The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) today (21 September 2026) refreshed its travel advice for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The update reminds British citizens that if they also hold Chinese nationality they may be treated solely as Chinese nationals by local authorities, even when they enter on a full British citizen passport or hold a British National (Overseas) passport. The advisory maintains the existing overall risk rating but adds more precise language on the National Security Law, noting that expressions of political opinion—online or in person—can lead to arrest. Business travellers are urged to review their company social-media policies and ensure electronic devices do not contain sensitive material before arrival. The FCDO also continues to flag the possibility of short-notice demonstrations in business districts and around the Legislative Council complex which, while largely peaceful in recent months, could disrupt ground transport and require employers to trigger duty-of-care protocols. From a mobility-management perspective the refreshed advisory has two immediate implications. First, mobility and HR teams should verify whether any employees travelling on BN(O) status also hold Chinese nationality; if so, they should be briefed on the limits on consular assistance. Second, corporates running assignment programmes into Hong Kong must include the city in their political-risk monitoring tools even though day-to-day life and business travel are returning to pre-pandemic norms. Travel-risk insurers generally do not expect premium changes on the back of the update, but brokers say firms that send workers to cover protests or political events should anticipate higher deductibles. For most ordinary business visits the advice effectively constitutes a best-practice reminder rather than a material escalation, yet ignoring it could expose companies to negligence claims should an incident occur.
Source: Gov.UK – Foreign Travel Advice
