Insights · Hong Kong Immigration
Can a Foreign Founder Get a Hong Kong Visa to Run Their Own Company? (2026)
Yes. A foreign founder can apply under the General Employment Policy (GEP) investment-as-entrepreneur route, with their own Hong Kong company as sponsor. In plain terms, it is the Hong Kong work visa for business owners. The Immigration Department sets no fixed minimum investment; it judges your three-year business plan, funds, local jobs and turnover. Approved founders normally get 36 months, extendable on a 3-2 year pattern.
Key facts: Hong Kong entrepreneur visa (GEP) as of October 2026
| Item | Position in October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Scheme | General Employment Policy (GEP), investment as entrepreneurs |
| Who can sponsor | Your Hong Kong company (with its Business Registration Certificate) or a Hong Kong resident aged 18+ |
| Minimum investment | None published; assessed case by case |
| Main test | Substantial contribution to Hong Kong’s economy, or a start-up backed by a listed government programme |
| Processing time | About 4 weeks after a complete application |
| Initial stay | Up to 36 months, on employment condition |
| Extensions | Normally 3-2 year pattern; 2 to 3 weeks to process |
| Government fees | HK$600 application fee + HK$1,300 visa issuance fee (stay over 180 days), per person |
| Family | Spouse or partner and unmarried children under 18 can join as dependants |
| Permanent residence | Possible after 7 continuous years of ordinary residence |
Incorporating a Hong Kong company does not give you the right to work there. The visa is a separate decision by the Immigration Department (ImmD), and for founders the usual route is the GEP entrepreneur category. Here is what ImmD checks, what it costs and where applications go wrong. For a comparison of every Hong Kong visa route, see our Hong Kong work visa options guide.
Who can apply for a Hong Kong entrepreneur visa?
The GEP entrepreneur route is for people who want to establish or join a business in Hong Kong. According to ImmD, you need to meet three things on top of normal immigration requirements such as a valid travel document:
- No security objection and no known record of serious crime.
- A good education background, normally a first degree in a relevant field. Strong technical qualifications or proven experience may be accepted in special cases.
- A substantial contribution to Hong Kong’s economy, or a start-up supported by a government-backed programme in which you are a proprietor, partner or key researcher.
The route is not open to Chinese residents of the Mainland, or to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Overseas Chinese holding PRC passports can apply if they have obtained permanent residence overseas, or have lived overseas for at least one year immediately before applying and apply from overseas.
What does the Immigration Department look at in a founder’s application?
ImmD’s guidebook lists six factors for judging economic contribution. There is no points table. The officer reads the file as a whole, so a weak area can be offset by a strong one.
| Factor | What ImmD asks to see | Practical meaning for a founder |
|---|---|---|
| Business plan | A three-year business plan with three-year forecasts of profit and loss, cash flow and balance sheet | Numbers must tie together and match the funds you show |
| Business turnover | Last year’s turnover and profit for an existing business, or a three-year forecast for a new one | An operating parent company abroad strengthens a new Hong Kong entity |
| Financial resources | Personal and company bank statements for the past year, other funding proof, latest audited accounts if any | Show that the plan is funded without needing local salary |
| Investment sum | Documentary proof of capital invested in Hong Kong | Paid-up capital, office deposits and equipment count as evidence |
| Local jobs | Organisation chart, staffing plan and the number and level of actual local jobs | Hires on MPF records are stronger than promises |
| New technology or skills | How the business brings technology or skills to high-value-added industries, including patents | Most relevant for tech, biotech and design start-ups |
Start-ups get a separate door. ImmD gives favourable consideration where the start-up is supported by one of the listed government-backed programmes: the StartmeupHK Venture Programme (InvestHK), Incu-App, Incu-Bio and Incu-Tech (Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks), the Cyberport Incubation Programme, the Enterprise Support Scheme (Innovation and Technology Commission) and the Design Incubation Programme (Hong Kong Design Centre). You need a letter confirming valid support.
Is there a minimum investment for a Hong Kong entrepreneur visa?
No. Neither ImmD’s scheme page nor its April 2026 guidebook sets a minimum investment, turnover or number of local staff. Figures quoted online are not ImmD rules. What ImmD wants is evidence that the business is real, funded and likely to add value to Hong Kong. A signed lease, a funded bank account, contracts and a hiring plan show this better than a large one-off transfer.
Can I work in my Hong Kong company on a visitor visa?
No. ImmD’s conditions for visitors say a visitor shall not take any employment, paid or unpaid, and shall not establish or join in any business. Visitors may sign contracts and attend meetings, but not run the company. Breaching a condition of stay is an offence carrying a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and two years’ imprisonment under section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance.
How do I apply, step by step?
- Incorporate the Hong Kong company and obtain its Business Registration Certificate. See our guide to setting up a company in Hong Kong.
- Set up the operating base: office or tenancy documents, and a Hong Kong corporate bank account funded with your investment.
- Write the three-year business plan and forecasts (profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet) and an organisation chart showing local hires.
- Collect personal documents: passport, photo, degree certificates, employment history and personal bank statements.
- Submit the application with the company as sponsor and pay the HK$600 application fee per person.
- Pay the visa issuance fee after approval and collect the visa before entering Hong Kong to take up the role.
How much does a Hong Kong entrepreneur visa cost?
