1
Customs Requirements
1.1 Customs formalities are conducted in conformity with standard international procedure, and as far as possible, in accordance with the Standards and Recommended Practices laid down in Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The customs officers at the airport are responsible for the enforcement of various legislations of Hong Kong affecting importation and exportation of articles carried by passengers and crew.
1.2 Hong Kong is essentially a free port and does not levy any Customs tariff on imports and exports. Excise duties are levied only on four types of dutiable commodities, namely liquors, tobacco, hydrocarbon oils and methyl alcohol. Duty-free concessions for incoming passengers are set out below -
Alcoholic Liquor
A passenger aged 18 or above is allowed to bring into Hong Kong, for his own use, 1 litre of alcoholic liquor with an alcoholic strength above 30% by volume measured at a temperature of 20°C exempted from duty.
If the passenger holds a Hong Kong Identity Card, he must have spent 24 hours or longer outside Hong Kong.
Tobacco
A passenger aged 18 or above is allowed to bring into Hong Kong, for his own use, the following quantity of tobacco products exempted from duty :
-
19 cigarettes; or
-
1 cigar or 25 grams of cigars; or
-
25 grams of other manufactured tobacco.
2
Immigration Requirements
2.1 Immigration into Hong Kong is governed by the Immigration Ordinance, Cap. 115. Immigration control is exercised by the Immigration Department, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, telephone no. 2824 6111, fax no. 2877 7711, email:
enquiry@immd.gov.hk
, website:
http://www.immd.gov.hk
. The information contained in the following paragraphs is intended only as a guide, full details may be obtained from the Immigration Department.
2.2
Advance Passenger Information System
Upon the implementation of the Advance Passenger Information (“API”) System and the commencement of Immigration (Advance Passenger Information) Regulation (“Regulation”), aircraft operators should comply with the requirements stipulated in the Regulation. For more details about the API System and the Regulation, please visit the website of Hong Kong Immigration Department.
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/useful_information/apis.html
2.3
Passport Requirements and Travel Documents
Arriving passengers must have valid travel documents, with visas/entry permits where required, and adequate means of support for their proposed stay. Travel documents issued by the following authorities are not acceptable. Visas should be endorsed on an affidavit in lieu of passport.
| Imamate (or Emamate) of Oman State |
| Venda |
| Maori Kingdom of Tetiti |
| Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus |
| Yemen (Royalist authorities) |
| Party of Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge) in Pailin, Northwest Cambodia |
| Taiwan |
2.4
Visas Requirement
2.4.1 Visas are NOT REQUIRED for the following categories of passengers:-
- Holders of the following valid documents
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport
- Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes provided that the holder’s permitted limit of stay in the HKSAR has not expired
- Hong Kong Re-entry Permit
- Hong Kong Seaman’s Identity Book
- Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card
- Hong Kong Identity Card bearing an ‘R’ code issued on or after January 2, 1999
- Travel document bearing one of the following endorsements:
- “Holder’s eligibility for Hong Kong permanent identity card verified”
- “The holder of this travel document has the right to land in Hong Kong. (Section 2AAA, Immigration Ordinance, Cap. 115, Laws of Hong Kong)”
- “Unconditional stay - The holder does not require a visa to re-enter Hong Kong within twelve months of the date of his last departure”
- United Nation Laissez-Passer (on official UN business in Hong Kong or in transit to and from a third place for official UN business)
- Non-permanent Hong Kong residents whose permitted limit of stay has not expired.
- National of Britain (British citizens) coming for a stay not exceeding 180 days.
