Residency & Golden Visas / Hong Kong / Route
Hong Kong · Residency route
Hong Kong residence under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme: HK$30 million, with HK$27 million in permissible assets — up to HK$15 million of it in real estate, residential up to HK$10 million — plus HK$3 million in the CIES Investment Portfolio.
Last updated: 2026-10-01
Programme overviewنظرة عامة
Advising UAE residents on Asia-Pacific migration from our Dubai office.
How the HK$30 million actually splits
The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, relaunched on 1 March 2024, is often quoted as a flat HK$30 million. It is really two components:
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Permissible assets of your choosing | HK$27 million |
| CIES Investment Portfolio, held with the Hong Kong Investment Corporation | HK$3 million |
You must separately show net assets of at least HK$30 million throughout the six months before you apply — the investment and the net-asset test are two different requirements, and applications fail on the second more often than people expect.
What counts towards the HK$27 million
| Permissible investment asset | Cap |
|---|---|
| Equities listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, traded in HKD or RMB | No separate cap |
| Debt securities listed on the Stock Exchange, or issued or guaranteed by the HKSAR Government, the Exchange Fund, MTR Corporation, the Airport Authority or listed companies | No separate cap |
| Certificates of deposit in HKD or RMB with a maturity of at least 12 months | HK$3 million |
| Subordinated debt issued by authorised institutions | No separate cap |
| SFC-authorised funds, REITs, investment-linked assurance schemes and open-ended fund companies | No separate cap |
| Private open-ended fund companies and limited partnership funds | HK$10 million in aggregate |
| Real estate, residential and non-residential | HK$15 million in aggregate, of which residential at most HK$10 million |
From 1 November 2026, financial assets count only if they are acquired through designated accounts.
Residential property: the rules changed twice
The position moved twice in under a year:
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Before 16 Oct 2024 | Residential property did not count at all |
| 16 Oct 2024 | Became permissible at a minimum price of HK$50 million, with a HK$10 million aggregate real-estate cap |
| 17 Sep 2025 (2025 Policy Address) | Price threshold cut to HK$30 million; aggregate real-estate cap now HK$15 million with a HK$10 million residential sub-cap |
The current rules apply where purchase completion is on or after 17 September 2025. If your completion date is earlier, the older rules govern your case.
In practice, property can never be more than half the qualifying investment: at most HK$15 million of the HK$27 million can go into real estate, and at most HK$10 million of that into residential. A HK$30 million flat therefore contributes HK$10 million towards the requirement, and the balance goes into other permissible assets.
How the application runs
- Net Asset Assessment with the New CIES Office at InvestHK, showing net assets of at least HK$30 million held throughout the preceding six months.
- Approval-in-principle from the Immigration Department. You may then stay as a visitor for up to 180 days to complete the investment.
- Formal approval, with permission to stay for up to 24 months, followed by extensions of up to three years each while the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements are met.
- Permanent residency after seven years of continuous ordinary residence, with a declaration that Hong Kong is your place of permanent residence.
The New CIES Office does not publish a processing standard, so timelines vary by case. XIPHIAS confirms the current position before filing.
Why Hong Kong is different for an Indian passport holder
Of the main Asia-Pacific destinations, Hong Kong is the only one where the normal outcome never costs you your Indian citizenship.
Hong Kong permanent residency is not a citizenship. After seven years of continuous ordinary residence you become a permanent resident and get a Hong Kong permanent identity card — and you keep your Indian passport, because nothing has been renounced. Section 9(1) of India's Citizenship Act 1955 only bites when you voluntarily acquire another citizenship, and HKPR is not one.
The only step that would cost your Indian citizenship is separately naturalising as a Chinese national — a discretionary process that requires renouncing your foreign nationality anyway. Almost nobody on an investment or talent route does that.
Compare that with Singapore (citizenship two years after PR) and New Zealand (citizenship after 1,350 days over five years): both offer real citizenship, and taking it would end your Indian citizenship. Hong Kong gives you the long-term status without forcing that decision.
Talk to an immigration consultant in Dubai
XIPHIAS Immigration has guided families abroad since 2009, and our Dubai team works with UAE residents. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022. Our immigration consultants in Dubai will take you through the current official requirements, costs and timeline.
Sources
- Hong Kong — New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (official site)
- Hong Kong Immigration Department
- The Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address
Verified against government sources on 30 September 2026.
What you getالمزايا
Live, work, and study in Hong Kong.
