Hong Kong Business Visa for Indians - Definitive Guide

Among the several formalities that are involved with doing business in Hong Kong, issuing a business visa for Hong Kong is one of the most fundamental yet important ones. It is issued to the business people who need to attend business meetings, exhibitions and conferences, business meetings for a branch of your own company or a sister company, or attend client meetings and other business errands. The validity of the permit will vary depending on the procedure that is being followed. Pre-arrival registration (PAR) is a mandatory process that is followed when issuing a Hong Kong business visa from India, and the validity of PAR is 6 months or until the expiry of your visa (if it is valid for less than 6 months). There are multiple visits permitted with PAR allowing a stay of 14 days per visit.

Applying for a Hong Kong business visa from India involves a mandatory procedure of PAR. before which, you ought to make sure that you are eligible for the same. The process of PAR is mainly online and can be understood in detail as follows:

1. Visit the official website of the Hong Kong Immigration to register for the permit.
2. Fill out the application form with correct details.
3. The system will provide the result for the registration instantly.
4. A Notification Slip will be generated which is to be printed out on an A4-size paper.
5. Travel to Hong Kong with your passport, Notification Slip and other requirements if requested.
6. You will then be cleared by the Immigration Officer to enter the country.

When you are filling out the information in the PAR, you need to make sure that you are providing the correct information. Incorrect and unverifiable information can get the PAR rejected and you may not be able to apply for the same again. If there are any doubts, you can always acquire professional assistance.

If PAR fails anyway, you can apply offline directly to the Immigration Department. You need to note that you can only apply offline if the PAR fails. The requirements for the same will differ from PAR as well. The step by step process to get a business visa to Hong Kong offline are given as follows:

1. Download the Hong Kong visa application form.
2. Print the application form, fill it out and sign the document.
3. Collect all the required documents.
4. Attach the hard copies of all the required documents and your photograph to the application form.
5. Airmail the hard copies of the documents to the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
6. Along with the documents, also mail an International Bank Draft in favour of ‘The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’ for HK$190.
7. After the processing, the visa label will be airmailed back to you which is to be pasted on a blank page in your passport.

At the time of filling out the application form, you need to make sure that you are providing the correct information and there are no errors. The information that is being provided is correct and verifiable as per the travel documents that are submitted. If any of the information is found to be incorrect, there are chances of your application getting rejected. Such a visa rejection can affect your future applications to Hong Kong or to any other country.

There are certain parameters that are to be fulfilled in order to be able to apply for a business visa to Hong Kong. Some of the most important eligibility criteria are listed as follows:

• You must have proof of business ownership and purpose of visit
  
  You must have proper proof of your business enterprise to show it to the authorities.If you have been invited to a business conference or to attend a business or client meeting, an invitation letter from the company must be provided to the Immigration.
• You must meet the health requirements
  • You must be healthy enough to travel to Hong Kong.
  • You must perform a medical test before travelling to the country and provide a relevant documentary proof.
  • You must meet the character requirements
  • You must be of good character and have genuine intentions behind doing business in Hong Kong.
  • You need to provide a relevant documentary proof for the same as well (if asked) in the form of a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).
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• You must have sufficient funds
  • You must possess or have access to sufficient funds to be able to cover your stay and other expenses in Hong Kong.
  • Bank statement or any equivalent document is to be submitted as well as proof of the same.
• •  

The requirements to get a business visa to Hong Kong will vary depending on the process that is being followed. The differentiated Hong Kong business visa requirements are as follows:

• With PAR

• Valid passport
• Valid Notification Slip
• Recent photographs
• Other documents (if needed)
• Without PAR

• Photocopy of passport.
• Completely filled and signed application form.
• Recent photograph.
• Flight Itinerary.
• Proof of purpose of visit - hotel reservation, invitation letter, travel itinerary, etc.
• International Bank Draft in favour of ‘The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’.
  
  
  

• Two copies must be provided
• Photo size: 40mm x 50 mm.
• Coloured copy must be provided.
• The face must cover about 70-80% of the frame.
• Head should well-centred.
• The picture must not be older than 6 months.
• The background must be white.
• Neutral expressions.
• Both the ears must be visible.
• The teeth should not be shown in the photograph.
• Glasses are not permitted.
• Headgears are not allowed except for religious reasons.
• Clothing shouldn’t match the background.

The processing of PAR doesn’t require long and you get the result as soon as you completely fill out the information in the form. The Notification Slip can be printed right after the result is displayed. In the case of offline procedure, the processing time required is 4 weeks which can still increase based on certain factors that include the time taken by the Immigration, the number of entries required and other such factors.

The fee for the issuance of a business visa to Hong Kong depends on the procedure that you follow. With PAR, you will have to pay the fee after arrival to the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) as PAR is free of cost. The Hong Kong business visa Fees for the offline permit, that is acquired without PAR is to be paid before air mailing the documents and the form to the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

When the documents are to be submitted and the submission is done there are certain things that you need to keep in mind. Some of the pointers are as follows:

• The documents must be in good condition while airmailing them to the Immigration Department.
• If there are any kind of updates in the form, the Immigration must be informed accordingly.
• Once you are done with PAR, it is valid for 6 months or as valid as your passport if the validity of the passport is less than 6 months.
• Further process after PAR is done once you travel to HKSAR.
• You can withdraw your application if there is a change of plans in the case of an offline procedure, however, the fee is not refundable.

The status of the offline visa label can be checked online on the Hong Kong Immigration website. In the case of PAR, you will have the Notification Slip as soon as you are registered. This Notification Slip is useful for multiple entries and can be reprinted if lost. 

When you have completed PAR and you have the Notification Slip printed, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind. There are certain pointers that will help in understanding the further processes that are involved after you received the visa label from the Immigration Department for your offline visa.

• Before you travel

• Take a print out of the Notification Slip of PAR.
• Make a note of the visa label expiry date, as well as the number of entries permitted. You must not stay in the country beyond this period.
• You should travel to Hong Kong within the validity of your visa label.
• Make sure to carry a copy of your passport and other travel documents before leaving the country.
• Issue health insurance and travel Insurance from a certified company.
• At the Border

• Once you enter the country, make sure to obtain a Landing Slip.
• Get your documents checked and your passport verified by the Immigration Officer.
• Consult the airport authorities for any kind of assistance required.
• Check your visa copy for other guidelines and rules to be followed.
• When you enter Hong Kong

• Ensure not to get involved in any kind of employment. You can, however, do volunteer work.
• The business visa does not permit you to employ the residents or reside in the country.
• It is a permit that allows you to only perform business and business-related operations in the country. You are still permitted tourism.
• The tourist prohibited areas must be stayed out of.
• Make sure you don’t overstay and apply for a visa extension at least 7 days prior to expiration of the permit.
• Keep the Landing Slip safe with you as it is an important document that allows you to leave the country without any complications.