Hong Kong · Startup Visa
Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa for Founders
Hong Kong has no program called a startup visa. Founders apply under the Immigration Department's Investment as Entrepreneurs arrangement, part of the General Employment Policy, where start-ups backed by a recognized government program may be viewed favorably.
- Startup route
- Investment as Entrepreneurs (General Employment Policy)
- Minimum capital
- No fixed minimum; business plan and funding assessed
- Permanent residence
- 7 years of continuous ordinary residence
- Citizenship
- Discretionary naturalization as a Chinese national
Investment as Entrepreneurs (General Employment Policy)
This arrangement admits people who want to establish or join a business in Hong Kong and can make a substantial contribution to its economy. It sets no minimum investment. Instead, ImmD weighs a three-year business plan, turnover, financial resources, the sum invested, the number and level of local jobs, and any new technology or skills the business brings. Applicants normally need a first degree in a relevant field, although good technical qualifications or documented experience and achievements may be accepted, and they must have no security objection or record of serious crime. A start-up supported by a government-backed program with rigorous vetting, such as InvestHK's StartmeupHK Venture Programme or the Cyberport Incubation Programme, may be considered favorably. Every decision is discretionary.
- Initial stay
- Normally up to 36 months, on employment condition
- Extensions
- Normally granted on a 3-year then 2-year pattern
- Processing time
- About 4 weeks once all documents and the fee are received
- Application fee
- HKD 600 per applicant, non-refundable
- Visa issuance fee
- HKD 1,300 for a stay over 180 days
- Family
- Spouse or recognized partner and unmarried children under 18
- Leads to
- Right of abode after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence
Requirements
- Have no known security objection and no record of serious crime.
- Hold a relevant first degree, or good technical qualifications or documented professional abilities and achievements.
- Show the business can contribute substantially to Hong Kong's economy through capital, turnover, local jobs or new technology.
- Submit a three-year business plan with profit-and-loss, cash flow and balance sheet forecasts.
- For a start-up, upload a support letter from a recognized government-backed program and be its proprietor, partner or key researcher.
- Have a local sponsor, either a company or an adult bona fide Hong Kong resident who knows the applicant.
- Not be a Chinese resident of the Mainland or a national of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea.
How to apply
- Prepare the business plan, financial statements, company records and, for a start-up, the program support letter.
- Submit the application online through GovHK, with the sponsor's part, and pay the HKD 600 application fee.
- Wait for ImmD's decision, normally about four weeks after all documents and the fee arrive.
- Pay the visa issuance fee online after approval and receive the e-Visa.
- Present the e-Visa with a valid travel document at the immigration counter on arrival.
Government-backed incubators as the practical way in
Because the arrangement has no fixed investment threshold, early-stage founders usually rely on the start-up provision. ImmD names the programs whose support counts: the StartmeupHK Venture Programme run by InvestHK, the Incu-App, Incu-Bio and Incu-Tech schemes of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, the Cyberport Incubation Programme, the Enterprise Support Scheme of the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Design Incubation Programme of the Hong Kong Design Centre. A letter showing valid support from one of these is required at entry and again at extension for founders who set up or joined such a start-up.
Applicants with PRC passports face an additional test. Overseas Chinese applicants must meet the usual criteria and either hold permanent residence abroad or have lived overseas for at least one year immediately before applying, and they must apply from overseas, where overseas excludes the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. ImmD may also consult other government departments or professional bodies on a business plan, may carry out field visits, and requires prior approval before an entrant switches to a different business from the one approved.
Questions and answers
Is there a minimum investment for the Hong Kong entrepreneur route?
No fixed amount is published. ImmD asks for documentary proof of the capital invested in Hong Kong and judges whether it can support the business, alongside turnover, financial resources, local job creation and any new technology. A small investment backed by a recognized incubator may succeed, while a larger one with a weak plan may not.
What does the Hong Kong entrepreneur visa cost in government fees?
Since 26 February 2025 the General Employment Policy has been a specified scheme. Each principal applicant and each dependant pays a non-refundable HKD 600 application fee, and on approval a visa issuance fee of HKD 1,300 where the permitted period exceeds 180 days, or HKD 600 where it is 180 days or less.
Can holders of PRC passports use this entrepreneur route?
Chinese residents of the Mainland are excluded. Overseas Chinese holding PRC passports can apply if they meet the normal criteria and either hold permanent residence in another country or have lived overseas for at least one year immediately before applying, and they must lodge the application from overseas.
Can a founder change business after the visa is approved?
Only with ImmD's prior approval. The visa is granted for the business described in the application, and a request to move to another business is considered only if the applicant still meets the eligibility criteria. Breaching a condition of stay is a serious criminal offense in Hong Kong, so changes should be cleared before they happen.
Official sources
- Investment as Entrepreneurswww.immd.gov.hk
- New Fee Structure for Visa Applications under Specified Schemeswww.immd.gov.hk
- Fee Tableswww.immd.gov.hk
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Hong Kong.
Startup visa
GEP entrepreneur entry, judged on business plan, jobs and capital
02Temporary residence
36-month first stay, then extensions on a 3-year then 2-year pattern
03Permanent residence
Right of abode after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence
04Citizenship
Naturalization under the PRC Nationality Law; foreign nationality ends