{"id":107,"date":"2026-10-23T01:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T01:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/hk\/?p=107"},"modified":"2026-10-05T08:13:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T08:13:05","slug":"hong-kong-new-cies-investor-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/hk\/insights\/hong-kong-new-cies-investor-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Hong Kong New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme: The HK$30 Million Route in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Insights \u00b7 Hong Kong Immigration<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hong Kong New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme: The HK$30 Million Route in 2026<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) grants Hong Kong residence to investors with net assets of at least HK$30 million throughout the six months before applying, who then invest at least HK$30 million: HK$27 million in permissible assets and HK$3 million in the CIES Investment Portfolio. Real estate counts up to HK$15 million, including HK$10 million residential. Initial stay is up to 24 months. For applications from 1 November 2026, assets bought outside designated accounts will not count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For investors and families seeking Hong Kong residence through capital rather than a job. This guide covers eligibility, the net asset test, what counts towards the investment, each stage of the process, the 1 November 2026 change, dependants and the seven-year path.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Point<\/th>Position at 2 October 2026<\/th><\/tr>
Who can apply<\/td>Aged 18 or over; foreign nationals, Chinese nationals with overseas permanent residence, Macao and Taiwan residents<\/td><\/tr>
Net assets<\/td>At least HK$30 million throughout the six months before the Net Asset Assessment application<\/td><\/tr>
Investment<\/td>At least HK$30 million: HK$27 million in permissible assets plus HK$3 million in the CIES Investment Portfolio<\/td><\/tr>
Real estate<\/td>Counts up to HK$15 million, of which HK$10 million residential (one home of HK$30 million or more)<\/td><\/tr>
Designated accounts<\/td>Applications from 1 November 2026: assets bought through non-designated accounts do not count<\/td><\/tr>
Stay<\/td>Up to 180 days as a visitor to invest; then up to 24 months, extendable by up to 3 years at a time<\/td><\/tr>
Dependants<\/td>Spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18<\/td><\/tr>
Permanent residence<\/td>After seven years\u2019 continuous ordinary residence; unconditional stay as the alternative<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Who can apply and the HK$30 million net asset test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the Immigration Department (ImmD), applicants must be aged 18 or over when they apply for Net Asset Assessment, and must be a foreign national, a Chinese national with permanent residence overseas, or a Macao or Taiwan resident. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea are excluded. You can apply while living anywhere, and you must be able to support and accommodate any dependants. Invest Hong Kong reported 3,166 applications by 28 February 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first test is net assets. You must show net assets or net equity of at least HK$30 million, to which you are absolutely beneficially entitled, throughout the six months before you lodge the Net Asset Assessment application. The look-back was cut from two years on 1 March 2025, when the scheme also began counting your share of assets owned jointly with family members, as the Inland Revenue Ordinance defines them. Assets held jointly with business partners do not count. A practising certified public accountant can prepare a supporting report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What counts towards the HK$30 million investment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of the HK$30 million, HK$27 million goes into permissible assets: shares listed in Hong Kong and traded in Hong Kong dollars or renminbi, qualifying debt securities, certificates of deposit (capped at HK$3 million), subordinated debt, SFC-authorised funds and REITs, and interests in limited partnership funds and open-ended fund companies (capped at HK$10 million together). The other HK$3 million must go into the CIES Investment Portfolio, set up and overseen by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation. It is subject to a lock-up period, and neither capital nor dividends are guaranteed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real estate counts only up to HK$15 million in aggregate, of which HK$10 million can be residential, and a residential purchase must be a single property with a transaction price of HK$30 million or more. These limits apply to purchases completed on or after 17 September 2025; earlier purchases stay under the old HK$10 million aggregate cap and HK$50 million residential threshold. You may mortgage the property, but only your net equity counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assets can be held in your own name, through a wholly owned holding company that meets the scheme rules or, since 1 March 2025, through a family-owned investment holding vehicle. From 1 March 2026, a holding company set up less than six months earlier is also accepted. Financial assets must sit in designated accounts with eligible financial intermediaries. According to the New CIES Office, for Net Asset Assessment applications submitted on or after 1 November 2026, financial assets acquired through non-designated accounts will not count, and transfers from non-designated to designated accounts will no longer be accepted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The stages: Invest Hong Kong first, then the Immigration Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once the New CIES Office confirms your net assets, you apply to ImmD. On approval-in-principle, ImmD lets you enter Hong Kong as a visitor for up to 180 days to make the committed investment. The New CIES Office then checks the investment, and ImmD grants formal approval with permission to stay of up to 24 months. ImmD charges a HK$600 application fee and, for a stay of over 180 days, a HK$1,300 visa fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The portfolio must stay in place while you live in Hong Kong under the scheme. Within one month after each anniversary, you file a fulfilment document and anniversary statement, prepared with a certified public accountant. Dividends, interest and rent can be withdrawn, but sale proceeds must be reinvested in full. If market values fall, no top-up is required. To extend, approach the New CIES Office no earlier than three months before your stay expires; extensions are normally for up to three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18 can join you, with stays normally matching yours. Investors may work, be self-employed or join a business in Hong Kong, and dependants of investors can generally work and study. After seven years\u2019 continuous ordinary residence, you and your dependants can apply for permanent residence. If you have kept the portfolio for seven years but do not meet the residence test, you can apply for unconditional stay instead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Checklist: preparing a New CIES application<\/h2>\n\n\n\n