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Passport validity requirements

Your passport must be valid for at least one month after the date you plan to leave Hong Kong.

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Dual nationals 

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.

Other types of British nationals who are exempt from ETA must also carry a valid British passport when entering the UK.

Visa requirements

Hong Kong is part of the People’s Republic of China, but it is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) with its own immigration controls.

You can visit Hong Kong for up to 6 months without a visa. For information on entry requirements see the Hong Kong SAR government website.

To stay longer, to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you must get a visa. For further information contact the nearest Chinese mission with visa issuing facilities or the Hong Kong Immigration Department.   

Vaccine requirements

To enter Hong Kong, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.

For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Hong Kong guide.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Hong Kong.  

You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. Children aged 3 and over must follow the same rules as adult travellers unless otherwise stated.

Bringing restricted items into Hong Kong

It’s illegal for visitors arriving in Hong Kong International Airport to carry items including:

• stun guns
• objects with sharp points or edges (for example, samurai swords)
• martial arts equipment (for example, knuckledusters)

You could be fined or given a prison sentence. See further information from the Hong Kong Police Force.

E-cigarettes

It is prohibited to bring e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, or related devices into Hong Kong, including in personal luggage. From 30 April 2026, possessing any e-cigarette or “Alternative Smoking Product” (ASP) in a public place will be illegal, regardless of whether it is in use. Offences also include selling, manufacturing, promoting, advertising, or possessing e-cigarettes for commercial purposes. Possession of these items or their components can result in imprisonment and substantial fines. Travellers transiting through Hong Kong without passing immigration control are exempt from these restrictions.

CBD (cannabidiol)

Hong Kong classifies CBD as a dangerous drug. All cannabis products are illegal in Hong Kong, including CBD (cannabidiol) items such as oils, creams, capsules, and food products.

Powdered baby formula

There are restrictions on the amount of powdered baby formula you can take out of Hong Kong. If you do not follow the rules, you could face a fine or imprisonment for up to 2 years.

See more information, including exemptions, from the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Hong Kong.  

You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. Children aged 3 and over must follow the same rules as adult travellers unless otherwise stated.

Bringing restricted items into Hong Kong

It’s illegal for visitors arriving in Hong Kong International Airport to carry items including:

• stun guns
• objects with sharp points or edges (for example, samurai swords)
• martial arts equipment (for example, knuckledusters)

You could be fined or given a prison sentence. See further information from the Hong Kong Police Force.

E-cigarettes

It is prohibited to bring e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, or related devices into Hong Kong, including in personal luggage. From 30 April 2026, possessing any e-cigarette or “Alternative Smoking Product” (ASP) in a public place will be illegal, regardless of whether it is in use. Offences also include selling, manufacturing, promoting, advertising, or possessing e-cigarettes for commercial purposes. Possession of these items or their components can result in imprisonment and substantial fines. Travellers transiting through Hong Kong without passing immigration control are exempt from these restrictions.

CBD (cannabidiol)

Hong Kong classifies CBD as a dangerous drug. All cannabis products are illegal in Hong Kong, including CBD (cannabidiol) items such as oils, creams, capsules, and food products.

Powdered baby formula

There are restrictions on the amount of powdered baby formula you can take out of Hong Kong. If you do not follow the rules, you could face a fine or imprisonment for up to 2 years.

See more information, including exemptions, from the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department.

Emergency services in Hong Kong

Telephone: 999 (ambulance, fire, police)

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

• finding English-speaking lawyers, funeral directors and translators and interpreters in Hong Kong
• dealing with a death in Hong Kong
• being arrested or imprisoned in Hong Kong
• getting help if you’re a victim of crime
• what to do if you’re in hospital
• if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO

Help abroad  

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency. 

Help in the UK  

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.  

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)  

Find out about call charges

Get travel advice updates  

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO: 

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

Risk information for British companies

The Overseas Business Risk guidance offers information and advice for British companies operating in Hong Kong on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.

Dual Chinese-British nationality

Hong Kong does not recognise dual nationality, and does not recognise the BN(O) passport as a valid travel document or proof of identity. If you hold both British and Chinese nationality, local authorities may treat you solely as a Chinese citizen, even if you enter Hong Kong on a full “British citizen” passport or hold a British National (Overseas) passport. In such circumstances, the British Consulate-General may not be able to offer you consular assistance.

If you have formally renounced Chinese citizenship, carry evidence that you have done so.

See guidance on nationality in China. 

Before you travel 

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to: 

• see general advice for women travellers
• read our guide on disability and travel abroad
• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
• read about safety for solo and independent travel
• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance 

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency. 

About FCDO travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice. 

Get travel advice updates

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. 

Follow FCDO:   

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

• Travel Aware on Instagram

Laws and cultural differences

National security laws

The 2020 National Security Law (NSL) includes offences such as:

• secession
• subversion
• organisation and perpetration of terrorist activities
• collusion with a foreign country

The 2024 Safeguarding National Security Ordinance includes offences such as:

• treason
• sedition
• unlawful disclosure of state secrets
• external interference endangering national security

National security laws can be interpreted broadly and some offences can lead to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Individuals and organisations can be prosecuted and are required to comply with national security investigations, including sharing full access to electronic devices.

The national security laws apply to activities taking place inside and outside Hong Kong, including in the UK. The national security laws apply to all individuals regardless of nationality or residency.

Hong Kong’s National Security Police have issued arrest warrants and financial rewards against individuals living outside Hong Kong, including in the UK under the 2020 National Security Law.

You could be detained or removed to mainland China for some offences under the 2020 National Security Law.

Criticising the government

Some people have been prosecuted for publishing or supporting statements that are critical of the Hong Kong or Chinese authorities, including online. You could also be prosecuted for supporting individuals who are considered to be breaking national security laws.

Immigration Ordinance

The Immigration (Amendment) Ordinance came into force in 2021. Under this law, people could be stopped from leaving the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). However, the Hong Kong SAR government has said these powers will only be used to stop certain asylum seekers from entering Hong Kong.

Public offences

You can get on-the-spot fines for littering, jay walking or spitting.

Wildlife, animal products and souvenirs

It is illegal to import and re-export elephant ivory and its products, including tourist souvenirs. You could get a fine or prison sentence.

Illegal drugs

Avoid any involvement with illegal drugs, including cannabis. All cannabis products are illegal in Hong Kong, including CBD (cannabidiol) items such as oils, creams, capsules, and food products.

Criminal gangs and individuals in the UK and overseas have been known to coerce people into carrying drugs.  Do not allow yourself to be persuaded.

Hong Kong enforces a zero‑tolerance policy toward dangerous drugs and will not tolerate drug‑related activities. If you are found guilty of smuggling, trafficking, possessing, or using illegal narcotics, including while transiting through the airport, you should expect a severe prison sentence.

Airports in Hong Kong have excellent technology and security for detecting illegal items. This is also used to scan the baggage of transiting passengers.

Taking photographs in secure areas

Do not take photographs of military installations.