Hong Kong Visit Visa for Indians - Definitive Guide

There are different kinds of permits that are issued based on the traveller’s purpose of visit. A visit visa to Hong Kong is issued at the time when the applicant requires to visit their friends and family members in the country. Other activities that are included on this visa are sightseeing, attending concerts and exhibitions and other leisure activities. There are different ways to acquire a visit visa to Hong Kong. There is a mandatory procedure of pre-arrival registration (PAR) which is generally valid for 6 months or until the validity of your passport (in case it is less than 6 months). The stay permitted per visit is 14 days and can be extended as per the requirement and the approval of the Immigration Officer. Upon failing the PAR system, the validity of the visa label obtained offline will depend on the Immigration Department.

In order to apply for a visit visa to Hong Kong, you first need to match the eligibility criteria for the same. After this, you can apply online with PAR. The procedure followed with PAR is given as follows:

1. Visit the official website of the Hong Kong Immigration to register for the permit.
2. Fill out the application form with all the 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.

There is a one-page form that is to be filled out for PAR. When filling out this information, you need to make sure that the information is correct and as per the travel document that you are providing. If there are any kind of alterations in the information, there are chances the PAR may fail. There still are other reasons why a PAR fails for certain users.

In case PAR fails, you can apply for a permit offline directly to the Immigration Department as there is no diplomatic mission in India that is set up by Hong Kong. You must note that you can only follow this process if PAR has failed. The steps for the offline process are given below:

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.

The required documents can be faxed to the Immigration directly in order to save time as well. However, you will still have to airmail the original visa application form and the photographs. The application form needs to be filled out with care as there are chances of getting the application cancelled if there is any kind of unverifiable information or details that are incorrect. A visa rejection can affect your future visa applications to Hong Kong or to any other country. It is thus safer to acquire professional assistance so that there are minimal chances of visa rejection.

Whether to know if you are the right candidate to be issued a visit visa to Hong Kong, there are certain criteria that are required to be fulfilled. The list of eligibility criteria for the issuance of a Hong Kong visit visa for Indian citizens are listed as follows:

• You must possess proof of purpose of visit

• If you are visiting your acquaintances, you must have an invitation letter from the resident in Hong Kong.
• You must visit for tourism or visiting acquaintances only. You must not search or take up any kind of employment.
• 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 relevant documentary proof.
• You must be within the age limit to be able to apply for a work permit.
• You must meet the character requirements

• You must be of good character and have genuine intentions behind visiting 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).
• 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.
• If the trip is sponsored, proper documents for the same must be made available.

The requirements to get a visit visa to Hong Kong will differ depending on the process that is following. The requirements in the case of PAR vary from those of offline procedure. The differentiated 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 favor 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.

There are certain factors that affect the processing time of a visit visa to Hong Kong. The processing time required for the PAR process is mere 10 to 20 minutes. However, the processing time required for the offline process is about 4 weeks. There are chances that the time required for the offline process can even increase than the expected time period because of certain factors that include the workload at the embassy, the staff availability, whether the documents are complete or the rest of the documents are yet to be submitted and others.

The estimation of Hong Kong Visit Visa fees is dependent on various factors. These include the international costs, service charges, the number of entries, validity on the visa label, and others. PAR is free of cost while the fee for offline visa label is to be paid with an international draft in favour of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

At the time of submission and after the submission, there are a few things that you need to consider. Some of the important pointers are given 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 (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region).
• 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.

There is no need to check the status of PAR as the result will be shown immediately after the completion of the process. The Notification Slip can be printed right after you have been registered. In the case of the offline application process, you can check the status of your application on the Hong Kong Immigration website.

When PAR is done, you can do further processes after you reach HKSAR. In the case of a visa label, you will receive the label through airmail after the completion of the processes which can be affixed on the passport. There are certain things that you need to note once you have the 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 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 the 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.