nationals).
The Hong Kong government offers visa-free stays in Hong Kong to visitors from certain countries for a limited period.
Thus, if you're a national or diplomatic passport holder of any country eligible for a visa-free stay in Hong, you can enter Hong Kong without a visa.
This relieves you of the cost of applying for a visa and the rigorous process involved.
Also, Hong Kong passport holders (Hong Kong citizens) or those connected to the region by birth do not require a visa to enter the city if they have any of the following documents:
- A valid Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport
- A Hong Kong Re-entry permit for persons entering the city from Mainland China or the Macao Special Administrative Region
- The Hong Kong Seaman's Identity Book
- A valid Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes provided that your limit of stay in Hong Kong has not expired
- Travel documents are endorsed with a statement that the bearer of such documents is eligible for the Hong Kong permanent identity card or a statement that the bearer has the right to land in Hong Kong.
Which Countries Are Eligible for a Visa-Free Stay in Hong Kong?
Under Hong Kong's visa waiver policy, nationals and residents of over 160 Hong Kong visa-free countries are qualified to stay in Hong Kong.
This includes African, European, and Asian countries.
The visa-free stay is granted for a limited period ranging from 7 to 180 days.
Here's a table showing the countries eligible for a visa-free stay in Hong Kong by country.
| National of Foreign Country | Visa Free Period for Visit |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Visa Required |
| Albania (holders of Albanian biometric passports only) | 14 Days |
| Albania (holders of Albanian non-biometric passports) | Visa Required |
| Algeria | 14 Days |
| Andorra | 90 Days |
| Angola | Visa Required |
| Anguilla | 90 Days |
| Antigua & Barbuda | 90 Days |
| Argentina | 90 Days |
| Armenia | Visa Required |
| Australia | 90 Days |
| Austria | 90 Days |
| Azerbaijan | Visa Required |
| Bahamas | 90 Days |
| Bahrain | 30 Days |
| Bangladesh | Visa Required |
| Barbados | 90 Days |
| Belarus | Visa Required |
| Belgium | 90 Days |
| Belize | 90 Days |
| Benin | 14 Days |
| Bermuda | 90 Days |
| Bhutan | 14 Days |
| Bolivia | 30 Days |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 14 Days |
| Botswana | 90 Days |
| Brazil | 90 Days |
| Britain (British citizens) | 180 Days |
| Britain (British Overseas Territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British subjects and British Protected persons) | 90 Days |
| British Antarctic Territory | 90 Days |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | 90 Days |
| British Virgin Islands | 90 Days |
| Brunei Darussalam | 90 Days |
| Bulgaria | 90 Days |
| Burkina Faso | 14 Days |
| Burundi | Visa Required |
| Cambodia | Visa Required |
| Cameroon | Visa Required |
| Canada | 90 Days |
| Cape Verde (Republic of) | 30 Days |
| Cayman Islands | 90 Days |
| Central African Republic | Visa Required |
| Chad | 14 Days |
| Chile | 90 Days |
| Colombia | 90 Days |
| Comoros | 14 Days |
| Congo (Democratic Republic of) (Formerly known as Zaire) | Visa Required |
| Congo (Republic of) | Visa Required |
| Costa Rica | 30 Days |
| Costa Rican Provisional Passports | Visa Required |
| "Documento de Identidad Y Viaje" issued by Costa Rican Government | Visa Required |
| Cote d'Ivoire (Republic of) | Visa Required |
| Croatia | 90 Days |
| Cuba | Visa Required |
| Cyprus (Republic of) | 90 Days |
| Czech Republic | 90 Days |
| Denmark | 90 Days |
| Djibouti | 14 Days |
| Dominica (Commonwealth of) | 90 Days |
| Dominican Republic | 30 Days |
| Ecuador | 90 Days |
| Egypt | 90 Days |
| El Salvador | 30 Days |
| Equatorial Guinea | 14 Days |
| Eritrea | Visa Required |
