Pre-arrival registration, or a visa?

The Immigration Department (ImmD) requires Indian nationals who hold an Indian passport valid for at least six months and plan to visit or transit Hong Kong for up to 14 days to complete pre-arrival registration online. It is free of charge, done on the designated GovHK website, and the result is shown instantly. Each registration is valid for six months, during which the registrant may make multiple visits of up to 14 days each.

Some travellers need no registration — for example holders of a valid entry visa, e-Channel enrollees for frequent visitors, HKSAR Travel Pass holders and holders of diplomatic or official passports. A visa or entry permit must be applied for with the ImmD if the stay exceeds 14 days or the purpose is anything other than a visit, such as employment, study or residence. If a registration cannot be completed, the traveller must apply for an entry visa; visa applications go directly to the ImmD.

A visitor may not take any employment, paid or unpaid, establish or join in any business, or study in Hong Kong. Attending a trade fair or meeting as a visitor is different from conducting business operations there — if your team’s activity is anything beyond that, check it with the ImmD before travel.

Hong Kong: company pack and traveller pack

Group files go wrong when the employer side and the traveller side are prepared separately. Use this split as a working checklist; the exact list for your category and each traveller is confirmed by the visa centre and the inviting party.

Company / employer pack

  • Employer letter confirming the purpose of the trip, the travellers’ designations and the dates (useful to show if officers ask about the bona fide purpose of visit)
  • Fair registration or meeting confirmation from the Hong Kong host or organiser
  • A single schedule so each traveller’s flights, hotel and registration all describe the same trip
  • Confirmation of who bears the cost, for any traveller whose funds will be questioned

Each traveller provides

  • Indian passport valid for at least six months — the same passport must be used for registration and travel
  • Completed pre-arrival registration with every detail exactly as in the passport; signed notification slip printed on blank A4 paper
  • Onward or return ticket, hotel booking and evidence of sufficient funds for the stay
  • A separate registration for every traveller, including family members; under-16s are signed for by a parent or guardian

A registration is not permission to enter

The ImmD guidance notes state that the notification slip is not a guarantee of entry: the traveller must still meet normal immigration requirements, including a bona fide purpose of visit, adequate funds for the stay without working, and onward or return tickets. A mismatch between the registration and the passport makes the registration invalid and leads to refusal of boarding or entry. If the passport is renewed or personal particulars change, the traveller must register again.

How we run a Hong Kong registration for a team

  1. Check each traveller’s status. A valid Indian passport with at least six months’ validity qualifies for registration; stays over 14 days or non-visit purposes need a visa from the ImmD.
  2. Register each traveller. Every person, including family members, registers separately, with details exactly as in the passport; the signed notification slip is printed on blank A4 paper.
  3. Match registration to travel. The same passport must be used to register and to travel, and a renewed passport needs a new registration.
  4. Keep a fallback. Registration is instant, so we schedule it early enough that a failure still leaves time to apply to the ImmD for a visa.

Planning around a Hong Kong trade fair

Hong Kong events covered on this site:

Timing, fees and processing

Registration itself is instant, so the planning risk is not speed but timing and accuracy: register close enough to travel that the six-month validity covers every trip, and early enough that a failed registration still leaves time to apply for a visa directly with the ImmD.

No fee for registration; no guarantee of entry

Pre-arrival registration is free of charge on the official GovHK site. A visa application, where needed, is decided by the ImmD and no outcome is guaranteed. Check the sources below, or ask us to confirm the current position for your team.

What commonly delays a team application

Official sources

Last reviewed on 12 October 2026. Rules change — verify on the official sources before you apply.

Talk to our corporate team

Share your destination, travel dates and number of travellers and we will outline the route and document checklist for your team.

Email corporate@btwvisas.com or 9403460643 | 9730490449 | 9172791061.