How To Start A Business In Hong Kong As A Foreigner – A Properly Set Up Office
Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / No 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 installment examined what constituted a “properly set up office” when establishing a business as a foreign national under the General Employment Policy. The Geeza provided practical, cost-conscious reassurance: ImmD historically took a flexible and commercially realistic approach to corporate premises. Recognizing that early-stage businesses needed to conserve precious working capital rather than commit to expensive long-term commercial leases and extensive fit-outs, case officers routinely accepted serviced business centers, flexible co-working spaces, and dedicated hot-desks as sufficient proof of a operational base, provided the arrangement was genuine and aligned with the operational nature of the venture.
The game has changed from administrative tolerance for flexible workspaces into an absolute, non-negotiable physical infrastructure mandate. Under post-April 2026 administrative practice aligned with TTPS Category A operational substance (~HKD 2.5M enterprise scale), serviced offices, co-working memberships, shared hot-desks, and virtual addresses are completely disqualified for investment as entrepreneur visas. ImmD now strictly requires dedicated physical premises—actual “four walls” secured by an executed, standalone commercial lease agreement in the company’s name, accompanied by floor plans and photographs proving exclusive corporate occupation. Paired with mandatory benchmarks for HKD 1.5M–2.0M in deployed corporate bank liquidity and active MPF contributions for 2–3 local permanent residents, treating independent office premises as an optional or deferrable expense ensures immediate, summary refusal, unless the venture has gained admission into an accredited government incubator.
In this segment I discuss the sustainable business premises you need to start your business in Hong Kong as a foreigner.
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
Do You Really Need to Set Up Your Own Office if You Have a Hong Kong Investment Visa?
Will a criminal record impact on your application for a Hong Kong residence visa?
The 10 key reasons why foreigners seek visas to live and work in Hong Kong
The long stay visitor to Hong Kong’s awkward predicament
Why do some Hong Kong visa applications take a long time (if ever) to finalise?
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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.
