Points to Note Before Arrival at Hong Kong
- Before departing to Hong Kong, please pay attention to the relevant boarding, quarantine and testing arrangements.
- Health Declaration System
- All inbound persons are required to complete the online Health Declaration Form of the Department of Health (www.chp.gov.hk/hdf/) prior to their arrival at Hong Kong.
- Inbound persons arriving from overseas places or Taiwan are required to conduct a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) with a negative result within 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure of the flight to Hong Kong. These persons are advised to complete the online Health Declaration Form after they have obtained the negative RAT result. After submitting the declaration and upon confirmation of boarding requirements being met, the system will generate a green Health Declaration QR code. Please save the QR code (which can be a downloadable version of the QR code, a screen shot or a printout).
- Please present the green Health Declaration QR code at check-in for verification by airlines for boarding. Please also show the QR code to the border control point staff upon arriving at Hong Kong.
- For arrival via Hong Kong International Airport, the QR code is valid for 96 hours; for arrival via land control points, the QR code is valid for 24 hours.
- Please click here to read the relevant FAQs for more information on the arrangement for declaration of non-local COVID-19 vaccination record.
- Arrivals holding a visa with insufficient validity period will be denied entry.
- Please show the health declaration QR code to the border control point staff upon entering Hong Kong. The QR code is valid for 96 hours for arrival via Hong Kong International Airport; for arrival via land control points, the QR code is valid for 24 hours.
- Please click here to read the relevant FAQs for more information on the arrangement for declaration of non-local COVID-19 vaccination record.
- Arrivals holding a visa with insufficient validity period will be denied entry.
Quarantine Measures for Inbound Travellers
For other most updated information, please also refer to daily press releases.
The boarding and quarantine arrangements applicable to a person arriving at Hong Kong depend on:
- What places the person has stayed in on the day of boarding for/arrival at Hong Kong, or the 7 days before that day
- For non-Hong Kong residents aged 12 or above who have stayed in overseas places, only persons who have fulfilled vaccination requirement are allowed to board a flight to Hong Kong.
All inbound persons must pass temperature checks upon arrival. Those found with symptoms will be referred to the Department of Health for further handling.
Inbound persons are required to undergo medical surveillance, self-monitoring and compulsory testing in accordance with the relevant regulations. Please refer to the tables below and the “ Testing Arrangements on Testing for Persons Arriving at Hong Kong” section for more information.
Testing Arrangements for Persons Arriving at Hong Kong
Inbound persons aged three years old or above on the date of arrival at Hong Kong have to undergo PCR-based nucleic acid testing by professional swab sampling at a Community Testing Centre (CTC) or mobile specimen collection stations (for free), or at recognised local medical testing institutions (self-paid), as specified in the relevant testing requirement above. The days of a person’s arrival at Hong Kong is counted with the day of arrival at Hong Kong as Day 0. For example, for a person who arrives at Hong Kong on 26 September 2022, the “1st day/Day 1” would be 27 September 2022, the “4th day/Day 4” would be 30 September 2022, and the “6th/Day 6” would be 2 October 2022. Please also refer to the distribution and collection points on deep throat saliva / stool bottle collection points as appropriate.
Inbound persons from overseas places and Taiwan, who are three years old or above on the date of arrival at Hong Kong, are also required to undergo RATs daily (negative result should be confirmed before leaving the place of residence) until Day 7 of their arrival at Hong Kong. Relevant persons should (a) undergo the tests as per the guidelines provided together with the RAT kits; (b) take a photo immediately after reading the RAT result, and keep the photos of the RAT test results for inspections when requested by Government personnel; and (c) record the results in the health surveillance form.
Persons who have conducted the compulsory testing must keep the SMS notifications containing results of the test and the relevant medical certificate (if applicable) for checking when a prescribed officer requires the persons to provide information about their undergoing the specified test.
