Hong KongSAR

Living, work, immigration, education & business — official links and practical guides

Key Facts

Basics

Currency

HKD

Region

East Asia

Local time

UTC+8

Asia/Hong Kong

Economy

Population

7.52M

GDP (current US$)

$406.86B

GDP per capita

$54,075

Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0) · 2024 · Last checked: 2026-07-06

Tax snapshot

Corporate tax

16.5%

Consumption tax

No VAT or GST

Top individual income tax

16%

Capital-gains tax

No general CGT

Salaries tax capped by the two-tier standard rate 15%/16% (progressive 2–17% if lower) — top earners pay 16%. Territorial source; no CGT, no estate tax, no sales tax.
No VAT/GST — retail price is the final price.

Source: National tax authority · Cross-check: OECD · PwC · KPMG · Last checked: 2026-07-16

Headline statutory rates. The income-tax figure includes national surtaxes; any regional or municipal layer is shown beside it. Social contributions and reliefs are excluded. Verify the current rate with the authority before relying on it.

At a glance

A low-tax, bilingual business hub with employer-led and talent-based entry, and right of abode after seven years of continuous ordinary residence — but housing is among the world's most expensive, and the territorial tax rule is assessed rather than assumed.

Best for

Professionals with an employer sponsor or a strong earnings and university record, founders incorporating a regional holding or trading company, and finance, logistics and professional-services specialists.

Who this may not suit

People who need affordable housing, or who assume profits earned elsewhere will be untaxed — the territorial rule decides by where profits arise, and it cuts both ways.

Main routes in

Employment and talent visas Employer-sponsored entry, or a talent scheme judged on earnings and university record. Investment entry For applicants placing capital in permitted asset classes; the list is revised. Incorporate a Hong Kong company A company is not itself a right to live here — pair it with an entry basis.

Key trade-offs

Housing costs are among the highest anywhere, and whether a package covers them varies sharply by employer.
The territorial tax rule is an advantage only where profits genuinely arise outside Hong Kong, and that is assessed case by case.
Right of abode requires seven years of continuous ordinary residence, which time spent outside on a changed status can interrupt.

First steps

1 Decide which entry basis fits: employer sponsorship, a talent scheme, or investment — they are assessed on different evidence.
2 If you are setting up a company, incorporate at the Companies Registry and obtain business registration from the Inland Revenue Department — they are two separate steps.
3 Before hiring, settle the MPF enrolment, employees' compensation insurance and Employment Ordinance duties that attach to the employer.

What changes often

· The eligible-universities list and documentary requirements for the talent schemes
· Which asset classes count for the investment entry scheme
· Profits tax filing deadlines and any concessionary regimes

Entry schemes and their eligibility lists are revised periodically — confirm the current position with the Immigration Department before applying. Immigration Department ↗