Visa requirements for Chinese citizens of Hong Kong are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on holders of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports.
As of 8 August 2022,[update] Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of Hong Kong (Hong Kong citizens) holding HK passports had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 171 countries and territories (tied with Argentina, Brazil, Croatia and the United Arab Emirates), ranking the HK passport 18th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.[1] The official figure provided by the Hong Kong Immigration Department of countries and territories granting visa-free access to Hong Kong SAR passport holders was 169 as of 31 October 2023. (However, this figure excludes countries and territories which are not officially recognised by the People's Republic of China, such as Kosovo and Taiwan so the practical figure relevant to travellers is actually higher.)[2]
Due to its one country, two systems stance, the Government of Hong Kong can make a visa-waiver agreement for Chinese residents of Hong Kong with other countries. As a result of both bilateral visa abolition agreements (e.g. between Hong Kong and Russia[3]) and unilateral decisions to grant visa exemptions (e.g. Myanmar), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders enjoy visa exemptions and simplified visa procedures to a large number of destinations worldwide. Whilst the visa exemptions mostly only apply when Chinese citizens of Hong Kong are visiting on short trips for pleasure or on business, a number of countries extend the visa exemption to short stays involving paid activities (e.g. Belgium and Luxembourg).
Hong Kong citizens may hold a HKSAR passport only if they are also permanent residents of Hong Kong and hold a valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card. This article deals only with the visa requirements for HKSAR passport holders, who due to the "One country, two systems" principle are not eligible to hold PRC passports, and vice versa. For PRC passport holders, check Visa requirements for Chinese citizens.
As of 2023, the passports of Israel, Hong Kong and Chile are the only ones to provide visa free access to all European countries.
Jurisdiction | Visa requirement | Notes |
---|---|---|
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With Home Return Permit (Freedom of movement)[4] |
Holders of Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents are able to freely enter Mainland China for all purposes within the validity of their travel document. Most permits for adults are valid for 10 years ; minors under 18 years old are issued permits valid for five years. Permit not required for airside transit. Applicable only in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. |
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Visa not required[5] | Visa free for holders of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards for a stay of less than one year. Visa not required for 7 days for passengers in transit holding HKSAR passports. |
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Temporary entry and stay permit required[6] |
1) Intend to stay no more than 30 days 2) Permanent residents born in Hong Kong and Macau. 3) Those who were not born in Hong Kong or Macau who went to Taiwan as permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau after 1983. 4) Hold a valid entry and exit permit (entry permit) for the Republic of China (Taiwan) applicable to Hong Kong and Macao residents. If you apply for a【Temporary entry and stay permit】 online (online visa), you must use A4 paper to print it out by yourself, otherwise you need to apply for a 【Temporary entry and stay permit】 on arrival again (in Kinmen and Matsu, you will be refused entry) This 【Temporary entry and stay permit】online (online visa) is valid for three months for a single entry (if using a cruise ship to enter Taiwan, it is two entries) The application fee is free of charge before departure, and the landing application fee is NT$300. Permit not required for airside transit on the same day. |
Visa requirements for holders of normal passports travelling for tourist purposes:
Country | Visa requirement | Allowed stay | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
---|---|---|---|
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Visa required[7] | ||
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Visa not required[8] | 90 days |
|
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Visa required[9] | ||
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Visa not required[10] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[11][12] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[13] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[14] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[15] | 180 days | |
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Electronic Travel Authority[16] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[18] | 90 days |
|
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eVisa[19][20] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[21] | 3 months | |
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[22] | 14 days |
|
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Visa required[23] (Conditional) | ||
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Visa not required[24] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[25] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[26] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[27] | ||
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Visa not required[28][29] | 14 days |
|
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eVisa[30][31] | ||
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Visa on arrival[32] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[33] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[34] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[35] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[36] | 14 days | |
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Visa not required[37] | 90 days |
|
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[38][39] | ||
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Visa on arrival[40] | 1 month | |
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[41][42] | 30 days |
|
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eVisa[43][44] | ||
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Visa not required[45] | 6 months |
|
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Visa not required[48] | 90 days |
|
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Visa required[49] | ||
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Visa required[50] | ||
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Visa not required[51] | 90 days | |
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With Mainland Travel Permit only, HKSAR passport is only suitable for transit in Mainland China |
| |
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Visa not required[52] | 90 days | |
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Visa on arrival[53] | 45 days | |
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Visa required[54] | ||
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eVisa[55][56] | 7 days | |
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Visa required[57] | ||
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eVisa[58] |
| |
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Visa not required[60] | 90 days |
|
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Tourist Card required[61] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[62] | 90 days |
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Visa not required[63] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[64] | 90 days |
|
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eVisa[65][66] | 31 days | |
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Visa not required[67] | 6 months | |
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Visa not required[68] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[69] | 90 days[70] | |
