Hong Kong visa for Indian nationals: entry, work and study routes

Indian nationals can visit Hong Kong visa-free for up to 14 days only after completing the free online pre-arrival registration, which is valid for six months. For work, study, investment or residence they must obtain a visa or entry permit. Information as of 7 October 2026.

Do Indian nationals need a visa to visit Hong Kong?

Indian nationals must complete pre-arrival registration (PAR) online before visiting or transiting Hong Kong visa-free. PAR is free and requires an Indian passport valid for at least six months. It covers stays of not more than 14 days. It is not needed for direct air transit without leaving the airport transit area.

PAR is valid for six months. Within that period a registrant can make multiple visa-free visits, each up to 14 days, using the signed notification slip and the same linked Indian passport. A new registration can only be made after the current one expires.

PAR does not apply to Indian nationals who have the right of abode or the right to land, who are on unconditional stay, or who hold valid permission to remain in Hong Kong for employment, study or residence. Holders of Indian diplomatic or official passports, UN Laissez Passer holders on official United Nations business, those enrolled for the e-Channel service for frequent visitors, holders of a valid Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Travel Pass, and those with a valid Hong Kong entry visa may visit without PAR. Operating aircrew, operating seacrew and contract seamen may also come without PAR, subject to normal immigration requirements being met.

The Immigration Department visit-visa table lists India at 14 days with “Pre-arrival registration required”. The page states its information is updated in August 2026 and may change afterwards.

How to complete pre-arrival registration

• Visit the designated GovHK website for pre-arrival registration.
• Enter your details exactly as they appear on your Indian passport.
• Receive the registration result instantly.
• Print the “Notification Slip for Pre-arrival Registration for Indian Nationals” on a sheet of blank A4 white paper.
• Sign the printed notification slip.

The slip is linked to that specific passport. Renewing or replacing the passport, or changing personal particulars, requires re-registration.

At boarding and on arrival, the registrant must hold the notification slip and the same valid Indian passport. Failure leads to refusal of boarding and refusal of entry. The slip does not guarantee entry. A person admitted as a visitor may not take employment, whether paid or unpaid, establish or join in any business, or become a student.

If PAR cannot be completed, an Indian national must apply for an entry visa directly to the Immigration Department. Chinese diplomatic and consular missions will not accept visit visa applications from Indian nationals.

When an entry visa is required

An Indian national must apply for an entry visa to the Immigration Department if they intend to visit for more than 14 days, or come for a purpose other than visit such as employment, study, or to take up residence. In general, unless a person has the right of abode or right to land, a visa or entry permit is required to work, study, establish or join in any business, take up residence, or stay as a visitor longer than the allowed visa-free period.

A visit visa may be considered if the applicant’s bona fides are not in doubt and the applicant has adequate funds to cover the stay without working. It normally takes four weeks to process a visit or transit visa after all required documents are received. The Performance Pledge target is that 100% of entry visas and permits for visit are finalised within four weeks.

Visitors are not allowed by law to take up employment, to establish or join in any business, or to enter school as a student, and except in the most unusual circumstances may not change their immigration status after arrival.

Extending a visit

Visitors with a special or urgent need may apply online for extension of stay when their remaining limit of stay is within 14 days. Online applications are normally processed on the next working day after receipt. An application for extension of stay will not necessarily be approved.

Routes for working in Hong Kong

The main work routes for Indian nationals are summarised in the pathways overview. India is not named in the nationality exclusion lists of the General Employment Policy, the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, the Technical Professionals Stream, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates or the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme. The common exclusions are nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of), with Laos, Nepal and Vietnam subject to extra limits for some routes.

General Employment Policy (GEP)

The General Employment Policy (GEP) is quota-free and non-sector specific. It does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland and to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of). India is not on the exclusion list.

GEP applications may be favourably considered if all of the following apply. There is a genuine job vacancy. The applicant has a confirmed offer of employment in a job relevant to their academic qualifications or work experience that cannot readily be taken up by the local workforce. The remuneration package, including income, accommodation, medical and other fringe benefits, is broadly commensurate with the prevailing market level for professionals in Hong Kong.

GEP applications normally take four weeks after all required documents and the application fee are received. Persons admitted as professionals are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months on employment condition, or in accordance with the duration of the employment contract, whichever is shorter. Successful applicants are normally granted an extension of stay following the 3-2 year pattern.

GEP professionals who have been permitted to take up employment as a professional in Hong Kong under the GEP for not less than two years and have an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment may apply for the top-tier employment stream. Persons admitted under the GEP who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode. Long-term settlement is covered under seven-year permanent residency, and the seven-year residency test gives a preliminary check.

Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)

The Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of). No job offer is needed at application. Full route detail is at Top Talent Pass Scheme.

The scheme has three categories. Category A covers persons with annual income reaching HK$2.5 million or above, or its equivalent in foreign currency, in the year immediately preceding the date of application. Category B covers degree graduates of the eligible universities with at least three years of work experience over the past five years. Category C covers degree graduates within five years with less than three years of work experience, subject to an annual quota allotted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Successful applicants are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months for Category A, or 24 months for Categories B and C, on time limitation only without other conditions of stay. Each applicant can only be granted such initial stay once. Applications normally take four weeks after all required documents and the application fee are received. Applicants may apply for extension of stay online, with the relevant fee paid, within three months before their limit of stay expires. Applicants who qualify for the top-tier extension are normally granted an extension of stay on time limitation only for six years.

Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS)

The Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of). The employing company must hold a valid quota approved by the Innovation and Technology Commission. The applicant must be research-and-development staff with a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics from a well-recognised university that is among the top 100 universities for STEM-related subjects in the latest publication of a listed world university ranking table.

TechTAS applications normally take two weeks after all required documents and the application fee are received. Persons admitted are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months on employment condition, or in accordance with the duration of the employment contract, whichever is shorter.

Technical Professionals Stream (GEP / ASMTP)

The Technical Professionals Stream targets non-degree professionals aged 18 to 40 in listed skilled trades. It does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of). All applications are subject to quota: an overall quota of 10,000 in the first three years of implementation, with the quota for each specific skilled trade limited to 3,000, allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications normally take four weeks after all required documents are received.

Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)

The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is not applicable to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of). No local job offer is required before applying. Route summary is at Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, and applicants may use the QMAS points calculator to estimate eligibility under the points tests.

Applicants who meet all prerequisites may choose assessment under the General Points Test or the Achievement-based Points Test. Selection exercises are conducted on a regular basis. Persons admitted through the General Points Test are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months on time limitation only. Persons admitted through the Achievement-based Points Test are normally granted a stay of eight years on time limitation only.

New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES)

The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Its scope includes foreign nationals. It requires investment of not less than HK$30 million Net, or equivalent in foreign currencies, in permissible investment assets to which the applicant is absolutely beneficially entitled. Route summary is at New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.

Schemes not open to Indian nationals

The Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals applies to Chinese residents of the Mainland and is not a route for Indian nationals.

Work route comparison

Study and graduate routes

Study visa

The study entry arrangement does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland and Taiwan, certain former Mainland Chinese residents in Macao, and nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, Laos, Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of), Nepal and Vietnam. India is not listed.

Applicants must hold a school acceptance letter confirming acceptance for a course of study. Applicants must be able to meet the course fees, living expenses and accommodation without working and without recourse to public funds. Study applications normally take six weeks after all required documents are received. For full-time locally-accredited post-secondary programmes, the stay granted is in line with the programme length, subject to a maximum period of six years upon entry and the validity of the travel document held.

Non-local students, excluding exchange students, of full-time locally-accredited local programmes at undergraduate level or above whose study period is not less than one academic year are temporarily exempted from the employment restrictions. They may take up employment during the currency of their limit of stay or within the effective period specified in the No Objection Letter, whichever is the shorter.

Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)

The Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) is quota-free and non-sector specific. It does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of). For nationals of Laos, Nepal and Vietnam it applies only to University Grants Committee-funded local programme graduates and Greater Bay Area campus graduates. India is not mentioned in the exclusions. Route summary is at IANG.

IANG covers non-local students who obtained an undergraduate or higher qualification in a full-time locally-accredited programme in Hong Kong. Non-local graduates who apply within six months after the date of graduation are classified as recent graduates. Recent graduates are not required to have secured an offer of employment and may be granted 24 months’ stay on time limitation only, provided normal immigration requirements are met.

Non-local non-recent graduates, applying more than six months after graduation, must secure an offer of employment upon application. Applications are favourably considered where the job is at a level commonly taken up by degree holders and the remuneration package is at market level. They may also be granted 24 months’ stay on time limitation only.

IANG applications by recent graduates take about two weeks to process; for non-recent graduates, four weeks. A longer processing time may apply during the summer rush period between June and August. Upon applying for extension, graduates must have secured an offer of employment at a level commonly taken up by degree holders with market-level remuneration, or provide proof of business. Successful applicants are normally permitted to remain on the 3-3 year pattern.

Bringing family as dependants

The dependant entry arrangement does not apply to Mainland residents with exceptions, former Mainland residents in Macao with less than seven years’ Macao identity, and nationals of Afghanistan and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of). India is not listed. Route summary is at dependant visa.

