Destinations
Hong Kong
Hong Kong reopened its Capital Investment Entrant Scheme in 2024: invest HKD 30 million in permissible assets and gain residence in a territorial-tax financial centre where salaries tax is capped at 17% and there is no capital gains tax or VAT. The thing to be clear about: this is residence, not a passport — permanent residence comes only after seven years of genuinely living there — and residential property does not count toward the investment.
Key facts
- From
- $3 830 000≈ $5 113 050 — estimated total, family of four, fees included
- Processing time
- 4–8 months
- Physical presence
- The visa is renewable and the investment must be maintained. Permanent residence is not automatic: it requires seven years of continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong, which means genuinely living there, not just holding the visa.
Tax at a glance
- Territorial tax: only Hong Kong-source income is taxed
- Salaries tax is capped at a 17% standard rate
- No capital gains tax, no VAT, no tax on dividends or interest
- No estate duty; profits tax is 16.5%
- CIES gives residence, not citizenship — permanent residence takes seven years
Frequently asked questions
Does CIES give a passport?
No. CIES grants residence. A Hong Kong permanent identity card, and later an HKSAR passport, require seven years of continuous ordinary residence — genuinely living there — not just holding the investment visa.
Can I use residential property for the investment?
No. Residential property is not a permissible asset. Only financial assets and non-residential real estate qualify, and real estate counts toward at most HKD 10 million of the HKD 30 million.
Will Hong Kong tax my foreign income?
Generally no. Hong Kong is strictly territorial and taxes only Hong Kong-source income, with salaries tax capped at 17% and no capital gains tax. It does not remove obligations to a country that taxes on citizenship, such as the United States.