HongKong

Advising UAE residents on Asia-Pacific migration from our Dubai office.

How the HK$30 million actually splits

The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, relaunched on 1 March 2024, is often quoted as a flat HK$30 million. It is really two components:

Component	Amount
Permissible assets of your choosing	HK$27 million
CIES Investment Portfolio, held with the Hong Kong Investment Corporation	HK$3 million

You must separately show net assets of at least HK$30 million throughout the six months before you apply — the investment and the net-asset test are two different requirements, and applications fail on the second more often than people expect.

What counts towards the HK$27 million

Permissible investment asset	Cap
Equities listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, traded in HKD or RMB	No separate cap
Debt securities listed on the Stock Exchange, or issued or guaranteed by the HKSAR Government, the Exchange Fund, MTR Corporation, the Airport Authority or listed companies	No separate cap
Certificates of deposit in HKD or RMB with a maturity of at least 12 months	HK$3 million
Subordinated debt issued by authorised institutions	No separate cap
SFC-authorised funds, REITs, investment-linked assurance schemes and open-ended fund companies	No separate cap
Private open-ended fund companies and limited partnership funds	HK$10 million in aggregate
Real estate, residential and non-residential	HK$15 million in aggregate, of which residential at most HK$10 million

From 1 November 2026, financial assets count only if they are acquired through designated accounts.

Residential property: the rules changed twice

The position moved twice in under a year:

Date	Position
Before 16 Oct 2024	Residential property did not count at all
16 Oct 2024	Became permissible at a minimum price of HK$50 million, with a HK$10 million aggregate real-estate cap
17 Sep 2025 (2025 Policy Address)	Price threshold cut to HK$30 million; aggregate real-estate cap now HK$15 million with a HK$10 million residential sub-cap

The current rules apply where purchase completion is on or after 17 September 2025. If your completion date is earlier, the older rules govern your case.

In practice, property can never be more than half the qualifying investment: at most HK$15 million of the HK$27 million can go into real estate, and at most HK$10 million of that into residential. A HK$30 million flat therefore contributes HK$10 million towards the requirement, and the balance goes into other permissible assets.

How the application runs

1. Net Asset Assessment with the New CIES Office at InvestHK, showing net assets of at least HK$30 million held throughout the preceding six months.
2. Approval-in-principle from the Immigration Department. You may then stay as a visitor for up to 180 days to complete the investment.
3. Formal approval, with permission to stay for up to 24 months, followed by extensions of up to three years each while the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements are met.
4. Permanent residency after seven years of continuous ordinary residence, with a declaration that Hong Kong is your place of permanent residence.

The New CIES Office does not publish a processing standard, so timelines vary by case. XIPHIAS confirms the current position before filing.

The talent routes, not just capital

• Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) — Category A now grants a 36-month first visa for approvals from 16 October 2024, up from 24 months. Categories B and C remain 24 months, and Category C has a quota of 10,000 a year. The eligible-university list grew from 185 to 198 institutions on 1 November 2024.
• Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) — the annual quota was eliminated on 1 November 2024. It was suspended for two years first, then removed.
• Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme — opens to applications from mid-2026, once the first graduates of eligible Higher Diploma programmes complete their studies. Its detailed criteria have not yet been published; XIPHIAS confirms the position with the Immigration Department before advising.

Why Hong Kong is different for an Indian passport holder

Of the main Asia-Pacific destinations, Hong Kong is the only one where the normal outcome never costs you your Indian citizenship.

Hong Kong permanent residency is not a citizenship. After seven years of continuous ordinary residence you become a permanent resident and get a Hong Kong permanent identity card — and you keep your Indian passport, because nothing has been renounced. Section 9(1) of India's Citizenship Act 1955 only bites when you voluntarily acquire another citizenship, and HKPR is not one.

The only step that would cost your Indian citizenship is separately naturalising as a Chinese national — a discretionary process that requires renouncing your foreign nationality anyway. Almost nobody on an investment or talent route does that.

Compare that with Singapore (citizenship two years after PR) and New Zealand (citizenship after 1,350 days over five years): both offer real citizenship, and taking it would end your Indian citizenship. Hong Kong gives you the long-term status without forcing that decision.

Hong Kong Business Investment Visa

Hong Kong is a dynamic city known for its bustling economy, vibrant culture, and stunning skyline. For those looking to make this city their permanent home, there are a few different options available. Hong Kong citizenship is highly coveted, but it is not an easy status to obtain. One option for individuals who want to become Hong Kong citizens is through investment. The Hong Kong residency by investment program offers a path to residency for those who invest in the local economy. It offers a unique opportunity for investors to gain a foothold in one of the world's most exciting cities.

Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa

Hong Kong, an autonomous city in China is one of the largest and strongest financial hubs of the world. This country is flooded with business houses and financial institutions. Hong Kong invites and has provided multiple pathways for foreign nationals into the country, to work, or invest in the country; thus contributing to the economy of the country.