Sponsors admitted for employment or specified schemes may sponsor a spouse, or an officially recognised civil partner or union party, and their unmarried dependent children under the age of 18. For a sponsor who is a Hong Kong permanent resident, or a resident not subject to a limit of stay, the following dependants may also apply: parents aged 60 or above.

Dependant applications normally take six weeks after all required documents and the relevant application fee are received. A dependant under a “Specified Scheme” should submit an extension application as early as possible within three months before the limit of stay expires, and in all circumstances at least six weeks before. Processing normally takes about two to three weeks.

Processing time and fees

Processing times

The 2026 Performance Pledge targets are: entry visas and permits for visit, 100% finalised within four weeks; entry visas and permits for employment, 90% finalised within four weeks; other entry visas and permits, 90% finalised within six weeks. The scheme pages give no entry-processing time for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme or the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.

Fees

For specified schemes, which include the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the General Employment Policy, the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, the applicant, whether principal or dependant, pays an application fee of HK$600. The application fee is non-refundable in any circumstances irrespective of the application result. On approval, a visa issuance fee applies: HK$1,300 where the relevant period is more than 180 days, or HK$600 where the relevant period is not more than 180 days.

This fee structure applies to applications made at or after 11 a.m. on 26 February 2025. The Immigration Department Fee Table also lists a transit visa at HK$170 and other ordinary visas and other changes of condition of stay, including extension, at HK$330 each.

e-Visa and limit of stay

With effect from 28 December 2021, the Immigration Department issues “e-Visa” notification slips upon approval and payment of the relevant fee. Unless approved by the Director of Immigration under exceptional circumstances, persons subject to a limit of stay must depart Hong Kong before the expiry of their limit of stay, even if they have applied for an extension and the application is under processing. Breach of condition of stay, including overstaying, is a serious criminal offence.

Where to apply

The Immigration Department visas index states that quick links on each sub-page lead to electronic services for entry or extension of stay applications, which applicants can submit instantly. Since 28 December 2021 the Department issues e-Visa on approval and payment.

• Open the Immigration Department Visas / Entry Permits index.
• Select the sub-page for the relevant admission scheme.
• Follow the quick link to the electronic service for entry or extension of stay.
• Submit the application with all required documents and the application fee.
• Receive the e-Visa after approval and payment of the relevant fee.

FAQ

Can Indian citizens visit Hong Kong without a visa?

Indian citizens can visit Hong Kong visa-free for up to 14 days only after completing the free online pre-arrival registration, which is valid for six months. A new registration can be made only after the current one expires.

Which work routes are open to Indian professionals?

Indian professionals with a confirmed job offer may use the General Employment Policy, while those without a local offer may consider the Top Talent Pass Scheme or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme. The Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals is limited to Chinese residents of the Mainland and is not open to Indian nationals.

Can Indian graduates of Hong Kong universities stay on?

Indian nationals who obtained an undergraduate or higher qualification in a full-time locally-accredited Hong Kong programme may apply under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates. Recent graduates applying within six months of graduation need no job offer and are granted 24 months’ stay.

Do Indian nationals need a visa to work in Hong Kong?

A visa or entry permit is required to work in Hong Kong unless the person has the right of abode or right to land. The pre-arrival registration covers visits and transit only and does not permit employment, business or study.

How much does a specified-scheme visa application cost?

Applicants under specified schemes pay a non-refundable application fee of HK$600 plus a visa issuance fee of HK$1,300 or HK$600 depending on the relevant period, for applications made at or after 11 a.m. on 26 February 2025. The Immigration Department issues an e-Visa upon approval and payment of the relevant fee.

Can Indian nationals bring family to Hong Kong?

Sponsors admitted for employment or a specified scheme may sponsor a spouse or recognised civil partner and unmarried dependent children under 18. Parents aged 60 or above may apply only where the sponsor is a permanent resident or a resident not subject to a limit of stay.

Official sources

• Pre-arrival Registration for Indian Nationals
• Visit Visa / Entry Permit Requirements for the HKSAR
• Visit/Transit
• General Employment Policy (GEP)
• Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP)
• Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)
• GEP and ASMTP Technical Professionals Stream
• Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS)
• Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)
• Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
• Students
• Dependants
• New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES)
• Fee Tables
• New Fee Structure for Visa Applications under Specified Schemes
• Performance Pledge
• Online Application for Extension of Stay (for Visitors)
• e-Visa
• Visas / Entry Permits (ImmD index)

This article summarises official policy information, is not legal advice, and policy should be checked against the latest Immigration Department notices.