Persons who have only stayed in the Mainland, Macao or Taiwan
If only stayed in Mainland China or Macao
Persons applicable:
- Inbound persons who have only stayed in the Mainland or Macao on the day of boarding for/arrival at Hong Kong or during the 7 days before that day (including those arriving at Hong Kong via land boundary control points or the airport)(i.e. persons arriving at Hong Kong under the Return2hk Scheme and Come2hk Scheme)
Document requirement:
- Green Health Declaration QR code (The Government recommends persons who have fulfilled vaccination requirement(10) to declare their vaccination records in order to comply with the requirement to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass)
Quarantine and testing requirement:
- Self-monitoring for 3 days; and
- On Day 2 of arrival at Hong Kong, undergo PCR-based nucleic acid test
(For persons who have stayed in any place on the List of At-risk Places under the Return2hk / Come2hk Scheme on the day of arrival at Hong Kong or the 7 days before that day, they are required to undergo an extra nucleic acid test on Day 1)
The days of a person’s arrival at Hong Kong is counted with the day of arrival at Hong Kong as Day 0. For example, for a person who arrives at Hong Kong on 26 September 2022, the “2nd day/Day 2” would be 28 August 2022.
Other Points to Note:
- For arrangement on designated persons under “Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation” (Cap. 599C), please refer to this webpage.
If stayed at Taiwan
Persons applicable:
- Inbound persons who have stayed in Taiwan on the day of boarding for/arrival in Hong Kong or during the 7 days before that day (excluding those who have stayed in any place outside China)
Boarding requirement:
- Green Health Declaration QR code (The Government recommends inbound persons who have fulfilled vaccination requirement(10) to declare their vaccination records in order to comply with the requirement to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass); and
- RAT (can be self-administered or by professional swab sampling) conducted within 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure with a negative result and declare via the Health Declaration Form
Medical surveillance requirement:
- Medical surveillance for 3 days, and during the period, subject to Amber Code restrictions under Vaccine Pass ;and
- Undergo daily RATs (negative result should be confirmed before leaving the place of residence);
- On Day 2, undergo PCR-based nucleic acid test after obtaining negative result of RAT on the day; and
- Those who are consecutively tested negative can complete medical surveillance with Amber Code restrictions ending at 9 a.m. of Day 3
Self-monitoring requirement:
- Self-monitoring in the subsequent 4 days;
- Undergo daily RATs (negative result should be confirmed before leaving the place of residence) until Day 7; and
- On Days 4 and 6, undergo PCR-based nucleic acid tests after obtaining negative results of RATs on respective days
The days of a person’s arrival at Hong Kong is counted with the day of arrival at Hong Kong as Day 0. For example, for a person who arrives at Hong Kong on 26 September 2022, the “1st day/Day 1” would be 27 September 2022 and the “7th day/Day 7” would be 3 October 2022.
Persons who have stayed in overseas places
Flight schedule depends on a variety of factors, including weather, air crew availability, logistics issues, business considerations, etc., please check with the relevant airport authorities and/or airlines for latest information of flight schedule.
*All places outside China*
Persons applicable:
- Inbound persons who have stayed in any place outside China during the relevant period (the day of boarding for/arrival at Hong Kong or during the 7 days before that day)
Boarding requirement:
- Fulfilled vaccination requirement(10) (11) (Applicable to non-Hong Kong residents aged 12 or above on the scheduled day of departure of the flight to Hong Kong)
- Green Health Declaration QR code (The Government recommends inbound persons, regardless of Hong Kong residents or not, who have fulfilled vaccination requirement(10) to declare their vaccination records in order to comply with the requirement to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass); and
- RAT (can be self-administered or by professional swab sampling) conducted within 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure with a negative result and declare via the Health Declaration Form
Medical surveillance requirement:
- Medical surveillance for 3 days, and during the period, subject to Amber Code restrictions under Vaccine Pass ;and
- Undergo daily RATs (negative result should be confirmed before leaving the place of residence);
- On Day 2, undergo PCR-based nucleic acid test after obtaining negative result of RAT on the day; and
- Those who are consecutively tested negative can complete medical surveillance with Amber Code restrictions ending at 9 a.m. of Day 3
Self-monitoring requirement:
- Self-monitoring in the subsequent 4 days;
- Undergo daily RATs and keep photos of the test results (negative result should be confirmed before leaving the place of residence) until Day 7; and
- On Days 4 and 6, undergo PCR-based nucleic acid tests and keep the SMS notifications containing the test results after obtaining negative results of RATs on respective days
The days of a person’s arrival at Hong Kong is counted with the day of arrival at Hong Kong as Day 0. For example, for a person who arrives at Hong Kong on 26 September 2022, the “1st day/Day 1” would be 27 September 2022 and the “7th day/Day 7” would be 3 October 2022.
