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How To Start A Business In Hong Kong As A Foreigner – Introduction

June 23rd, 2018

Posted by / in Investment Visas, Musing / 3 responses


 

I recently gave a talk at Campfire Collaborative Space on the topic of how to start a business in Hong Kong as a foreigner, which in essence is the journey of getting a Business Investment Visa as an Entrepreneur after the implementation of the Enhancement Measures in 2015 and the Audit Commission Report Number 66 from 2016.

PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy:

Historically, this introductory guide framed starting a business in Hong Kong as a foreign national as one of the most accessible, founder-friendly journeys in the international commercial landscape. The Geeza laid out the classic, open-door pitch: a transparent legal system, straightforward company incorporation, low taxation, and an immigration framework under the General Employment Policy that welcomed foreign enterprise without rigid capital constraints. Foreign nationals were reassured that an investment as entrepreneur visa did not require institutional backing or deep capitalization; an earnest founder with a well-reasoned business plan, modest seed capital of a few hundred thousand dollars, a flexible serviced office address, and plans to gradually hire local staff over a multi-year horizon could readily satisfy the approvability test.
The game has changed from an open-door welcome for aspiring foreign founders into an elite, institutional filter that bars entry to all but heavily funded enterprises. While Hong Kong’s corporate law and tax regime remain efficient, the immigration bridge connecting foreign entrepreneurs to the territory has been fundamentally severed for lean ventures. Under post-April 2026 administrative practice aligned with TTPS Category A operational substance (~HKD 2.5M enterprise scale), ImmD no longer grants residence on the promise of future commercial success. A foreign-owned business vehicle must substantiate live operational hardware on day one: HKD 1.5M–2.0M in deployed corporate bank liquidity, an executed commercial lease for exclusive physical premises (“four walls”), and active MPF payroll for 2–3 local permanent residents. Without meeting this heavy institutional threshold upfront or securing admission into an accredited government incubator (such as Cyberport or HKSTP), the dream of casually establishing a bootstrapped business in Hong Kong as a foreign national will result in swift and summary refusal.

This is the first, introductory segment where I set the scene for the rest of the presentation.

The Rest of the Talk

Introduction

How We Got Here

Must Have Resources

The Startup Visa

Business Investment As An Entrepreneur (Visa)

Three Elements To Approval

Have You Got Enough Money?

Is Your Business Sustainable?

A Properly Set Up Office

How About Local Jobs?

Economic Sector Advantages

Hiring Yourself

D-I-Y Application

 

Important Materials Referenced In The Presentation

10 Must-Have Resources for Any Hong Kong Investment Visa Application

Accredited Startup Programmes in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Visa Handbook Free Kits

Your Questions Answered

 

More Stuff You May Find Useful Or Interesting

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Hong Kong investment visa – cash required and the Catch 22

Is there such a thing as a Hong Kong employment visa for an independant contractor?

Is it possible to cancel a Hong Kong visa application and if so how do you go about doing it?

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The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.

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