Hong Kong · Temporary Residence
Hong Kong Residence for Founders and Investors
Two routes give founders and investors a renewable right to live in Hong Kong: the entrepreneur stay under the General Employment Policy, and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme for people investing at least HKD 30 million.
- 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: stay and extensions
An entrepreneur admitted under the General Employment Policy normally receives up to 36 months on employment condition, tied to the approved business. Extensions are normally granted on a 3-year then 2-year pattern, provided the entrant still meets the criteria. Applications go online within the three months before the current limit expires and in any case at least six weeks before it, and the applicant must be in Hong Kong when applying, paying and collecting the e-Visa. ImmD normally decides extensions within two to three weeks. Unless the Director approves otherwise, the entrant must leave before the limit expires even if an extension is pending. Spouses, recognized partners and unmarried children under 18 can join as dependants and may work or study.
- Initial stay
- Normally up to 36 months
- Extension pattern
- 3 years, then 2 years, while criteria are met
- When to apply
- Within 3 months before expiry, at least 6 weeks ahead
- Extension processing
- Normally 2–3 weeks
- Dependants
- May work or study in Hong Kong
- Re-entry
- No re-entry visa needed within the permitted stay
Requirements
- Continue to meet the Investment as Entrepreneurs criteria when each extension is lodged.
- Keep running the approved business, or obtain ImmD approval before changing it.
- Supply updated evidence of the business and, for a start-up, a current support letter from the government-backed program.
- Be physically in Hong Kong when applying, paying and collecting the e-Visa.
How to apply
- Gather updated evidence of the business's operations and finances.
- Submit the extension online within three months before the limit of stay expires.
- Pay the visa issuance fee after approval and collect the e-Visa while in Hong Kong.
New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES)
Status: From 1 November 2026, only assets bought through designated accounts count for new net asset assessments
The New CIES lets investors aged 18 or over live in Hong Kong by placing at least HKD 30 million in permissible assets. Applicants must first show net assets of at least HKD 30 million held throughout the six months before applying. At least HKD 27 million goes into permissible financial assets or Hong Kong real estate, and HKD 3 million goes into the CIES Investment Portfolio run by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, which carries a lock-up period. Real estate counts up to HKD 15 million in total, residential property up to HKD 10 million of that. The investment cannot be reduced during the stay. Entrants receive up to 24 months at first, then extensions of up to three years, and may work or run a business.
- Minimum investment
- HKD 30 million, including HKD 3 million in the CIES Portfolio
- Net asset test
- HKD 30 million net, held for the 6 months before applying
- Real estate cap
- HKD 15 million counted, residential up to HKD 10 million
- Residential rule
- One property priced at HKD 30 million or more
- Initial stay
- Normally up to 24 months
- Extensions
- Normally up to 3 years each while requirements are met
- Family
- Spouse or recognized partner and unmarried children under 18
- Government fees
- HKD 600 application fee; HKD 1,300 visa fee over 180 days
Requirements
- Be aged 18 or over when applying to InvestHK for net asset assessment.
- Show net assets of at least HKD 30 million held throughout the six months before the application.
- Invest at least HKD 27 million in permissible financial assets or Hong Kong real estate within the scheme caps.
- Place HKD 3 million in the CIES Investment Portfolio managed by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation.
- Keep the committed investment intact while staying under the scheme; capital gains remain ring-fenced.
- For net asset assessments lodged from 1 November 2026, transact qualifying assets through designated accounts.
How to apply
- Apply to the New CIES Office at InvestHK for net asset assessment.
- Make the investment, including the HKD 3 million portfolio placement, through designated accounts.
- Apply to the Immigration Department for the visa or entry permit and pay the specified-scheme fees.
- Lodge each extension within three months before the current limit of stay expires.
How the New CIES changed in 2025 and 2026
The scheme's real estate rules have moved twice. Residential property first became eligible for purchases completed on or after 16 October 2024, but only as a single property costing HKD 50 million or more, with real estate counted up to HKD 10 million. For residential purchases completed from 17 September 2025, the single-property threshold is HKD 30 million and the overall real estate cap is HKD 15 million, of which residential property can make up HKD 10 million. Purchases completed before that date remain under the older limits. From 1 March 2025, an applicant's beneficial share of assets held jointly with family members can also count.
The latest change concerns banking. For net asset assessment applications submitted on or after 1 November 2026, financial assets acquired through non-designated accounts will no longer count toward the investment requirement, and transfers from non-designated to designated accounts will not be accepted. Investors preparing an application near that date should route every qualifying purchase through a designated account from the outset. Separately, the HKD 600 application fee and HKD 1,300 visa issuance fee for specified schemes have applied to New CIES applications since 26 February 2025.
Questions and answers
Do New CIES investors have to live in Hong Kong?
The scheme sets no minimum physical presence during the initial stay, and people can apply whether they live in Hong Kong or elsewhere. However, an investor who only invests and is not physically present cannot later obtain permanent residency, because that requires at least seven years of continuous ordinary residence for the investor and any dependants.
Can New CIES entrants work or start a company in Hong Kong?
Yes. The New CIES Office states that entrants can take up employment, serve as office-holders, be self-employed or join a business in Hong Kong. This makes the scheme usable by founders who have the capital and want residence that is not tied to a single approved business, as the entrepreneur route is.
Can dependants of an entrepreneur visa holder work in Hong Kong?
Yes. ImmD states that dependants admitted under existing policy may take up employment or study in Hong Kong. Their limit of stay is normally linked to the sponsor's, and extensions require that the relationship continues and that the sponsor remains a bona fide Hong Kong resident able to support them above subsistence level.
Can a New CIES investor withdraw income from the portfolio?
Cash dividends, interest and rental income can be withdrawn, but capital gains must stay within the investment, and the committed amount cannot be reduced while the investor is permitted to stay under the scheme. Investors do not have to top up the portfolio after market losses.
Official sources
- Investment as Entrepreneurswww.immd.gov.hk
- New Capital Investment Entrant Schemewww.immd.gov.hk
- New CIES - Investment Requirementwww.newcies.gov.hk
- New CIES - FAQswww.newcies.gov.hk
- New Fee Structure for Visa Applications under Specified Schemeswww.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