- Nationals of the following countries (territory) or holders of the following travel documents coming for a stay not exceeding 90 days:-
| Andorra | Finland | Norway |
| Anguilla | France | Papua New Guinea |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Germany | Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie & Oeno Islands |
| Argentina | Gibraltar | Poland |
| Australia | Greece | Portugal |
| Austria | Greenland | Romania |
| Bahamas | Grenada | San Marino |
| Barbados | Guyana | Seychelles |
| Belgium | Hungary | Singapore |
| Belize | Iceland | Slovak Republic |
| Bermuda | Ireland (Republic of) | Slovenia |
| Botswana | Israel | Spain |
| Brazil | Italy | St Helena |
| Britain (British Overseas Territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British subjects and British Protected persons) | Jamaica | St Helena Dependencies (Ascension, Tristan Da Cunha) |
| British Antarctic Territory | Japan | St Kitts and Nevis |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Kenya | St Lucia |
| British Virgin Islands | Kiribati | St Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Brunei Darussalam | Korea (Republic of) | Sweden |
| Bulgaria | Latvia | Switzerland |
| Canada | Liechtenstein | Tanzania |
| Cayman Islands | Lithuania | The South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands |
| Chile | Luxembourg | The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia |
| Colombia | Malawi | Tonga * |
| Croatia | Malaysia | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Cyprus (Republic of) | Maldives | Türkiye |
| Czech Republic | Malta | Turks and Caicos Islands |
| Denmark | Mauritius | Tuvalu # |
| Dominica (Commonwealth of) | Mexico | Uruguay |
| Ecuador | Monaco | U.S.A. @ |
| Egypt | Montserrat | Vanuatu |
| Estonia | Namibia | Venezuela |
| Falkland Islands & Dependencies | Nauru | Zambia |
| Faroe Islands | Netherlands | Zimbabwe |
| Fiji | New Zealand | |
* except holders of Tongan National passports and Tongan Protected Person passports
# except holders of travel documents with national status stated as “I-TUVALU”
@ except holders of U.S.A. Diplomatic passports |
- Nationals of the following countries (territory) or holders of the following travel documents coming for a stay not exceeding 30 days:
| Armenia | Morocco |
| Bahrain | Oman |
| Belarus | Panama |
| Bolivia | Paraguay |
| Cape Verde (Republic of) | Peru |
| Costa Rica * | Qatar |
| Dominican Republic | Samoa |
| El Salvador | Saudi Arabia |
| Georgia | South Africa |
| Guatemala | Thailand |
| Honduras | Tunisia |
| Indonesia | Uganda |
| Jordan | United Arab Emirates |
| Kuwait | |
| * visa exemption is not applicable if holding Costa Rican Provisional Passport |
- Nationals of the following countries (territory) or holders of the following travel documents coming for a stay not exceeding 14 days:
| Albania * | Marshall Islands (Republic of) |
| Algeria | Mauritania |
| Benin | Micronesia (Federated States of) |
| Bhutan | Mongolia |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Montenegro (Republic of) |
| Burkina Faso | Mozambique |
| Chad | Niger |
| Comoros | North Macedonia |
| Djibouti | Palau |
| Equatorial Guinea | Philippines |
| Gabon | Russian Federation |
| Guinea | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Haiti | Serbia (Republic of) * |
| India ^ | Suriname |
| Kazakhstan | Ukraine |
| Lesotho | US Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (holders of US Trust Territory passports only) |
| Madagascar | Vatican City |
| Mali | |
* visa exemption is applicable to holders of biometric passports only
^ Indian nationals are required to apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival registration (PAR) online before they can visit Hong Kong visa free |
- Nationals of other countries not mentioned in para. 2.4.2 do not require visas for a visit not exceeding seven days.
- Holders of Diplomatic and Official passports of the following countries coming for a stay not exceeding 30 days:
Pakistan
- Holders of Diplomatic and Official passports of the following countries coming for a stay not exceeding 14 days:
| Angola | Laos |
| Azerbaijan | Moldova (Republic of) |
| Bangladesh | Myanmar |
| Burundi | Nepal |
| Cambodia | Sri Lanka |
| Cameroon | Tajikistan |
| Congo (Republic of) | Togo |
| Ethiopia | Turkmenistan |
| Ghana | Uzbekistan |
| Kyrgyzstan | Vietnam |
- The visa waiver concessions for para. 2.4.1 iii) to ix) are subject to the following conditions:-
| (a) | Onward or return tickets must be held. (Travellers to China or Macau without onward bookings may benefit from the visa waiver concession, provided entry to China or Macau is assured). |
| (b) | The passengers must possess adequate means of support. |
2.4.2 Visa is ALWAYS REQUIRED for the following categories of passengers:
- Nationals of Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Congo (Republic of), Cote d’ Ivoire, Cuba, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of), Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova (Republic of), Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen (Republic of).
- Holders of Albanian non-biometric passports.
- Holders of Costa Rican Provisional passports or “Documento de Identidad Y Viaje” issued by Costa Rican Government.
- Holders of Special Peruvian passports.
- Holders of Serbian non-biometric passports or Serbian passports issued by the Coordination Directorate in Belgrade.
- Holders of Tongan National Passports and Tongan Protected Persons passports.
- Holders of travel documents with national status stated as “I-TUVALU”.
- Holders of Uruguayan passport issued under Decree 289/90.
- Holders of U.S.A. Diplomatic passports.
- Holders of Vatican Service passports.
- Holders of all ‘stateless’ travel documents.
2.5
Seamen
2.5.1 Seamen who are visa-free nationals do not require visas when travelling to or through Hong Kong.
2.5.2 Seamen who are visa nationals or stateless person, who hold seafarers’ identity documents issued by countries that ratified the ILO Convention 108 do not require visas when travelling to or through Hong Kong if they:
- Transit Hong Kong within 48 hours to join a vessel elsewhere which is registered in any of the territories which have ratified ILO Convention 108.
- Pass through Hong Kong on repatriation from a ship.
