Covid-19 Updates

last updated 08 Dec 2020

Hong Kong Covid-19 Regulations

  1. Entry Restrictions

International travel to Hong Kong is currently restricted, except for the following passengers:

  • Residents of Hong Kong holding a Hong Kong SAR passport or a British National (Overseas) passport (with right of abode in Hong Kong);
  • Residents of Hong Kong holding a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card or Hong Kong Identity Card containing one of the following:
    • an “asterisk” or “A” or “R” codes
    • a “C” code (provided that it is accompanied by a valid work visa or study visa)
    • a “U” code (this type of HKID is subject to approval from Hong Kong Immigration prior to acceptance at check-in)
  • Residents of Hong Kong holding a Hong Kong Document of Identity;
  • Passengers travelling from Mainland China, Taiwan or Macao, who have not been to any other country/region in the past 14 days prior to their travel to Hong Kong;
  • Spouse and children of Hong Kong residents;
  • Personnel approved by the Hong Kong SAR government to carry out anti-epidemic work;
  • Passengers holding a new entry visa to work, study, establish or join in any business, or to take up residence in Hong Kong;
  • Passengers in transit, if:
    • The itinerary is contained in a single booking;
    • They meet the entry requirements for their final destination;
    • Their baggage is checked through the final destination;
    • They have been issued their onward boarding pass at their point of origin;
    • The connecting time between flights id within 24 hours;
    • They do not pass through immigration/passport control and enter Hong Kong.
    • They cannot transit to destinations in Mainland China.

Passengers who are permitted to enter Hong Kong must possess a travel document that would allow them to stay in Hong Kong for a minimum of 14 days, in order to meet the compulsory quarantine requirements (otherwise entry will be refused).

Passengers who have visited any destination outside China in the past 14 days, must provide a hotel room confirmation in English or Chinese for not less than 14 nights, starting on the day of arrival in Hong Kong.

Passengers who arrive in Hong Kong after having visited or transited through Bangladesh, Belgium, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania (effective 7 December), Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom or the United States in the 14 days prior to arriving will be required to show the following documents:

  • A medical certificate (either in English or Chinese) showing a negative result of a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the scheduled departure to Hong Kong;
  • Documentary evidence (either in English or Chinese) that the laboratory or healthcare facility that administered the test is ISO 15189 accredited or is approved by the relevant authority of the government of the place in which the laboratory or healthcare institution is located (e.g. in the form of a ‘Certificate of Accreditation’, ‘Certificate of Compliance’, or information printed out from an official government website)
  • Hotel booking confirmation in Hong Kong for no less than 14 nights starting on the day of arrival.

All inbound travelers arriving in Hong Kong are required to complete and submit the electronic Health Declaration Form, which then generates a QR code that is valid for 48 hours for arrival via Hong Kong International Airport.  

After arrival in Hong Kong, travelers will be directed to the Temporary Specimen Collection Center (TSCC) at Hong Kong International Airport where deep throat saliva samples will be collected for COVID-19 testing. Travelers must await their test results at the TSCC and can proceed with their immigration clearances and baggage collection only once negative test results have been completed (this can take up to 12 hours). 

2. Quarantine/Self-Isolation Requirements

Most travelers are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine that must be completed at the corresponding premises, except for a few selected groups of travelers coming from Mainland China, Macao or Taiwan, third countries and passengers in transit who do not pass through immigration/passport control. For inbound travelers arriving in Hong Kong from a country outside Mainland China, Macao or Taiwan, the quarantine premises must be hotels (hostels, guesthouses, Airbnb and service apartments are not acceptable). A reference list of hotels that accept travelers under the specific conditions can be found here.

Quarantined travelers in quarantine must check their body temperature twice daily and record their health condition for monitoring of personal health. During the quarantine period, various government departments will regularly render necessary assistance to those under quarantine.

Additional information on the quarantine requirements can be found here.

Please note that this page is updated on an ongoing basis, but COVID-19 related restrictions and policies are subject to frequent and sudden change, often with little to no advance notice to the public. Therefore, to ensure that you have the latest updates, we recommend that you reach out to T&S at apac@tandslaw.com for additional information.

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