The Hong Kong dependent visa, formally called “entry for residence as dependant,” lets you bring your spouse, unmarried children under 18, and in some cases parents aged 60 or above to live with you in the territory. Your family member’s stay is tied to your own immigration status, and what they can do once they arrive depends on which category you were admitted under.
Who Can Sponsor Family Members
Sponsors fall into two groups. Permanent residents and people not subject to a limit of stay (those with the right to land or unconditional stay) can sponsor a spouse, unmarried children under 18, and parents aged 60 and above.1Immigration Department. Dependants
The second group is non-permanent residents admitted under specific schemes: the General Employment Policy, the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, and admission for investment or training. Full-time students at local degree-awarding institutions can also sponsor. These sponsors can bring in only a spouse and unmarried children under 18. Parents are reserved for permanent-resident sponsors.1Immigration Department. Dependants
Foreign domestic helpers cannot sponsor dependents.1Immigration Department. Dependants
Who Counts as a Dependent
Only three relationships qualify: spouse, unmarried child under 18, or parent aged 60 or above (permanent-resident sponsors only). Each must be genuine and provable through official records.
The spouse category is broader than traditional marriage. Partners in a same-sex civil partnership, civil union, or marriage recognized and registered under the law of the place where it was celebrated are eligible, provided that jurisdiction officially recognizes the relationship. The same goes for opposite-sex civil partnerships and civil unions.1Immigration Department. Dependants This matters for couples whose home country recognizes same-sex marriage, since Hong Kong does not have domestic same-sex marriage legislation.
Children must be biological or legally adopted, unmarried, and under 18 when you apply. Adopted children need formal adoption documentation recognized in the jurisdiction where the adoption took place.
Can a Dependent Work in Hong Kong
This is where people most often get the rules wrong. Whether your dependent can take a job depends entirely on the category you were admitted under, and unauthorized work carries real penalties.
Dependents can work freely, with no separate permit, if the sponsor is a permanent resident, a person not subject to a limit of stay, or a holder of one of the main employment or admission-scheme visas. That covers the General Employment Policy, the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, the Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, admission for investment or training, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the Top Talent Pass Scheme, and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.
The exception is dependents of student-visa sponsors. They cannot work unless they first obtain permission from the Director of Immigration, and that permission is not automatic. It must be applied for separately.1Immigration Department. Dependants
Schooling and Healthcare
Children on a dependent visa can attend any type of school in Hong Kong without a separate student visa: government schools, aided schools, Direct Subsidy Scheme schools, international schools, and private schools.2International Schools in Hong Kong. Studying on a Dependant Visa A child who turns 18 while still enrolled can apply to extend the visa to finish school, as long as they still qualify as the sponsor’s dependent.
Healthcare access runs through the Hong Kong Identity Card. Under the Registration of Persons Ordinance, all residents aged 11 or older who are permitted to stay for more than 180 days must register for an HKID within 30 days of arrival.3Immigration Department. Registration/Replacement of Hong Kong Identity Card Once registered, dependent visa holders are “eligible persons” for public hospital and clinic services, meaning they pay the same subsidized fees as other HKID holders rather than the much higher non-eligible rate. Missing the 30-day deadline is itself an offense, so this is one of the first things to do after landing.
Documents and How to Apply
The application form is ID 997, “Application for Entry for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong,” on the Immigration Department website.4Immigration Department. Application for Entry for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong The applicant and the sponsor each complete their section.
You’ll also need to gather:
- Proof of relationship: original or certified marriage certificates (or civil partnership registration documents) and birth certificates. Documents not in English or Chinese need a certified translation.
- Financial evidence from the sponsor: bank statements, savings passbooks, tax receipts, salary slips, and an employment letter. The department wants proof that the sponsor can support the dependent at a standard “well above the subsistence level.”1Immigration Department. Dependants
- Proof of accommodation: a lease agreement or property ownership document showing enough space for the arriving family member.
- Identity documents: passport-sized photographs, a copy of the sponsor’s HKID, and for non-permanent resident sponsors, a copy of their current visa and travel document.
The department does not publish a fixed income threshold or a required number of months of bank statements. Officers weigh the sponsor’s overall financial picture against the number of dependents. Several months of records is stronger than one.
Submission runs through the GovHK online portal, where you upload documents and pay electronically.5GovHK. Online Application for Extension of Stay for Persons Admitted as Dependants You get a reference number to track progress. Standard processing takes roughly six weeks from the date the department has every required document; incomplete submissions reset that clock. If approved, the applicant receives an e-visa to present at the border, and a HK$230 fee is payable on approval.1Immigration Department. Dependants
How Long the Visa Lasts and How to Extend It
A dependent’s permitted stay is linked to the sponsor’s status. If the sponsor is a permanent resident or not subject to a limit of stay, the dependent usually gets an initial one to three years, renewable. If the sponsor holds a work or admission-scheme visa, the dependent’s stay ends on the same date as the sponsor’s authorization. For dependents of Quality Migrant Admission Scheme entrants, the Immigration Department states the limit of stay “will normally be linked to that of their sponsors,”6Immigration Department. Quality Migrant Admission Scheme and the same principle applies across other non-permanent categories.
Extensions use the same online system. You upload updated documents, including the sponsor’s current HKID or travel document showing their latest conditions of stay, the dependent’s travel document, and anything else the department requests.5GovHK. Online Application for Extension of Stay for Persons Admitted as Dependants Timing depends on the sponsor. If the sponsor is a permanent resident or not subject to a limit of stay, apply when the dependent has less than four weeks left. For other sponsors, wait until the dependent has three months or less remaining. The dependent must be physically in Hong Kong when the extension is filed and when the new e-visa is collected. If circumstances have changed (a new sponsor, for instance), the online route may not work and an in-person application is needed.
If Your Sponsor’s Job or Status Changes
A dependent visa that has already been granted stays valid for its stated period, even if the sponsor’s employment situation changes. Losing a job does not automatically cut short the dependent’s stay. The dependent can keep living and, where authorized, working in Hong Kong until the visa runs out on its own terms.
The pressure comes at renewal. If the sponsor has not secured a new visa by the time the dependent’s stay expires, there is nothing for the dependent to extend against. The workable path is for the sponsor to line up new employment and apply for a fresh work visa before the family’s current stays end. Dependents can file new dependent applications alongside the sponsor’s new employment application.
Path to Permanent Residency
Time on a dependent visa counts toward Hong Kong permanent residency. Under the Immigration Ordinance, a person who has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for permanent resident status.7Immigration Department. Right of Abode Chinese citizens and non-Chinese nationals follow slightly different rules; non-Chinese nationals must also show they have taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence.
There is no fixed cap on days abroad during the seven years. The department looks at whether absences were “temporary in nature,” meaning you kept a genuine base in Hong Kong that you returned to. Evidence that helps includes ongoing employment or business activity, children enrolled in local schools, an active Mandatory Provident Fund account, and a maintained home address. People who spend months abroad each year without strong local ties risk breaking their continuous-residence clock.
Overstaying and Unauthorized Work
Overstaying is a criminal offense under the Immigration Ordinance. A person who remains beyond their visa’s expiration is normally expelled and can face a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and up to two years of imprisonment. Working without proper authorization carries similar penalties. Enforcement is active, and an overstay record makes future visa applications, in Hong Kong or elsewhere, significantly harder.