What documents do I need to enter Hong Kong?
Most visitors enter Hong Kong visa-free for up to 90 days, but Indian nationals and Taiwan residents need free pre-arrival registration. Here is the trip1 checklist.
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Entering Hong Kong - what you need
Hong Kong is one of the quickest borders in Asia for most visitors, and there is no arrival card for the majority of travellers to fill in. Book your stay on trip1 first, since immigration can ask where you are staying and the hotel wants your passport at check-in.
- A passport or travel document accepted by Hong Kong immigration, with the validity your nationality requires.
- A pre-arrival registration slip if you are an Indian national or a Taiwan resident.
- An onward or return ticket, unless you are transiting to mainland China or Macau.
- Enough money to cover your stay without working.
- The address of your accommodation, which your trip1 booking confirmation covers.
How long you can stay without a visa
Visa-free stays in Hong Kong are set by nationality rather than by one blanket rule. British citizens get up to 180 days, and US, Canadian, Australian, Japanese and EU nationals generally get 90 days.
Indonesian and Thai nationals typically get 30 days, Indian nationals 14 days after pre-arrival registration, Filipino and Russian nationals 14 days, and a long list of other nationalities 7 days. Because the tiers differ so much, look up your own passport on the Hong Kong Immigration Department site before you book.
Required passport validity also varies by nationality, so check the same page rather than assuming the usual six-month rule. Visa-free entry covers visiting only: you cannot work, paid or unpaid, start a business or enrol as a student on it.
Pre-arrival registration - who needs it
Pre-arrival registration is a free online step that some travellers complete before a visa-free visit. It is not a visa, and it costs nothing on the official Immigration Department site.
Indian nationals must register before visiting or transiting Hong Kong visa-free. The registration lasts six months, covers multiple visits and allows a stay of up to 14 days each time.
Print the notification slip and travel on the same passport you registered with, because you need both documents to board and to enter. Indian nationals in direct air transit who never leave the airport transit area do not have to register.
Taiwan residents use a separate registration. It is valid for two months, good for two entries, and allows a stay of up to 30 days on each landing. Travellers who already hold a valid Hong Kong entry permit use that instead.
Checking into a hotel in Hong Kong
Hong Kong hotels ask every adult guest for a passport at check-in and record the details for guest registration. Bring the physical document, because a photo of it is usually not enough.
Your trip1 booking confirmation is what proves you have accommodation, both if immigration asks and at the front desk. Keep a PDF saved offline so you are not hunting for wifi in the arrivals hall.
Some hotels ask for a payment card at check-in to hold against extras such as the minibar or laundry. That is the hotel's own policy and has nothing to do with how you paid for the room on trip1.
Entering Hong Kong - FAQ
No. Hong Kong's Immigration Department stopped requiring visitors to fill in arrival and departure cards from 16 October 2024, so there is nothing to complete on the plane or online. You still need a valid passport, and Indian nationals must complete a separate pre-arrival registration before a visa-free visit.
US citizens can visit Hong Kong visa-free for up to 90 days. Bring a passport with the validity Hong Kong immigration requires, an onward or return ticket and enough money to cover your stay without working. Officers can ask where you are staying, and your trip1 booking confirmation answers that. Visa-free entry does not allow work or study.
It depends on your passport. British citizens get up to 180 days, while US, Canadian, Australian and most EU citizens get 90 days. Indian nationals get 14 days and must complete pre-arrival registration first. Many other nationalities get shorter stays, so check your own passport on the Hong Kong Immigration Department website before you book.
It is a free online registration some travellers must complete before a visa-free visit. Indian nationals must register first; it lasts six months, covers multiple visits and allows up to 14 days each time. Taiwan residents use a separate registration. Print the notification slip and travel on the same passport you registered with.
It varies by nationality. UK advice says British passports must be valid for at least one month after you plan to leave Hong Kong. Other nationalities can face different rules, so check your passport on the Hong Kong Immigration Department website rather than assuming the usual six-month rule. Airlines check validity before you board.