| Estonia | 90 Days |
| Ethiopia | Visa Required |
| Falkland Islands & Dependencies | 90 Days |
| Faroe Islands | 90 Days |
| Fiji | 90 Days |
| Finland | 90 Days |
| France | 90 Days |
| Gabon | 14 Days |
| Gambia | Visa Required |
| Georgia | Visa Required |
| Germany | 90 Days |
| Ghana | Visa Required |
| Gibraltar | 90 Days |
| Greece | 90 Days |
| Greenland | 90 Days |
| Grenada | 90 Days |
| Guatemala | 30 Days |
| Guinea | 14 Days |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa Required |
| Guyana | 90 Days |
| Haiti | 14 Days |
| Honduras | 30 Days |
| Hungary | 90 Days |
| Iceland | 90 Days |
| India | 14 Days |
| Indonesia | 30 Days |
| Iran | Visa Required |
| Iraq | Visa Required |
| Ireland (Republic of) | 90 Days |
| Israel | 90 Days |
| Italy | 90 Days |
| Jamaica | 90 Days |
| Japan | 90 Days |
| Jordan | 30 Days |
| Kazakhstan | 14 Days |
| Kenya | 90 Days |
| Kiribati | 90 Days |
| Korea (Democratic People's Republic of) | Visa Required |
| Korea (Republic of) | 90 Days |
| Kuwait | 30 Days |
| Kyrgyzstan | Visa Required |
| Laos | Visa Required |
| Latvia | 90 Days |
| Lebanon | Visa Required |
| Lesotho | 14 Days |
| Liberia | Visa Required |
| Libya | Visa Required |
| Liechtenstein | 90 Days |
| Lithuania | 90 Days |
| Luxembourg | 90 Days |
| Macedonia | 14 Days |
| Madagascar | 14 Days |
| Malawi | 90 Days |
| Malaysia | 90 Days |
| Maldives | 90 Days |
| Mali | 14 Days |
| Malta | 90 Days |
| Marshall Islands (Republic of) | 14 Days |
| Mauritania | 14 Days |
| Mauritius | 90 Days |
| Mexico | 90 Days |
| Micronesia (Federated States of) | 14 Days |
| Moldova (Republic of) | Visa Required |
| Monaco | 90 Days |
| Mongolia | 14 Days |
| Montenegro (Republic of) | 14 Days |
| Montserrat | 90 Days |
| Morocco | 30 Days |
| Mozambique | 14 Days |
| Myanmar | Visa Required |
| Namibia | 90 Days |
| Nauru | 90 Days |
| Nepal | Visa Required |
| Netherlands | 90 Days |
| New Zealand | 90 Days |
| Nicaragua | Visa Required |
| Niger | 14 Days |
| Nigeria | Visa Required |
| Norway | 90 Days |
| Oman | 30 Days |
| Pakistan | Visa Required |
| Palau | 14 Days |
| Palestine (States of) | Visa Required |
| Panama | Visa Required |
| Papua New Guinea | 90 Days |
| Paraguay | 30 Days |
| Special Peruvian passports | Visa Required |
| Philippines | 14 Days |
| Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie & Oeno Islands | 90 Days |
| Poland | 90 Days |
| Portugal | 90 Days |
| Qatar | 30 Days |
| Romania | 90 Days |
| Russian Federation | 14 Days |
| Rwanda | 14 Days |
| Samoa | 30 Days |
| San Marino | 90 Days |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 14 Days |
| Saudi Arabia | 30 Days |
| Senegal | Visa Required |
| Serbia (Republic of) (holders of Serbian biometric passports only) | 14 Days |
| Seychelles | 90 Days |
| Sierra Leone | Visa Required |
| Singapore | 90 Days |
| Slovak Republic | 90 Days |
| Slovenia | 90 Days |
| Solomon Islands | Visa Required |
| Somalia | Visa Required |
| South Africa | 30 Days |
| South Sudan | Visa Required |
| Spain | 90 Days |
| Sri Lanka | Visa Required |
| St. Helena | 90 Days |
| St. Helena Dependencies (Ascension, Tristan da Cunha) | 90 Days |
| St. Kitts - Nevis Anguilla | 90 Days |
| St. Lucia | 90 Days |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 90 Days |
| Sudan | Visa Required |
| Suriname | 14 Days |
| Swaziland | 90 Days |
| Sweden | 90 Days |
| Switzerland | 90 Days |
| Syria | Visa Required |
| Tajikistan | Visa Required |
| Tanzania | 90 Days |
| Thailand | 30 Days |
| The South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 90 Days |
| The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | 90 Days |
| Togo | Visa Required |
| Tonga | 90 Days |
| Tongan National passports | Visa Required |
| Tongan Protected Persons passports | Visa Required |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 90 Days |