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Visa not required[71] | 3 months | |
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Visa required[72] | ||
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eVisa[73][74] | ||
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Visa required[75] | ||
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Visa not required[76] | 90 days |
|
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Visa required[77] | ||
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[78] | up to 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[81] | 4 months | |
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Visa not required[82] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[83] | 90 days |
|
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eVisa[84][85] | 90 days |
|
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Visa required[86] |
| |
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Visa not required[88][89] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[90] | 90 days |
|
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Visa required[91] | ||
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Visa not required[92] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[93] | 3 months |
|
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Visa required[95] | ||
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eVisa[96][97] | 90 days |
|
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Visa on arrival[98] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[99] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[100] | 3 months | |
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Visa required[101] |
| |
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Visa not required[102] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[103] | 90 days |
|
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Visa required[104] | ||
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e-VOA / Visa on arrival[105] | 30 days[106][107] | |
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Visa not required[108] | 21 days[109] | |
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Visa required[110] | ||
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Visa not required[111] | 3 months | |
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Visa not required[112] | 3 months | |
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Visa not required[113] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[114] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[115] | 90 days | |
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[116][117] |
| |
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Visa not required[119] | 14 days | |
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eVisa[120][121] | 3 months | |
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Visa not required[122] | 120 days | |
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Visa required[123] | ||
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Electronical Travel Authorization[124][125] | 90 days |
|
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[127] | 3 months | |
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Visa not required[128] | 30 days |
|
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[131] | 30 days |
|
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Visa not required[135] | 90 days |
|
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Free visa on arrival[136] | 1 month |
|
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Visa not required[137] | 90 days | |
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Visa required[138] | ||
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Visa required[139] | ||
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Visa not required[140] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[141] | 90 days |
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Visa not required[142] | 90 days |
|
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[143][144] | 60 days | |
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Visa not required[145] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[146] | 90 days | |
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Free visa on arrival[147] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[148] |
| |
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Visa not required[149] | 90 days |
|
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Visa required[150] | ||
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Visa on arrival[151] |
| |
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Visa not required[152] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[153] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[154] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[155] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[156] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[157] | 14 days | |
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Visa not required[158] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[159] | 30 days | |
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[160][161] | 30 days | |
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eVisa[162][163] | 28 days |
|
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Visa not required[164] | 3 months | |
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Visa required[165] | ||
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[166][167] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[168] | 90 days |
|
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Electronic Travel Authority[169] | 3 months |
|
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Visa not required[172] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[173] | 14 days | |
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eVisa[174][175] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[176] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[177] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required / eVisa[178][179] | 14 days / 30 days | |
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Visa required[180] | ||
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Free visa on arrival[181] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[182] | 30 days | |
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eVisa[183][184] | 60 days | |
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Visa required[185] | ||
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Visa not required[186] | 183 days | |
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Visa not required[187] | 14 days | |
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Visa not required[188] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[189] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[190] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[191] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[192] | 14 days | |
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[193][194] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[195] | 3 months | |
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Visa not required[196] | 42 days | |
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Visa not required[197] | 3 month | |
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Visa not required[198] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[199] | ||
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[200] | 15 days.[201] |
|
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eVisa / Visa on arrival[202][203] | 90 days | |
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Visa required[204] | ||
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Visa not required[205] | 14 days | |
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Free Visitor's Permit on arrival[206] | 3 months | |
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eVisa[207][208] | 3 months | |
