Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has quietly refreshed its official list of nationalities that can enter the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa. The revision, published on 23 October, keeps the total at 98 countries and territories but draws attention for its clearer wording on African eligibility—including Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe—after months of industry queries. Under the arrangement, travellers holding ordinary passports from the listed jurisdictions may visit Hong Kong for tourism, family visits, short business meetings and trade-fair attendance. They may not, however, take up paid employment, establish companies, or enrol in long-term study programmes without first securing the relevant permits. Airlines and travel agents have welcomed the update because it reduces last-minute denial-of-boarding risks and allows more streamlined itinerary planning for multi-stop Asia trips. For corporate mobility managers, the confirmation is timely. Demand for in-person meetings in Hong Kong has rebounded since the territory scrapped all remaining pandemic restrictions earlier this year, and many firms are using the city as a neutral venue to host APAC leadership summits. Kenyan fintech start-ups, for example, have scheduled roadshows in Cyberport next month, citing the simpler entry rules and Hong Kong’s deep capital markets. Namibian mining groups are likewise eyeing the city’s commodity-trading platform for fundraising. Despite the generous 90-day allowance, compliance teams should remind assignees that border officers retain discretion. Travellers may be asked to show hotel bookings, onward tickets and proof of sufficient funds. Those planning to work remotely while in Hong Kong should carefully separate casual business meetings—which are permitted—from productive work for a Hong Kong entity, which is not. Where uncertainty exists, advisers recommend applying for a Business Visit Visa under the “Employment as Professionals” scheme to minimise legal risk. The updated list also offers a competitive advantage over Singapore, which grants only 30 days of visa-free stay to many of the same nationalities. With the visa-free corridor clarified, industry observers expect a modest uptick in African and Latin-American visitor numbers in the first quarter of 2027, just as Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre hosts several flagship trade fairs.
Source: Tuko.co.ke
