Before you start

A passport valid for the intended stay, plus visa-free or visa visit status to enter Hong Kong
A qualifying route: TTPS (high income or top-university degree), a job offer (GEP), QMAS points, or a Hong Kong degree (IANG)
A confirmed Hong Kong residential address before booking your HKID appointment (needed within 30 days of arrival)
Original academic certificates, employment/income proof, and CV — scanned for the online application system

Step-by-step

1
Pick your route and lodge the e-Visa application online
TTPS, GEP, QMAS, and IANG applications must be submitted through the Immigration Department's online system — post, drop-box, and in-person filing are no longer accepted for these schemes. TTPS Category A (HK$2.5M+ income in the year before applying) and Category B/C (degree from an eligible university — the aggregate list rose to 200 institutions with effect from 1 January 2026 and is re-issued annually) need no job offer; GEP needs an employer sponsor and a confirmed contract. Upload your passport, qualifications, and income/employment proof.
OnlineWho: You (GEP: jointly with your employer/sponsor)TTPS ~2-4 weeks; GEP/QMAS/IANG ~4 weeks from receipt of complete documentsHK$600 (~US$77) non-refundable application fee (since 26 Feb 2025)
2
Pay the issuance fee and download your e-Visa
On approval you receive a notification with a payment link. Pay the issuance fee online (credit card, FPS, PPS, or e-wallet), then download and print the e-Visa yourself — Hong Kong stopped issuing sticker visas on 28 Dec 2021. You must enter Hong Kong on this e-Visa to activate your status; if you applied while overseas, present it on arrival.
OnlineWho: YouSame day once you pay; valid for entry per the visa labelHK$600 if the permitted stay is ≤180 days, or HK$1,300 if more than 180 days (two-tier, since 26 Feb 2025)
3
Register for your Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) within 30 days
Anyone aged 11+ permitted to stay over 180 days must register for an HKID within 30 days of arrival — this is a legal requirement, not optional. Book an appointment online with a Registration of Persons office; you give fingerprints and a photo and receive a collection slip, with the card ready about 10 working days later. The HKID is your master key: banks, landlords, and employers all ask for it.
In personWho: You (each family member 11+ registers individually)Book early — slots fill weeks ahead; card ready ~10 working days after registrationFree for first registration of a new arrival
4
Bring dependants, then extend or claim permanent residency
Spouses and unmarried children under 18 of TTPS/GEP/QMAS/IANG holders can apply for dependant visas; crucially, dependants of these talent/employment schemes are NOT prohibited from working or studying. Apply to extend your stay within the last 3 months before it expires (the typical 3+3 or 2+3+3 patterns). After 7 continuous years of ordinary residence you apply to verify eligibility for a permanent identity card and right of abode.
OnlineWho: You (sponsoring dependants); each adult applies for their own extension/PRDependant visa ~4-6 weeks; PR verification processed after the 7-year markDependant visa same scheme fees; PR verification and first permanent ID card are free

Documents you’ll need

Valid passport (and proof of current legal stay in Hong Kong)
Completed online application with recent photo
Academic certificates / degree (TTPS Cat B/C, IANG, QMAS) — institution must be on the eligible list
Income proof: tax returns, payslips, employment contract or audited accounts (TTPS Cat A: HK$2.5M+ last year)
Employer's supporting documents and business registration (GEP/QMAS sponsored roles)
Hong Kong residential address proof for the HKID appointment
Marriage and birth certificates (for dependant visa applications)

Things most newcomers don’t know

TTPS is the rare developed-economy visa with NO job offer required — for high earners or top-university grads it's a self-sponsored ticket to live and job-hunt in Hong Kong, with open work rights from day one.

It removes the usual chicken-and-egg of needing an employer to sponsor you before you've moved, and Category A's 36-month pass gives a long runway to settle before the first renewal.

Source: immd.gov.hk — Top Talent Pass Scheme

Book your HKID appointment before you fly, not after you land — slots at Registration of Persons offices routinely fill weeks out, and you only have 30 days.

Almost nothing works without an HKID: opening a local bank account, signing a tenancy, and onboarding with an employer all hinge on it, so a slow appointment cascades into everything else.

Source: immd.gov.hk — Registration of HKID

Dependants of TTPS/GEP/QMAS/IANG holders can work and study freely — Hong Kong does not bar talent-scheme dependants from employment.

A trailing spouse can take a job without a separate work visa, which materially changes the household-income maths of relocating — many expats wrongly assume the dependant visa is work-prohibited.

Source: immd.gov.hk — Dependants

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating visa-free VISIT entry as permission to work — it is not; working on a visitor stamp is an offence and bars you from the talent schemes you actually qualify for
Missing the 30-day HKID deadline — it's a legal duty for stays over 180 days, and the card gates banking, leases, and employment, so delay compounds
Assuming all 'top 100' universities qualify for TTPS — eligibility runs off the specific government aggregate list (200 institutions from 1 January 2026, revised every year); confirm yours is on the current edition before relying on Category B/C
Leaving extensions to the last minute — apply within the final 3 months before expiry; an out-of-status gap can break the 'continuous ordinary residence' clock for your 7-year PR
Forgetting the application fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome, and that fees moved to the two-tier HK$600/HK$1,300 issuance structure on 26 Feb 2025

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.