Travelling to Hong Kong

In general, all visitors to Hong Kong must have a passport that is valid for at least one month after the period of their intended stay in Hong Kong. However, documents issued to stateless persons must be valid for a minimum of two months after the period of intended stay. Please contact the Immigration Department for further details.

Nationals of most countries do not require a visa to enter Hong Kong for tourism and can stay for periods varying from seven to 180 days, depending on nationality. If you are unsure about your status, please check with any Chinese embassy or consulate.

More than 100 countries and territories have representative offices in Hong Kong. Their contact details are listed here. You can also find further details about visa requirements on the Immigration Department website.

With effect from 28 December 2021, the Immigration Department introduced electronic services for visa applications in phases to allow applicants to complete the entire process of visa-related applications online. Please visit the Immigration Department website or click here for more details.

English and Chinese (in practice, Cantonese); Mandarin is widely accepted.

In May, Hong Kong starts to warm up. The average daytime temperature is 29°C, and nights cool down to only 23°C. There is an average of 15 days of rainfall per month, with a small chance of tropical cyclone formations. The average relative humidity in May is 84%.  (For more information, please visit: https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/index.html)  

The legal tender is the Hong Kong dollar (HK$), which is pegged to the US dollar at HK$7.80 to US$1, but check around for the best exchange deal.  You can exchange your currency for Hong Kong dollars at any authorised money exchanger.  International credit cards such as American Express, VISA, Diners Club and MasterCard are also welcome at many hotels, retail shops and restaurants. Some department stores, retail chains and restaurants also accept electronic payments such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay and WeChat Pay. These premises usually display stickers showing the credit cards and electronic payments they accept at their entrances or at the cash register.  

ATMs can be found almost everywhere. Many take international cards and some HSBC 'Electronic Money' machines provide 24-hour cash withdrawal (HK$) facilities for Visa and MasterCard holders. Some even provide foreign currency withdrawal service.

Hong Kong is a tax-free port. There is no VAT, goods and services tax, or sales tax.

Hong Kong has a sophisticated transport system, comprising the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), buses, trams, ferries, Uber and taxis, which cover extensive areas of the city and have signs and announcements in both English and Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin).

Most of the public transport options accept credit card or Octopus card payment, while taxis mostly accept cash only.

An Octopus digital or physical travel card is an essential purchase in Hong Kong. It’s a smart payment tool that allows you to pay cash-free for all major public transport services, as well as dining, entertainment, shopping and more. 

There are two types of Octopus for visitors:

• Mobile Octopus: simply download the Octopus App for Tourists to instantly add Octopus to your iPhone or Huawei mobile phone. Check your balance and top up without queuing with your credit or debit card anytime, anywhere on your phone. There is a refundable deposit of HK$50 for Mobile Octopus. When you no longer need the Mobile Octopus, you can easily apply for a refund of the deposit and remaining value through the Octopus App for Tourists.
• Tourist Octopus: a physical travel card, available from HK$39 without any deposit. It boasts an iconic Hong Kong design that makes it an ideal souvenir, which can be reused when you come back to Hong Kong in the future. There are many ways to get a Tourist Octopus after you arrive in Hong Kong; click here to find out how according to your mode of travel.

• Airport Express – The train takes 24 minutes to arrive at Central station. Trains depart at 15–30 minute intervals from 05:54 to 00:48 daily. For the detailed Airport Express schedule, please click here. You can also download the MTR Mobile app to keep track of the real-time train schedules.

• Public Buses – Bus no. A11 goes to Central and Wanchai  There are more than 20 convenient routes that can take you from the airport to key locations on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories. For details, please refer to Citybus website or Long Win Bus website.

• Taxis – It takes about 32 minutes to get from the airport to the HKCEC (event venue) and 35 minutes to get from the airport to Central. Taxis offer a door-to-door service to and from Hong Kong International Airport. They are readily available at the taxi pick-up area near the left-hand ramp outside the airport Arrivals Hall. Delegates should take an urban taxi (red) to Central and Wanchai.

(For more information, please visit: https://www.hongkongairport.com/en/transport/to-from-airport/)