 | ||
Visa requirements for citizens of Hong Kong are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on holders of Hong Kong SAR passports. As of 1 January 2017, Chinese citizens of Hong Kong holding Hong Kong SAR passports had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 152 countries and territories, ranking the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport 22nd in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley visa restrictions index. The official figure provided by the Hong Kong Immigration Department of countries and territories granting visa-free access to Hong Kong SAR passport holders is 158 as of 03 March 2017. (Note, however, that this figure excludes countries and territories which are not officially recognised by the People's Republic of China, such as Kosovo and Taiwan.)
Contents
- Visa requirements
- Territories
- Passport validity
- APEC Business Travel Card
- Vaccination
- Israeli stamps
- References
As a result of both bilateral visa abolition agreements (e.g. between Hong Kong and Russia) and unilateral decisions to grant visa exemptions (e.g. by Nicaragua), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders enjoy visa exemptions and simplified visa procedures to a large number of destinations worldwide. Whilst the visa exemptions mostly only apply when Chinese citizens of Hong Kong are visiting on short trips for pleasure or on business, a number of countries extend the visa exemption to short stays involving paid activities (e.g. Belgium and Luxembourg).
As of 2017, the passports of Hong Kong, South Korea, Israel and Chile are the only ones to provide visa-free access to all of Europe.
Visa requirements
Visa requirements for holders of normal passports travelling for tourist purposes:
Territories
Visa requirements for Chinese citizens of Hong Kong for visits to various territories, disputed areas, partially recognised countries and restricted zones:
Passport validity
Many countries require passport validity of no less than 6 months and one or two blank pages.
APEC Business Travel Card
Holders of an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) travelling on business do not require a visa to the following countries:
1 – up to 90 days
2 – up to 60 days
3 – up to 59 days
Permanent residents with Chinese nationality are required to use their Home Return Permits instead. Only holders of non-Chinese passports can use the card to enter Mainland China.
The card must be used in conjunction with a passport and has the following advantages:
Vaccination
Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia require all incoming passengers to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination. Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area.
Israeli stamps
Visitors with passport stamp of Israel are not allowed to enter a number of countries because of the Arab League boycott of Israel.