If you want to live in Hong Kong and run your own company there, the visa you almost certainly need is the one for entrepreneurs, officially called Entry for Investment as Entrepreneurs. It lets you reside in Hong Kong to start or join a business you own or help control. And the single fact that surprises most applicants: there is no fixed minimum investment amount. The Immigration Department approves you on whether your business genuinely contributes to Hong Kong's economy, not on hitting a set dollar figure.

That is the good news and the hard part at once. No minimum means no shortcut. A well-argued application built around a real business tends to succeed; a thin one with a big bank balance behind it often does not. This guide covers who this visa is for, what the Immigration Department actually looks at, how long it lasts, how dependants and permanent residency work, and when a different route fits you better.

Which Hong Kong visa do you actually need?

People search for "Hong Kong investment visa" meaning several different things, so match yourself to the right one before you go further.

  • You want to start or run your own Hong Kong company. The Entry for Investment as Entrepreneurs visa is your route. This is what the rest of the guide focuses on.
  • You want residency through a large passive investment, not by running a business. That is the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, reintroduced in 2024, which requires investing HK$30 million in permissible assets. It suits people who want to place capital rather than operate a company.
  • You are a skilled professional joining an existing employer. That is an employment visa under the General Employment Policy, or one of the talent schemes such as the Top Talent Pass or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.

The entrepreneur visa is the one tied directly to owning a business, which is why it pairs naturally with setting up a company. If you have not incorporated yet, that step comes first, and our Hong Kong company registration service covers it.

Who qualifies as an entrepreneur

You are applying on the basis that you will make a real contribution to Hong Kong by running a business here. In practice, the Immigration Department wants to see that you either:

  • are setting up or have set up a business in Hong Kong, or
  • are joining an existing Hong Kong business in a role where you have genuine ownership or control, not just employment.

You also need a good education or professional background, a clean record, and the financial standing to actually fund and run the venture. A paper company with no plan behind it does not clear the bar, no matter how much money sits in the account.

What the Immigration Department really assesses

Because there is no minimum investment, approval turns on the strength of your case. The Immigration Department weighs a set of connected factors, and a strong application addresses all of them honestly rather than inflating one.

The main things they look at:

  • Your business plan. A specific, credible plan showing what the company does, its market, and how it will make money. This is the heart of the application.
  • Business turnover, or realistic projections. Evidence the company trades or will trade, not just exist.
  • The capital you are putting in. No fixed figure, but the amount should be sensible for the business you describe. A consultancy needs less than a trading firm; both need enough to look real.
  • Local jobs created. Hiring Hong Kong residents is a strong signal of genuine economic contribution.
  • New skills, technology, or connections you bring. Anything that adds something Hong Kong does not already have in abundance.
  • A physical presence. An office and the normal signs of an operating business, rather than a virtual address and nothing else.

The pattern here is substance. The Department is trying to tell a real operating business from a visa vehicle, and everything above is a way of asking the same question: is this company actually going to do something in Hong Kong?

Documents you will need

Prepare these before you apply, since gaps are the most common cause of delay:

  • A completed application form and your valid passport.
  • A detailed business plan with financial projections.
  • Proof of your financial standing, such as bank statements showing you can fund the business.
  • Company documents if already incorporated: Certificate of Incorporation, Business Registration Certificate, and details of shareholding.
  • Your CV, academic and professional qualifications, and references.
  • Supporting business evidence: office tenancy, contracts, invoices, or agreements that show the venture is real.

The applications that move quickly are the ones where the business plan, the financials, and the supporting documents all describe the same company. Inconsistencies invite questions and slow everything down.

How long the visa lasts and how renewals work

An approved entrepreneur visa is granted for a limited initial period, after which you extend it by showing the business is genuinely running. The exact durations are set by the Immigration Department and can change, so treat any specific number you read as indicative rather than guaranteed. What does not change is the logic of the renewal: at each extension, you have to demonstrate the company is actually operating, generating activity, and doing roughly what your original plan promised.

This is where a lot of applicants come unstuck later. Getting the first visa on a polished plan is one thing. Renewing it means the plan has to have become a working business, with turnover, and ideally some local hires. Build the company you described, and renewals are straightforward. Treat the visa as the goal and the business as a formality, and the renewal is where that catches up with you.

Bringing your family

Your spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18 can generally apply to join you under dependant visas, with you as the sponsor. Dependants admitted this way can usually live, and in most cases study and work, in Hong Kong. You will need to show the relationship and that you can support them, so factor their documents and financial evidence into your planning from the start rather than as an afterthought.

The path to permanent residency

Hong Kong offers a genuine long-term route, which is part of why the entrepreneur visa appeals to founders relocating for good rather than for a few years. After seven years of continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong, you can apply for the right of abode, which is permanent residency. Your qualifying dependants can generally build toward the same status over the same period.

Seven years is a real commitment, and continuity matters, so long absences can complicate the count. If permanent residency is your aim, keep Hong Kong as your genuine base over that period rather than treating the visa as a flag of convenience.

Is this the right visa for you?

A quick way to place yourself:

  • You will build and run a real Hong Kong business: the entrepreneur visa fits, and your energy is best spent on a strong business plan and genuine substance.
  • You want residency mainly by deploying capital: look at the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and its HK$30 million threshold instead.
  • You are joining someone else's company as an employee: an employment visa or a talent scheme is the correct door, not this one.
  • You are not ready to commit to operating in Hong Kong: it may be worth incorporating and trading first, then applying once the business has substance to point to.

For help preparing the business plan and the application itself, our Hong Kong visa service supports founders through the process, and official requirements are published by the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a minimum investment for the Hong Kong entrepreneur visa?
No. There is no fixed minimum. Approval depends on whether your business genuinely contributes to Hong Kong's economy, assessed through your business plan, capital, projected turnover, and local hiring. The HK$30 million figure people mention belongs to the separate Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.

Do I need to set up the company before applying?
You can apply while setting up, but a stronger application usually shows a company that is already incorporated with early signs of real activity. Incorporation is straightforward and generally comes first.

Can my family come with me?
Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 18 can generally apply as dependants with you as sponsor, and dependents can usually study and work in Hong Kong.

How do I keep the visa at renewal?
By running the business you described. At each extension you show the company is operating, ideally with turnover and local employees. A dormant company is the main reason renewals fail.

When can I get permanent residency?
After seven years of continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong you can apply for the right of abode. Keeping Hong Kong as your genuine base over that period matters for the continuity requirement.

Bottom line

The Hong Kong investment visa for entrepreneurs rewards a real business, not a big deposit. There is no minimum to hit, which means the work goes into a credible plan, sensible capital, and genuine substance on the ground. Get the first visa by making the case, keep it by actually building the company, and after seven years you have a real path to permanent residency for you and your family. If you are relocating to run your business rather than manage it from abroad, this is the route that fits.