Organising Visas and Hong Kong ID

So many people move into and away from Hong Kong, that the system to become a resident has become efficient and easy to navigate. It’s helpful to understand what you need to do before you leave to ensure that those early weeks are not spent sorting out paperwork.

The employer bringing you to Hong Kong should prepare your visas before you depart and therefore when you arrive, you will be given your right to work/dependent visa as you pass through immigration. Your work visa will be connected to a specific job and if you become unemployed then the visa will revert to a tourist visa.

For certain nationalities, it is possible to arrive in Hong Kong on a tourist visa, then when the work/dependent visa is ready, you can leave Hong Kon­­­g to Macau or Mainland China, re-enter and that will activate your work/dependent visa.   This is not ideal and can add an unnecessary stress at an already busy time. To check the nationality and visa requirements click here.

The next thing to do is to apply for your Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) as everyone over 11 years old needs to carry one of these.  These need to be applied for within 30 days of arrival and it’s fairly straightforward to obtain.  Firstly make an online appointment here and take the your passport showing right to work/reside in HK. The appointment will involve taking thumb print scans and checking of paperwork.  It usually takes 10 days for the card to be ready and there is no fee payable.

See also
Hong Kong Disneyland: The Complete Guide To Rides, Restaurants, Tickets, Opening Hours & More

8th Floor
7 Gloucester Road
Wan Chai
Tel: 2824 6111

Mon-Fri: 8.45 – 4.30
Saturday: 9 – 11.30

Embassy contact details

Australian, 2827 8881, Australian Embassy 
Belgium, 2524 3111,  Belgium Embassy 
British, 2901 3000, British Embassy 
Canadian, 3719 4700, Canadian Embassy
Denmark, 2827 8101, Danish Embassy 
France, 3752 9900, French Embassy
Italy, 2522 0033, Italian Embassy
Japan, 2522 1184, Japanese Embassy
Sweden, 2521 1212, Swedish Embassy
Switzerland, 2522 7147, Swiss Embassy
Netherlands, 2522 5127, Dutch Embassy
United States, 2523 9011, American Embassy
Germany, 2105 8788, German Embassy
New Zealand, 2525 5044, New Zealand Embassy
Norway, 2546 9881, Norwegian Embassy
Spain, 2525 3041, Spanish Embassy

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