GEP is one of ImmD’s “specified schemes”, which moved to a new fee structure from 11am on 26 February 2025. Every applicant pays separately, including each dependant.
| Fee | Amount | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (principal and each dependant) | HK$600, non-refundable | On submission, also for each extension |
| Visa issuance fee, stay over 180 days | HK$1,300 | After approval, before collecting the visa |
| Visa issuance fee, stay of 180 days or less | HK$600 | After approval, before collecting the visa |
So a founder applying alone for a 36-month stay pays HK$1,900 in government fees. A founder with a spouse and one child pays HK$5,700 for the family.
How do extensions and permanent residence work?
The initial stay is normally up to 36 months on employment condition. Extensions normally follow a 3-2 year pattern, so a typical path is 3 years, then 3, then 2. ImmD accepts an extension application within the three months before your limit of stay ends, and asks for it at least six weeks before expiry. Processing normally takes two to three weeks.
For the extension ImmD wants your travel document, Hong Kong identity card, the company’s Business Registration Certificate and a supporting letter from the company setting out its contribution to Hong Kong: capital invested and local jobs created, plus plans for the next three years. Back it with turnover, staff on MPF and tax filed. You must leave Hong Kong before your stay expires, even with an extension pending, unless the Director of Immigration agrees otherwise.
After at least seven continuous years of ordinary residence, a person admitted for investment may apply for permanent residence with the right of abode.
GEP entrepreneur route or Top Talent Pass Category A?
High-earning founders often have a second option. The Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) Category A is for people with annual income of HK$2.5 million or more in the year before applying, and ImmD counts profits from self-owned companies (but not personal investment income).
| Point | GEP entrepreneur | TTPS Category A |
|---|---|---|
| Entry test | Business plan, funds, investment, jobs, technology | Income of HK$2.5 million or more in the prior year |
| Need a business at application? | Yes, a plan and usually an incorporated company | No |
| Initial stay | Up to 36 months on employment condition | 36 months, time limitation only |
| Freedom to change activity | Tied to the approved business | Can take a job or start or join a business without approval |
| To extend | Show the business is contributing | Show stable employment or a business operating healthily |
| Government fees | HK$600 + HK$1,300 | HK$600 + HK$1,300 |
Can my family come with me?
Yes. Your spouse, or partner in a recognised civil partnership or civil union, and unmarried dependent children under 18 can apply as dependants. You must be able to support and house them well above subsistence level. Their stay is normally linked to yours, and dependants may work or study in Hong Kong under the current policy.
What most guides get wrong
- “You need HK$X to qualify.” ImmD publishes no minimum. A plan that is too thin fails regardless of the amount.
- “Directors can work on a visitor visa.” Visitors may not establish or join in any business. Holding a directorship is not permission to work.
- “The fee is HK$230.” That was the flat visa fee before 26 February 2025. Today it is HK$600 to apply plus HK$1,300 for a stay over 180 days, per person.
- “Meeting the criteria guarantees approval.” The Director may refuse any case.
How VIVOS can help
VIVOS has offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the UAE. Our Hong Kong team handles Hong Kong work visas and immigration alongside company incorporation, so the company, bank account, business plan and visa file are built to support each other. If you are weighing Hong Kong against Singapore, the Singapore equivalent for founders is the EntrePass. To review your case, contact our Hong Kong team, message +65 8827 7870 on WhatsApp or email contact@vivos.com.sg.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum investment for a Hong Kong entrepreneur visa?
No. The Immigration Department publishes no minimum investment sum, turnover or headcount for the GEP entrepreneur route. It weighs the plan, funds, investment, local jobs and technology as a whole.
Can my own Hong Kong company sponsor my visa?
Yes. Under the GEP entrepreneur route the sponsor can be a company, which provides its Business Registration Certificate. Most founders incorporate first, then apply with a three-year business plan.
How long does a Hong Kong entrepreneur visa take?
The Immigration Department normally decides an initial GEP application in about four weeks after it has received all documents and the fee. Extensions normally take two to three weeks.
How much are the Hong Kong entrepreneur visa fees?
Since 26 February 2025 each GEP applicant and each dependant pays a non-refundable HK$600 application fee, plus a visa issuance fee after approval: HK$1,300 for a stay of more than 180 days or HK$600 for 180 days or less.
Can I run my Hong Kong company while on a visitor visa?
No. Visitors may not take employment or establish or join in any business. Breaching a condition of stay can mean a fine of up to HK$50,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
Does the entrepreneur visa lead to Hong Kong permanent residence?
It can. A person admitted for investment who has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for at least seven continuous years may apply for verification of eligibility for permanent residence, which carries the right of abode.
Sources
- Immigration Department: Investment as Entrepreneurs (GEP)
- Immigration Department: Guidebook for Entry for Investment as Entrepreneurs, ID(E) 1000 (April 2026)
- Immigration Department: New fee structure for visa applications under specified schemes
- Hong Kong Government press release, 26 February 2025: new application fee and raised visa fee
- Immigration Department: Permissible activities for visitors
- Immigration Department: Top Talent Pass Scheme
- Hong Kong Talent Engage: Visa information and application
- Immigration Department: Top Talent Pass Scheme FAQ (income definition)
- CLIC (HKU Faculty of Law): Immigration offences and penalties
- EY Tax Alert, March 2025: Hong Kong revises fee structure for admission schemes
Last reviewed: 22 October 2026 by Ray Tay.