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Visa not required[209] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[210] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[211] | 90 days |
|
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Visa required[212] |
| |
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Visa on arrival[213] | 30 days |
|
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Visa not required[214] | 30 days | |
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eVisa[215][216] |
| |
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Visa not required[217] | 90 days |
|
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Visa on arrival[218] | 30 days |
|
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Visa required[220] | ||
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Visa not required[221][222] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[224] | 90 days |
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Visa not required[225] | 90 days |
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Visa required[226] | ||
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eVisa[227][228] | 45 days |
|
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Visa not required[229] | 3 months | |
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Visa not required[230] | 30 days | |
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Visa on arrival[231] | 30 days |
|
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eVisa[233][234] | 15 days |
|
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Free visa on arrival[235] | 31 days | |
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Visa not required[236] | ||
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Visa not required[237] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[238] | 3 months | |
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Visa required[239] | ||
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Free visa on arrival[240] | 1 month | |
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Visa not required[241][242] | 90 days[243] | |
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Visa not required[244] | 14 days | |
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Visa not required[245] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[246] | 6 months | |
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Visa required[247] |
| |
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Visa not required[250] | 3 months | |
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Visa not required[251] | 10 days |
|
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Visa not required[253] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[254] | ||
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Visa not required[255] | 90 days | |
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eVisa[256][257] | 90 days |
|
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Visa not required[258] | 30 days | |
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Visa not required[259] | 90 days | |
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Visa not required[260] | 3 months |
Visa requirements for Chinese citizens of Hong Kong for visits to various territories, disputed areas, partially recognised countries and restricted zones:
Visitor to | Visa requirement | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
---|---|---|
Europe | ||
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Visa required[261] | |
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Special permit required | Special permit required (4 days: 25 euro for Orthodox visitors, 35 euro for non-Orthodox visitors, 18 euro for students). There is a visitors' quota: maximum 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox per day and women are not allowed.[262][263] |
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Visa not required | Visa issued by Russia is required, HK SAR Passport is exempted from a visa to enter Russia for 14 days.[264] |
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Visa not required | 3 months[265] |
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Access Permit required[266] | Access Permit is required for travelling inside the zone, except Civil Use Areas. |
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Visa not required[267] | |
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Visa not required[268] | |
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Visa not required[269] | |
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Visa not required[270] | |
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Permit required | Permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours[271] and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours.[272] |
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Visa not required[273] | |
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Visa not required[274] | 90 days |
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Visa not required | Multiple entry visa to Russia and three-day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia.[275][276] |
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Visa not required | Registration required after 24h.[277][278] |
Africa | ||
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Special permit required | Special permit required.[279] |
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Travel permit required | To travel in the rest of the country, a Travel Permit for Foreigners is required (20 Eritrean nakfa).[280] |
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Visa not required[281] | 90 days |
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Visa not required[281] | 90 days |
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Admission refused[282][283] | From May 2015, the Ascension Island Government does not issue entry visas including eVisas to Chinese citizens of Hong Kong.[284] |
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Visitor's Pass required | Visitor's Pass granted on arrival valid for 4/10/21/60/90 days for 12/14/16/20/25 pound sterling.[285] |
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Permission required | Permission to land required for 15/30 pounds sterling (yacht/ship passenger) for Tristan da Cunha Island or 20 pounds sterling for Gough Island, Inaccessible Island or Nightingale Islands.[286] |
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Visa on arrival | 30 days for 30 US dollars, payable on arrival.[287][288] |
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Travel permit required | All foreigners travelling more than 25 kilometres outside of Khartoum must obtain a travel permit. |
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Travel permit required | Separate travel permit is required.[289] |
Asia | ||
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PAP/RAP required | Protected Area Permit (PAP) required for all of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand. Restricted Area Permit (RAP) required for all of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep and parts of Sikkim. Some of these requirements are occasionally lifted for a year.[290][291][292][293][294] |
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Special permission required | Special permission required for the town of Baikonur and surrounding areas in Kyzylorda Oblast, and the town of Gvardeyskiy near Almaty.[295] |
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Visa not required | Visitors to Kish Island do not require a visa.[296] |
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Visa not required | These states have their own immigration authorities and passport is required to travel to them, however the same visa applies.[297] |
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Permission required | With the exception of the capital Malé, tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of Maldives.[298] |
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Visa not required[299] | Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed.[300] |
