Despite being an autonomous territory, Hong Kong is quite populated and has developed itself technology that has inspired IT in Asian as well as non-Asian countries. There are several reasons why one should issue a Hong Kong visa. Tourism options the country has to offer are quite appealing along with which, Hong Kong is also a global financial hub.
Whenever a foreigner is willing to travel to Hong Kong, there are certain formalities to be followed. One of the most important one is the issuance of a visa for Hong Kong. There are different kinds of activities one can do depending on the type of their permit. The permit allows the holder to carry out leisure activities and tourism, visit their friends and family members residing in the country, and carry out business activities as well. The validity of the permit will vary as per the type and so will the permitted stay per visit and the number of entries. A special feature a Hong Kong visa for Indians has is that the applicant can register for the permit before travelling to the country and issue it then. The processes and other details of this permit are mentioned further.
To apply for a Hong Kong visa for Indians, the applicant has to perform a pre-arrival registration (PAR) online. PAR is free of charge. Also, you can apply after you have confirmed if you are eligible for the same. The procedure that is followed with the PAR is as follows:
The holder is permitted multiple entries and is allowed to stay in Hong Kong for 14 days. Although, there are chances that the PAR may not go through and you will denied the permit with this process. Thus, it is essential that you acquire professional assistance. However, there is another way you can get a permit without the PAR which involves applying to the Hong Kong Immigration Department offline. The process is given as follows:
When you are mailing the documents, make sure that the documents are in good condition. Also, you can fax the documents to save time but you’ll still have to air mail your completed and duly signed original copy of application form and photograph. The details in the application form need to be correct as well and should be verifiable. If in case there is any information that is incorrect or cannot be verified, there are chances that your application may get rejected. A visa rejection can affect your future applications to get a visa for Hong Kong or to any other country.
There are different kinds of permits that are issued for Hong Kong. These can be differentiated based on the certain factors like purpose of visit, duration of stay, and others. Some of the common types of short-term permits are listed as follows:
The requirements for the issuance of a Hong Kong Visa change as per the type of the permit. The documents required for Hong Kong visa from India with and without PAR are as follows:
The fee for the issuance of a visa for 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). The Hong Kong Visa Fee 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.
Entry | Purpose | Stay Duration | Validity | Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|
Single entry Normal | Business | 14 days | 6 months | 0.0 |
6 months Multiple entry | Transit | 15 days | 6 months | 0.0 |
6 months Multiple entry | Business | 15 days | 6 months | 500.0 |
Single entry Normal | Tourist | 14 days | 6 months | 0.0 |
6 months Multiple entry | Tourist | 15 days | 6 months | 500.0 |
For the PAR process, you do not need to check status as the result will be known immediately after the completion of the process. While in the case without PAR, you can check the status after air mailing the documents online on the Hong Kong Immigration Department website.
To get the visa issued, you can apply for PAR and if that fails, you can apply directly to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. You can even apply through the visa agencies. You will need to have all the requirements and the documents must be verifiable. At times, the process may seem complicated and the formalities involved can seem difficult to be carried out individually. In such cases, professional visa consultation from the visa agencies can prove to be useful. This will allow you to have your documents handled professionally and the procedure may even be quicker. This way, the chances of visa rejection also get nullified
In order to extend your visa for Hong Kong, you first need to have a valid reason to do the same and you need documentary proof as well. You can apply for the same to the Extension Section of the Immigration Department. You must also note that the extension application must be made at least 7 days prior to the expiry of the existing permit.
A medical test is a health examination performed by an authorized doctor to ensure that the applicant does not possess any kind of contagious diseases. These do not just include HIV/AIDS, but also other contagious diseases that can spread. However, this medical test is not necessarily required for all kinds of visa. These are mandated for the long term visas and may not be compulsory for all types of short term visas.
Bank balance required to get a visa for Hong Kong is not specified by the Immigration Department. Although, the funds in the account must be sufficient for you to cover your expenses and health requirements while in the country.
For PAR, there is no specified period mentioned for registration as PAR is valid for about 6 months and you are allowed multiple visits in this time. However, if you need to apply without PAR, you will have to apply at least a couple of months before the intended date of travel. It is safer to do so because the processing time for getting a visa label without PAR takes about 4 weeks of processing.
The rejection rate for Hong Kong visa for Indians is not quite high. All you need to not get your application rejected is to provide correct information and valid documents. Also, if you are not sure about the chances of rejection, you can always consult the professionals.