Hong Kong Visa for Indians 2026: Free PAR and 14-Day Stay

Published 2026-10-28 · 7 min read · By the Travlys visa team

Indian passport holders can visit Hong Kong for up to 14 days without a visa, but only after completing the free online Pre-arrival Registration. Here is how PAR works in 2026, when you need an e-Visa instead, and how Macau and mainland China fit in.

Indian passport holders can visit Hong Kong for up to 14 days without a visa, but only after completing the free online Pre-arrival Registration (PAR) with the Hong Kong Immigration Department. A successful registration is valid for six months and covers multiple visits. If your PAR is unsuccessful, or you want to stay longer than 14 days, you need an e-Visa from the Immigration Department instead.

At a glance: Visa-free stay: Up to 14 days per visit, with a successful PAR. PAR fee: Free on the official GovHK website. PAR validity: Six months, multiple visits. Processing: Automatic, result shown instantly. Passport: Indian passport valid for at least six months. Not needed for: Direct airside transit, valid HKSAR visa holders, e-Channel frequent visitor enrolees, HKSAR Travel Pass holders. If PAR fails: Apply to the Immigration Department for an entry visa; normally four weeks; HK$330 fee since 8 September 2025. Macau: Visa-free up to 30 days. Mainland China: Chinese visa required.

Do Indians need a visa for Hong Kong?

No, not for a short visit. India is on Hong Kong's 14-day visa-free list, but Indian nationals must complete PAR online before they travel. Without a PAR notification slip or a visa, your airline will not let you board.

How Hong Kong PAR works

PAR has been in place for Indian nationals since January 2017. It is a short online form, not a visa application, and there is no interview or document upload. You can use it if you hold an Indian passport valid for at least six months and plan to visit or transit Hong Kong for no more than 14 days.

Step by step

• Go to the official GovHK PAR page, linked from the Immigration Department's "Pre-arrival Registration for Indian Nationals" page at immd.gov.hk. Do not use look-alike sites.
• Enter your details exactly as they appear in your passport. A spelling difference, a missing middle name or a wrong passport number makes the registration invalid.
• Choose and remember your Identification Question answer. You need it to reprint the slip later, and the Immigration Department cannot reset it.
• Get the result instantly. The system processes the registration automatically.
• Print the notification slip on blank A4 white paper and sign it. For a child under 16, a parent or legal guardian checks the details and signs.
• Save a PDF copy in email or cloud storage in case the printout is lost.

Fee, validity and multiple trips

The online service is free. A registration is valid for six months, and you can make several visits in that time, staying up to 14 days each time. You can register again only after the current registration expires. The Immigration Department has not appointed any agent or website to handle PAR, so ignore sites asking for payment to "process" it.

At the airport and on arrival

You must show the signed slip and the same passport you registered with, both at check-in in India and at Hong Kong immigration. If you renew or replace your passport, or your details change, you must register again on the new passport. A PAR slip does not guarantee entry. Officers can still check that you have enough money for your stay, a return or onward ticket, and a genuine purpose of visit. Visitors may not work, set up or join a business, or study.

Hong Kong stopped requiring arrival and departure cards for visitors from 16 October 2024, so there is no landing card to fill. You get a landing slip showing your permitted stay; keep it with your passport.

When you do not need PAR

• Direct airside transit: If you change planes without leaving the airport transit area, no PAR is needed. If you clear immigration, even for a few hours, you need PAR or a visa.
• Valid HKSAR entry visa holders.
• Enrolled e-Channel frequent visitors, as long as the enrolment and linked passport are valid.
• HKSAR Travel Pass holders.
• Indian diplomatic or official passport holders, and UN Laissez Passer holders on official UN business.
• Operating aircrew, seacrew and contract seamen, subject to normal immigration checks.

PAR also does not apply if you already have the right of abode, the right to land, unconditional stay, or permission to remain in Hong Kong for work, study or residence.

If your PAR is refused: the e-Visa route

Some registrations cannot be completed. The official guidance notes do not describe any appeal or retry route; they say you must instead apply directly to the Immigration Department for an entry visa. Chinese embassies and consulates in India do not accept Hong Kong visit visa applications from Indian nationals.

• How to apply: Submit form ID 1003A and supporting documents online through GovHK, or by post to the Immigration Department. A local sponsor in Hong Kong (a company or a resident who knows you) can file form ID 1003B, which the Department says helps processing.
• Documents: Photo, passport copy, bank statements or other proof of funds, proof of employment, flight itinerary and your trip plan or tour booking.
• Processing time: Normally four weeks after the Department receives all required documents. Apply at least six weeks before travel.
• Fee: HK$330 for an ordinary visa, up from HK$230 since 8 September 2025. You pay only after approval, using the payment link in the approval notice.
• The e-Visa: Hong Kong has issued visas as e-Visas since December 2021. You download or print it, and the officer scans its QR code on arrival.

You also need a visa, not PAR, for stays longer than 14 days or for work, study or residence.

Macau and mainland China from Hong Kong

Macau: India is on the Macao government's visa exemption list, with a stay of up to 30 days. You can reach Macau by ferry or by bus over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Because PAR allows multiple visits within six months, you can return to Hong Kong after Macau on the same registration, with a fresh stay of up to 14 days.

Mainland China: You need a Chinese visa to cross into Shenzhen or anywhere else on the mainland. India is not among the 57 countries eligible for China's 240-hour visa-free transit, according to China's National Immigration Administration. Get your China visa in India before you leave. Our guide to the new China visa process (26 October 2026) explains the current steps.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

• Visa fees went up on 8 September 2025. The Immigration Department raised the ordinary visa fee from HK$230 to HK$330, and the transit visa fee from HK$120 to HK$170. PAR stays free.
• The PAR rules themselves have not changed. The Immigration Department revised its PAR guidance notes in December 2025, but the core terms (free, 14 days, six months' validity, instant result) are the same as before.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Registering on one passport and travelling on a renewed one.
• Forgetting the Identification Question answer and being unable to reprint the slip at the airport.
• Assuming a long layover does not need PAR. It does if you leave the transit area.
• Planning a 3-week stay on PAR. Each visit is capped at 14 days.
• Paying a third-party website for the free registration.

Combining Hong Kong with Singapore or Thailand? Thailand is visa-free for 30 days, and our Singapore visa guide covers the application. Check our visa-free countries list for Indians and the new international flights for winter 2026 when planning a multi-stop trip.

How Travlys helps

Travlys plans holiday packages with hotels and private transfers, and our team can check your documents and Hong Kong's current entry rules before you fly. We do not file Hong Kong PAR or e-Visas; PAR is free and you complete it yourself on the official site. For other destinations, Travlys has filed 5,000+ visas with a 98% approval rate. Message us on WhatsApp at +91 82009 18967.

Last checked: Rules in this guide were checked on 28 October 2026 against the Hong Kong Immigration Department, GovHK, the Macao government and China's National Immigration Administration, listed below. Check immd.gov.hk before you travel.