One of the multiple pathways is the Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa Program inviting immigrant investors to invest in a start-up or running business in Hong Kong. It is a type of startup visa for individuals looking to invest or start a business.

Hong Kong Visa Requirements, Process, and Eligibility Criteria Under this program

• A well-prepared application.
• Strong supporting documents proving your education qualification, your skills, and other achievements.
• Contribute towards the economy of Hong Kong.
• You should be a citizen in your current place of origin.
• A Hong Kong Citizen/ resident must sponsor you.

If the sponsor is an individual, then he/she must:

• Be a bona fide Hong Kong resident
• Be acquainted with the applicant

Hong Kong Residency by Investment Process, Requirements, and Key Benefit

One of the key benefits is the taxation system along with its strategic location. It is also a Global financial and trading center.

The applicant must submit all the relevant application forms and supporting documents. It generally takes four to eight months to process the visa.

Applicants may apply to extend their Hong Kong Residency before their limit of stay expires as long as they keep meeting the Hong Kong residency requirements.

Meet Our Hong Kong Investment Immigration Consultants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE

For immigration aspirants looking to invest in Hong Kong our Hong Kong investment immigration consultants can assist you with business investment visa and capital investment visa applications.

Hong Kong Business Investment Visa

Entry for Investment (to establish / join in business) in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa

This entry arrangement does not apply to:

• Chinese residents of the Mainland and
• nationals of Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Nepal and Vietnam

Eligibility Criteria:

• An application for a visa/entry permit to enter the HKSAR for investment may be favourably considered if
• there is no security objection and no known record of serious crime in respect of the applicant
• the applicant has a good education background, normally a first degree in the relevant field, but in special circumstances, good technical qualifications, proven professional abilities and/or relevant experience and achievements supported by documentary evidence may also be accepted and
• the applicant is in a position to make substantial contribution to the economy of the HKSAR.
• the applicant has permanent residence overseas or
• the applicant has been residing overseas for at least one year immediately before the submission of application ("overseas" means places outside the Mainland, the Macao SAR and Hong Kong SAR) and that the application is submitted from overseas

Sponsor in Hong Kong:

• To apply for entry for investment, the applicant must nominate a local sponsor. A local sponsor can either sponsor the applicant as a company or an individual. If the sponsor is an individual, he/she should be
• a bona fide Hong Kong resident and
• acquainted with the applicant

Hong Kong Immigration

A financial hub with most modern infrastructure one can boast of and that in a nutshell describes Hong Kong. Hong Kong has been Asia’s one of the most prolific cities and is quite cosmopolitan in nature. Due to its strong stable Government and powerful economy, Hong Kong has been pulling talented and highly efficient individuals to work in the country in whatever position possible.

Work

To hire skilled foreign Professionals, Hong Kong has a special work permit scheme. There is no quota system limiting the number of work permit visa issued under this scheme. Each application is assessed based on the qualifications of the applicant and the company employing. This work permit is normally issued for one year period initially and is renewable thereafter.

Why Hong Kong Immigration

A financial hub with most modern infrastructure one can boast of and that in a nutshell describes Hong Kong. Hong Kong has been Asia’s one of the most prolific cities and is quite cosmopolitan in nature. Due to its strong stable Government and powerful economy, Hong Kong has been pulling talented and highly efficient individuals to work in the country in whatever position possible.

Skilled workers with a job offer in Hong Kong, who possess the right combination of knowledge and experience can work and settle in Hong Kong under the General Employment Policy program.

to be qualified to apply to Hong Kong, you need to

• Have a job offer
• Education qualification as is needed
• Relevant Domain experience
• Your salary should meet the minimum wage levels defined for the occupation

This is a Permanent Resident Program. Benefits of this program

• Legal right to come and go from Hong Kong
• Take any job that is offered
• Study in Hong Kong
• Authorized to do business in Hong Kong

To assess if you are qualified professionally and understand the process, partner with XIPHIAS Immigration, Dubai. With a team of expert lawyers, we can ably guide you in the PR Process.

What XIPHIAS Immigration will do for you

XIPHIAS Immigration, has a team of solicitors, lawyers, counsellors and consultants who can take your case ably and successfully accomplish your dream destination for you

• Profile assessment
• Submission of application and documents
• Application preparation
• Guidance about the applications and documents required
• Language proficiency tests
• Help till the point of getting your PR Visa
• Post landing counseling
• Post landing Job search assistance

Why Hong Kong?

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Talk to an immigration consultant in Dubai

XIPHIAS Immigration has guided families abroad since 2009, and our Dubai team works with UAE residents. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022. Our immigration consultants in Dubai will take you through the current official requirements, costs and timeline.

• Book a consultation
• Verify an immigration consultant
• Second passport for UAE residents

Sources

• Hong Kong — New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (official site)
• Hong Kong Immigration Department
• The Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address

Verified against government sources on 30 September 2026.