(10) Persons that fulfill relevant vaccination requirement include:
- Persons who are fully vaccinated; or
- Persons who (i) are unfit for vaccination due to health reasons with relevant proof issued by a medical practitioner; or (ii) have received one dose of recognised COVID-19 vaccine and hold a vaccination record but certified by a medical practitioner that they were unfit to receive the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine because of health reasons after receiving the first dose of vaccine, and board a flight to Hong Kong on or after 14th day after receiving the said first dose of vaccine. The relevant medical certificate must indicate the relevant health reasons in English or Chinese.
(11) Unvaccinated children aged 11 or below, regardless of Hong Kong residents or not, are allowed to board for Hong Kong.
The above general boarding requirements are not applicable to the following persons:
- A person who is in transit/transfer in Hong Kong;
- A person designated by the Chief Secretary for Administration under section 4(1) of either the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C) or Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E); and
- A person who is a Hong Kong resident, and who has commenced his/her journey in Hong Kong and is deemed as an inadmissible person by the authorities of the place of his/her destination
If a traveller coming to Hong Kong fails to comply with a requirement to provide information, or knowingly or recklessly provides any information that is false or misleading in a material particular, he or she is liable on conviction to the maximum penalty of a fine at level 3 ($10,000) and imprisonment for six months.
The operator of the flight to Hong Kong should submit to the Department of Health before the flight arrives at Hong Kong a document in a specified form confirming that each relevant traveller has, before being checked-in for the flight to Hong Kong on that aircraft, produced for boarding on the aircraft the documentary proof to show that the above conditions are met ( template ). The above-mentioned inbound travellers who fail to produce the relevant specified documents will be refused to board the flight.
Amber Code restrictions under Vaccine Pass
- Relevant inbound persons are not required to undergo compulsory quarantine, but are under three days of medical surveillance, during which they are subject to Amber Code restrictions, and are not allowed to enter high-risk premises involving mask-off or group activities, as well as other premises requiring key protection (Note). They can conduct daily essential activities of lower risks, such as taking public transport, going to work, entering supermarkets and markets, etc.
Note : Premises regulated under Cap. 599F which are subject to “active checking” of the Vaccine Pass:
- Premises required to use the QR Code Verification Scanner and is regulated under Cap. 599F, i.e. catering business premises (including bars or pubs), amusement game centres, bathhouses, fitness centres, places of amusement, indoor places of public entertainment, party rooms, beauty parlours and massage establishments, club houses, clubs or nightclubs, karaoke establishments, mahjong-tin kau premises, indoor sports premises, swimming pools, cruise ships, indoor event premises, barber shops or hair salons and religious premises.
- Premises required to inspect the Vaccine Pass visually as far as feasible, i.e. outdoor places of public entertainment, outdoor sports premises and outdoor event premises.
Other premises: residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for persons with disabilities, schools and designated healthcare premises.
A person holding an Amber Code who works or study at those premises, or receives services at the designated healthcare premises, are not subject to the restriction under the Vaccine Pass. However, their entry will subject to any additional rules or requirements imposed by the employers or persons-in-charge of individual premises in accordance with their own needs.
Other Points to Note
- According to the epidemic development and needs, the Government will arrange other rounds of virus testing for inbound persons. Please refer to relevant instructions for details.
- Any enquiries on compulsory testing arrangements may be addressed to the hotline at 6275 6901 which operates from 9am to 6pm.
- Pursuant to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J), the Government published in the Gazette a compulsory testing notice, requiring relevant inbound persons to undergo COVID-19 test(s) on specified day(s) after arrival. Any person who fails to comply with the testing notice commits an offence.
FAQs
Please refer to this webpage.
If exemption of quarantine arrangements are applicable to the person arriving at Hong Kong, please refer to relevant webpage
- Exemption from Compulsory Quarantine Arrangement for inbound travellers from the Mainland, Macao or Taiwan
- Exemption from Compulsory Quarantine Arrangement for inbound travellers from foreign places
Information From Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
(https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/index.html)
Last revision date: 7 Nov 2022