- In transit to join a vessel in Hong Kong which is registered in any of the territories which have ratified ILO Convention 108.
(Note: These arrangements are not applicable to nationals of Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Sri Lanka).
2.5.3 Seamen of Mainland who hold PRC passports or seamen books do not require visas when travelling to or through Hong Kong subject to the production of letters of indemnity from the local agents.
2.5.4 Seamen covered in para.
2.5.1 and
2.5.2 do not require visas when arriving to join vessels in Hong Kong even though they do not satisfy the normal requirement to hold onward or return tickets. However, seamen entering under these circumstances must be met on arrival by a representative of the shipping company concerned, or its local agent who will be required to provide a letter of indemnity against the cost of maintenance and repatriation of the seamen if they fail to join a ship in Hong Kong. Such seamen may also transit Hong Kong without visas for up to 48 hours on their way to or from vessels in other countries.
2.6
Crew Member Certificates
In general, flight crew members who:
- is in airline uniform; and
- on production of their valid Crew Member Certificate issued by Civil Aviation Department; or
- on production of their valid travel document showing occupation in an aircrew grade or capacity or holds an airline identification card, crew card, crew certificate, crew license or similar airline identification document; may be accepted as a genuine flight crew member and accorded temporary admission. Unless exemption is granted, this concession does not apply to the crew of private aircraft, who are to be treated as visitors, nor to those covered by para. 2.4.2.
2.7
Transit Passengers
2.7.1 Passengers holding stateless documents, and nationals of the countries listed at para.
2.4.2 require transit visas to land in Hong Kong in transit.
2.7.2 Visas are not required for passengers who are in transit and remain on the airside (except Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Congo (Republic of), Cote d’ Ivoire, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of), Liberia, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Togo and Yemen (Republic of)). Personnel of airline company must keep the passengers from presenting to immigration authorities.
2.8
Airlines Responsibility
2.8.1 Except for passengers who have the right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong, person who arrives in Hong Kong in an aircraft does not have a valid travel document, the owner of the aircraft and his agent shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of level 6, under Cap. 115 Immigration Ordinance and Schedule 8 of Cap. 221, Criminal Procedure Ordinance. Airlines shall be held responsible for removing such passengers from Hong Kong if they are found inadmissible.
2.8.2 To ensure the compliance of aircraft operators with the relevant requirements, some offences are set out in the Immigration (Advance Passenger Information) Regulation (“Regulation”). For more details about the API System and the Regulation, please visit the website of Hong Kong Immigration Department.
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/useful_information/apis.html
3
Public Health Requirements
3.1 Strict compliance with relevant provisions of the International Health Regulations of the World Health Organisation and the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599) is maintained. Facilities are available for vaccination and the issuance of an international certificate of vaccination.
3.2 ILLNESS OR DEATH ON BOARD
3.2.1 The pilot in command of an incoming aircraft, who has a seriously ill or dead person on board, must give as much notice as possible by radio to the Airport Authorities of such occurrence. Relevant information concerning the necessity for having a doctor or ambulance standing by would facilitate attention or removal as the case may be. Where an aircraft registered in Hong Kong is involved, conformity with the provision of the Civil Aviation (Births, Deaths and Missing Persons) Regulations 1984 (CAP. 173 Section 2) is essential.
4
Air Passenger Departure Tax
4.1 Under the Air Passenger Departure Tax Ordinance (Cap. 140) every passenger departing from Hong Kong by aircraft at Hong Kong International Airport shall pay a departure tax at the rates approved from time to time by the Hong Kong Government unless specifically exempted for payment by the provisions of the Ordinance (see GEN 4.1 para.
4 for details).
5
Procedures for General Aviation and Private Flights
5.1 DEPARTING AIRCRAFT
5.1.1 The pilot in command, other crew members and all passengers are required to pass through the normal Immigration and Security Departure channels in the Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre or Passenger Terminal Building, as appropriate and shall then be transported directly to the aircraft by the ground handling agent.
5.2 ARRIVING AIRCRAFT
5.2.1 After landing, the aircraft shall be taxied to the parking area as directed by Air Traffic Control, where it will be met by the Police Airport Security Unit who will record details of the flight and those on board.
5.2.2 The pilot in command, other crew members and all passengers shall be transported by the ground handling agent to the Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre or Passenger Terminal Building for Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) clearance.
5.3 HELICOPTER FLIGHTS
5.3.1 For flights on cross-boundary flight stopover for Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) clearance, the helicopter shall park at the designated location and the pilot in command, any crew and all passengers shall comply with the appropriate CIQ clearance requirements.
5.3.2 For all other flights, the helicopter shall park at the designated location and the pilot in command, other crew members and all passengers shall be transported by the ground handling agent to and/or from the Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre or Passenger Terminal Building for CIQ clearance.