Include spouse and dependent children.
Permanent residency after seven years of continuous ordinary residence.
Hong Kong permanent residency is not a citizenship, so you keep your Indian passport.
Access to Hong Kong’s low-tax regime and dynamic real estate market.
Investment & costsالتكاليف
Qualifying investment
Permissible investment assets
After approval-in-principle · Real estate counts for up to HK$15 million, of which residential up to HK$10 million; the balance goes into other permissible assets.
CIES Investment Portfolio
After approval-in-principle · Placed with Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited and subject to a lock-up period.
Figures are indicative and exclusive of professional fees. Your advisor confirms an exact, written cost breakdown for your family size.
Eligibilityالأهلية
Requirements
Aged 18 or over when applying for Net Asset Assessment, with a clean criminal record.
Net assets of at least HK$30 million throughout the six months before the Net Asset Assessment application.
Invest HK$30 million: at least HK$27 million in permissible investment assets plus HK$3 million into the CIES Investment Portfolio.
A residential purchase must be a single property with a transaction price of HK$30 million or above, completed on or after 17 September 2025, and counts for at most HK$10 million.
Maintain the investment under the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements; extensions depend on it.
Proof of funds
Who cannot apply
Criminal convictions or ongoing investigations.
Insufficient proof of funds or unlawful source of wealth.
False or misleading statements in the application.
The processكيف نعمل
Net Asset Assessment
Apply to the New CIES Office at InvestHK with evidence of net assets of at least HK$30 million held throughout the preceding six months.
Approval-in-Principle
Apply to the Immigration Department for approval-in-principle. You may then stay as a visitor for up to 180 days to complete the investment.
Make the Investment
Complete the property purchase within the real-estate caps, place the balance of the HK$27 million in other permissible assets, and put HK$3 million into the CIES Investment Portfolio.
Formal Approval
Receive formal approval and permission to stay in Hong Kong for up to 24 months.
Extensions
Apply for extensions of up to three years each; they are granted while the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements are met.
Apply for Permanent Residency
After seven years of continuous ordinary residence, you and eligible dependents can apply for Hong Kong permanent residency.
Document checklistالوثائق
Identity
Provide notarized copies; translate if not in English/Chinese.
- ✦Valid passport
- ✦Birth certificate
Financial
Cover the six months before the Net Asset Assessment application, with a full source-of-funds trail.
- ✦Bank statements evidencing ≥ HKD 30M net assets
- ✦Sale & purchase agreement, proof of payment, and title (when available)
Compliance
Required for main applicant and dependents.
- ✦Police clearance certificate
Your XIPHIAS advisor prepares a personalised document list at onboarding. The checklist above is indicative and may vary by family size.
Family scopeالأسرة
All eligible dependants can be included in one application or added after approval.
Age limits, dependency definitions, and addition fees vary by jurisdiction. Your advisor confirms exact rules at onboarding.
Risk notes
The Immigration Department's CIES page (immd.gov.hk) describes the original 2003 scheme at HK$10 million, suspended since 15 January 2015. Current New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme rules are published by InvestHK at newcies.gov.hk.
From 1 November 2026, financial assets acquired through accounts that are not designated accounts will not count towards the investment. Structure the purchase correctly from the start.
Hong Kong permanent residency requires seven years of continuous ordinary residence. It is a residency, not a citizenship.
Residential property counts only from 16 October 2024, and the current HK$30 million threshold applies only where purchase completion is on or after 17 September 2025. Earlier completions fall under the HK$50 million rule.
A HK$30 million residential purchase counts for at most HK$10 million towards the HK$27 million in permissible assets.
Compliance
The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme requires HK$30 million in total: HK$27 million in permissible assets plus HK$3 million into the CIES Investment Portfolio held with the Hong Kong Investment Corporation.
You must also show net assets of at least HK$30 million throughout the six months preceding the Net Asset Assessment application.
From 1 November 2026 only assets acquired through designated accounts count.
Residential property: minimum price HK$30 million where completion is on or after 17 September 2025 (2025 Policy Address), previously HK$50 million from 16 October 2024.
Aggregate real-estate cap HK$15 million, with a HK$10 million residential sub-cap.
Questionsأسئلة شائعة
This route, answered.
Yes. Spouse and dependent children can be included in the same application.
Start the Hong Kong route.
A senior advisor will confirm the exact costs, timeline and documents for your case — privately, and entirely off the record.