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OIVR permit required | OIVR permit required (15+5 Tajikistani Somoni) and another special permit (free of charge) is required for Lake Sarez.[301][302][303] |
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Restricted zone | |
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Restricted zone | |
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Special permission required | Special permission needed for travel outside Sana'a or Aden.[304] |
Caribbean and North Atlantic | ||
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Visa not required[305] | 3 months |
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Visa not required[306] | 30 days |
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Visa not required[307] | lesser than 6 months |
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Visa not required[308] | 30 days |
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Visa not required[309] | 30 days |
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Visa not required[310] | 60 days for tourism / 10 days for business |
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Visa not required[311] | 30 days |
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Visa not required[312] | 90 days |
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Visa not required | French West Indies refers to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy.[313] |
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Visa not required[267] | 90 days |
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Visa not required[314] | 90 days |
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Visa required[315] | |
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Visa not required[281] | 90 days |
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Visa not required[316] | 3 months |
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Visa not required[317] | 90 days |
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Visa required[318] | |
Oceania | ||
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Visa required[319] | |
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Special authorisation required | Special authorisation required.[320] |
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Special permit required | Special permit required.[321] |
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Visa not required[322] | 31 days[323] |
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Special permission required | Special permission required.[324] |
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Visa not required[325] | 90 days |
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Visa not required[326] | Visa free for holders of both Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards and HKSAR Passport for a stay of less than 45 days. Visa required if without Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards. |
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Visa not required[281] | 90 days |
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Visa not required[326] | Visa free for holders of both Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards and HKSAR Passport for a stay of less than 45 days. Visa required if without Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards. |
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Visa on arrival[327] | 30 days[328] |
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Visa not required | 14 days visa free and landing fee US$35 or tax of US$5 if not going ashore.[329][330][331] |
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Special permits required | Special permits required for Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island.[332][333][334][335][336][337][338] |
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Visa not required[281] | 90 days |
South America | ||
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Pre-registration required | Online pre-registration is required. Transit Control Card must also be obtained at the airport prior to departure.[339] |
South Atlantic and Antarctica | ||
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Visa not required[340] | 4 months |
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Permit required | Pre-arrival permit from the Commissioner required (72 hours/1 month for 110/160 pounds sterling).[341][342] |
Antarctica | Special permits required for ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Holders of an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) travelling on business do not require a visa to the following countries:[355]
1 – up to 90 days
2 – up to 60 days
3 – up to 59 days
Permanent residents with Chinese nationality ( holders of HKSAR passport/ BN(O) passport) are required to apply for a Mainland Travel Permit to enter Mainland China, to the exclusion of all other documents.
The card must be used in conjunction with a passport and has the following advantages:[356]
This section is transcluded from Non-visa travel restrictions. (edit | history) |
Many countries have entry restrictions on foreigners that go beyond the common requirement of having either a valid visa or a visa exemption. Such restrictions may be health related or impose additional documentation requirements on certain classes of people for diplomatic or political purposes.
Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages.[357] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.
Main articles: Vaccination requirements for international travel, International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, and Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic |
Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, require all incoming passengers older than nine months to one year[358] to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana.[359]
Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[360][361]
Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.
However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens[362][363] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).[364]
Some countries, such as Japan,[365] Ireland and the United Kingdom,[366] require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.
In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain,[367] Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,[368] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru,[369] Philippines,[370] Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.[371]
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.
Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand. Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.
Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.
Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives[372] and South Africa.
Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States,[373] routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.
The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning entry into that country. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity.[374]
Kuwait,[375] Lebanon,[376] Libya,[377] Syria,[378] and Yemen[379] do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017[update]) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.[citation needed]
Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.
See also: Countries applying biometrics |
Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside.[380]
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan,[381][382] Argentina,[383] Brunei, Cambodia,[384] China,[385] Ethiopia,[386] Ghana, Guinea,[387] India, Japan,[388][389] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken),[390] Malaysia upon entry and departure,[391] Mongolia, Saudi Arabia,[392] Singapore, South Korea,[393] Taiwan, Thailand,[394] Uganda,[395] the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by domestic legislation),[396][397][398] intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.[399]
Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports[400] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa.[401][402]