Hong Kong: country guide

Advice on Hong Kong travel, earning, tax, healthcare and more…

Visting Hong Kong

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• Make sure your passport is valid. You can visit Hong Kong without a visa for between seven and 180 days. Check the full list of nationalities and visa requirements.
• Identity cards are obligatory for anyone entitled to stay longer than 180 days and must be applied for within 30 days of arrival. The card is free, but there's a fee of HK$395 if you lose it.
• The cost of living is high in Hong Kong so you may need to budget for higher food and rental expenses.
• There are several health issues to be aware of in Hong Kong. Drinking water is treated but most people drink bottled water. Injections for tetanus and hepatitis A and B are recommended and there have been cases of tuberculosis and chicken pox. Use mosquito repellents as a precaution against malaria and Dengue Fever. There have been outbreaks of Avian flu (H5N1 virus) and SARS.
  Get the latest Hong Kong health information from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

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Hong Kong offers a wide range of transport options, by air, sea and land:

• there are frequent bus and tram services from many operators both throughout the territory and linking Hong Kong International Airport with numerous points in Southern China
• regularly scheduled ferries link Hong Kong and mainland China
• cross-border and express trains are efficient and frequent
• you always need a visa to cross over into the mainland

Driving
Foreigners with a driving licence from an approved country can apply for a full Hong Kong driving licence without a test.

To convert your driving license, you must:

• hold a passport with the same nationality as the licence
• have been resident where the license was issued for six months
• have held the licence for at least five years

To obtain a new licence in Hong Kong, you need to take a driving test which has three parts:

• a written exam
• an exam on driving techniques
• a practical road test

You can take the test in a manual or automatic but you can only drive both types of car if you pass in a manual car.

For a motorcycle licence, you must pass two compulsory training courses through the Government-recognised Hong Kong School of Motoring — an oral and a practical exam. You'll need a learner licence to practice for your road test, which costs HK$548 (plus HK$260 to rent a motorcycle for the test).

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ATMs can be found almost everywhere in Hong Kong and are usually linked to international money systems.

Internationally recognised credit cards are accepted everywhere.

There are no currency controls in Hong Kong, and both locals and foreigners can take in or out as much money as they like.

As a Lloyds TSB International customer, you could save you money on transfers. To find out more call 0800 876 6555.

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Working in Hong Kong

It's important to note that if you have entered Hong Kong with a visitor's visa, you are not permitted to change to an employment visa without leaving and re-entering Hong Kong.

To obtain an employment visa:

• you must have a job with a sponsoring company that will process the application
• your sponsor must prove you have the necessary skills for the job and that it could not be filled by a local worker
• once you have been sent your visa (by your employer), you can apply for residency for your spouse and children
• a Hong Kong employment visa cannot be transferred from one company to another, so if you change employers you need to re-start the visa application process

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To get access to your Hong Kong salary you will need a local or an international bank account.

Opening a bank account in Hong Kong requires significant documentation and can be complicated by the language barrier.

To avoid the hassle, open a Lloyds TSB International Account before you go.

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Tax is not deducted at source in Hong Kong and employees need to complete a tax declaration (provided by their employer) at the end of the fiscal year (March 31).

Depending on when you start work, you may not get a tax bill for 18 months so it's advisable to set up a separate account in readiness (and to earn some interest). Talk to a Lloyds TSB International adviser about the best rates and options.

You will receive an assessment notice from the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) in the autumn telling you what you owe. The IRD must be kept up to date with any changes of address and informed of any delayed payment (a surcharge of 5% is added to late payments).

The standard tax rate on income in Hong Kong is around 16% and there are allowances for single parents, married couples and for the number of dependent children.

To ensure you're paying the right tax, it's important to talk through your circumstances with an expert. As a Lloyds TSB International Account customer, you can get tax advice through our partners. For more information, call 0800 876 6555.

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Business culture

The main languages in Hong Kong are English, Cantonese Chinese and Mandarin Chinese. Most business people are multilingual but English is widely used in commercial and financial circles.

Interview tips:

• Take business cards with details in Chinese on one side and English on the other.
• Learn the name of the interviewer, and the correct pronunciation.
• During introductions, shake hands firmly, give and receive business cards with both hands and always mention acquaintances connected to the company.

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Living in Hong Kong

Expats working full-time in Hong Kong will generally be covered by an employer-sponsored health insurance plan.

If you are not covered by an employer's policy, a standard policy in Hong Kong will cover the cost of a GP consultation and outpatient treatment, hospitalisation and maternity care. Dental treatment is rarely included.

As a Lloyds TSB International Account customer, you can get insurance advice through our partners. For more information, call 0800 876 6555.

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Some schools only accept children resident in defined catchment areas, so it's best to check before committing to buy or rent a property.

If you would like your children to be taught in English, you can get help and advice from the English Schools Foundation.

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It's very important to know your tax position before you move to Hong Kong.

You will have to pay taxes on your savings and pension, and these may be higher than the equivalent charges in the UK.

As a Lloyds TSB International Account customer, you can get individual tax advice through our partners. For more information, call 0800 876 6555.

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This information is based on our understanding of current law and tax authority practice and may be liable to change, which could be with retrospective effect. This information is for general information purposes only. No liability can be accepted for the effect of any subsequent legislation of change of official practice. If you require tax advice you should consult your own professional advisers, and not rely on the information contained within this booklet. The greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy but the Bank cannot take responsibility for omissions or errors. Tax levels or relief are those currently applicable and may change. The value of any tax relief depends on the individual circumstances of the investor/customer.