| Tunisia | 30 Days |
| Turkey | 90 Days |
| Turkmenistan | Visa Required |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 90 Days |
| Tuvalu | 90 Days |
| Tuvalu (with national status stated as 'I-Tuvalu') | Visa Required |
| Uganda | 30 Days |
| Ukraine | 14 Days |
| United Arab Emirates | 30 Days |
| Uruguay | 90 Days |
| Uruguay passports issued under Decree 289/90 | Visa Required |
| U.S.A. | 90 Days |
| US Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (holders of US Trust Territory passports only) | 14 Days |
| Uzbekistan | Visa Required |
| Vanuatu | 90 Days |
| Vatican City | 14 Days |
| Vatican Service passports | Visa Required |
| Venezuela | 90 Days |
| Vietnam | Visa Required |
| Yemen (Republic of) | Visa Required |
| Zambia | 90 Days |
| Zimbabwe | 90 Days |
| All 'stateless' travel document holders | Visa Required |
| Nationals of other foreign countries | 7 Days |
A visa-free period for a visit not exceeding X amount of days means you can stay in that country for up to X amount of days without Hong Kong tourist visa (or any kind of Hong Kong visa), but if you plan to stay longer, you'll need to apply for one.
Meanwhile, even if a visa is required to enter Hong Kong, you might not need one if you're just passing through on a connecting flight and staying within the airport's transit area. In this case, you can proceed with your travel visa-free.
Need to Stay in Hong Kong Longer Than Your Limit of Stay?
The visa-free stay is for a limited period and you'll be required to present a valid visa to continue staying beyond your limit of stay.
Thus, it is advisable to apply for a Hong Kong visa on arrival if you intend to stay for a longer period.
Alternatively, you can apply for an extension of stay, which is mostly granted in emergencies and only on merit.
Also, you have to apply for an extension of stay 7 days before your visa-free period expires for your application to be considered.
How to Get a Hong Kong Visa
Generally, anyone entering Hong Kong must present a visa or entry permit to immigration authorities, as required by immigration laws and regulations.
Thus, if you do not meet the requirements for a visa-free stay in Hong Kong and are ineligible to enter without a visa, you'll need to apply for one.
You'll also need a visa to stay in Hong Kong beyond the applicable visa-free period.
Luckily, the process for applying for and obtaining a visa in Hong Kong is straightforward.
You can apply for a Hong Kong Visa at any Chinese Embassy or Consulate close to you.
Alternatively, you can apply directly to the Hong Kong Immigration Department by post.
You'll have to provide your reason for applying for the visa and the period you intend to spend in Hong Kong, as well as show sufficient funds to cover your expenses during the period.
Your application form and supporting documents must provide these details for your application to be considered.
To find out the specific visa requirements for your respective nation's visa regulations, you can visit the website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
Conclusion
Hong Kong offers several opportunities to foreigners seeking an overseas destination to explore.
You may need to visit the city to explore the environment and assess the available opportunities.
You can take advantage of the Hong Kong visa-free stay to do so if you're eligible.
Among being a great vacation city, Hong Kong is also a well-known city for being an international business hub.
Businesses from all over the world love the environment in which they can do business in Hong Kong, and they are even considering opening an offshore company there.
Why?
Hong Kong is considered a tax haven with some of Asia's most relaxed taxation regimes.
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