What you need to know about the Hong Kong visa application form

Applying for a visa at the embassy is nobody’s favorite activity, mostly because government forms are not the easiest to understand. There is a lot of information you need to put in, and we all know that people working in consulates are not the most helpful. That is not a general rule, but in most cases, you are on your own. The most important thing that you need to know about the Hong Kong visa application form is that you must pay close attention to what you are writing, and make sure that you avoid making mistakes or typos. It is crucial that the information you provide is 100% accurate.

Who needs to apply for a Hong Kong visa?

If you are looking for information on the Hong Kong visa application form, it must mean you are required a visa for Hong Kong to begin with. Not everyone needs to go through the application process. Here is when you need to deal with a Hong Kong visa application form:

• You are not from a visa-exempt country – there are 19 countries whose citizens are not allowed to travel to Hong Kong without a visa. As a result, you need to apply for one at the nearest Chinese embassy or submit a request to HKSAR Immigration Department. You will receive your visa in about 4 weeks.

• You are from a visa-exempt country, but you want to spend more time in Hong Kong than the visa policy allows – according to Hong Kong’s visa policy, 170 nationalities are visa-exempt. People in that category are not required to apply for a visa. However, there is a catch. They are allowed to spend only a particular amount of time in the region. For example, the citizens of UK are allowed to stay in Hong Kong for up to 180 days without a visa. If the applicant needs to stay longer, he or she needs to apply for a visa at the nearest Chinese embassy or submit a request to HKSAR Immigration Department.

• You need a visa for transit – 29 nationalities are required to apply for a Hong Kong visa if they transit the region. That requirement applies even if they have no intention of leaving the airport transit area. As a result, they need to go to an embassy and submit an application form together with all the other required documents.

Even if there are a few rules, Hong Kong’s visa policy is pretty lenient. The requirements are not challenging to meet either. All you need is a passport that is valid for at least another 6 months from the date of arrival in Hong Kong, but that can differ depending on your nationality. And of course, you need to fill in a Hong Kong visa application form. As mentioned above, you need to be extra careful how you do that. Make sure that you provide accurate information, and when you are done, check for any kind of errors. You do not want your visa application denied just because you did not pay attention, do you?