Hong Kong New CIES 2026 Application Process: From Net Asset Check to 24-Month Stay

Apply to Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) first and to the Immigration Department (ImmD) second — that is the whole shape of the Hong Kong New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) application process in 2026. InvestHK verifies your net assets, then verifies your completed investment; ImmD assesses the entry application and grants stay. Under the Immigration Department's New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme FAQ page (page date 2 March 2026, as of the October 2026 version), the sequence runs from a Certifying Proof for Fulfillment of Net Asset Requirement, through entry on visitor status for not more than 180 days to place the committed investment, to formal approval and permission to stay of not more than 24 months on time limitation only. This is general information about how the scheme is structured, not advice on any individual case; the official rules as published and updated govern.

Who qualifies, and what does the HK$30 million test cover?

An applicant must be aged 18 or above at the time of applying for Net Asset Assessment to InvestHK, and must fall into one of the scheme's covered categories.

Those categories are: foreign nationals; Chinese nationals who have obtained permanent resident status in a foreign country; Macao Special Administrative Region residents; and Chinese residents of Taiwan. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are excluded, and the Security Bureau and ImmD review the excluded list from time to time. Stateless persons who hold foreign permanent resident status with proven re-entry facilities are eligible.

The money test has two halves:

Net asset requirement. The applicant must show, to InvestHK's satisfaction, net assets or net equity with a market value of not less than HK$30 million net (or the equivalent in foreign currencies), held throughout the six months before the Net Asset Assessment application is lodged. Assets jointly owned with family members count to the extent of the portion absolutely beneficially entitled to the applicant, as set out in paragraph 1.15 of the Rules for the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New Scheme Rules).
Investment requirement. The applicant must invest not less than HK$30 million net in permissible investment assets, made on or after the scheme's launch date, and must do so under one of the circumstances specified in rule 2.1(d)(i)–(iii) of the New Scheme Rules. Which assets qualify is defined in the New Scheme Rules rather than in the FAQ.

Two further conditions apply: the applicant must have no adverse immigration record and meet normal immigration and security requirements, and must be able to support and accommodate himself or herself and any dependants without relying on returns from the permissible investment assets, on employment, self-employment, an office, a business, or public assistance in Hong Kong.

How does stage one work — net asset verification and the 180-day visitor visa?

Before any entry application goes to ImmD, the applicant must approach InvestHK to have the Net Asset Requirement verified. If InvestHK is satisfied, it issues a Certifying Proof for Fulfillment of Net Asset Requirement.

The applicant then submits the entry application to ImmD within the validity period of that certifying proof. If ImmD gives approval-in-principle after its immigration assessment, it issues a visa or entry permit allowing the applicant to enter Hong Kong on visitor status for not more than 180 days, for the purpose of making the committed investment within that period.

The practical consequence for planning: the money does not need to be in place in Hong Kong before the first approval. What has to be documented first is a six-month track record of net assets, and what follows approval is a fixed window to deploy the capital.

How does stage two work — investment verification and formal approval?

Once the committed investment is completed within the specified investment timeframe, the applicant returns to InvestHK, this time for verification of the Investment Requirements. InvestHK then issues a Certifying Proof for Fulfillment of Investment Requirements.

The applicant submits that certifying proof to ImmD within its validity period, and ImmD resumes assessment of the entry application. Upon formal approval, permission to stay is normally granted to the entrant and to dependants, if any, for not more than 24 months on time limitation only — conditioned on the entrant continuing to satisfy the requirements of the New CIES throughout that period.

What does a 24-month stay "on time limitation only" allow?

The 24-month grant is a limit of stay, not an unrestricted status. The stated condition is continued compliance with the scheme's requirements for the whole period.

Day-to-day rights are broader than the label suggests. An entrant may take up employment, hold an office, be self-employed, or join or establish a business in Hong Kong. Non-permanent residents admitted under the scheme, and their dependants, do not need a re-entry visa or entry permit to return to Hong Kong, provided they return within the currency of their permitted limit of stay and the circumstances on which they obtained their residential status remain unchanged.

How do you extend beyond the first 24 months?

The extension cycle repeats the same division of labour: InvestHK verifies the money, ImmD grants the time.

Not earlier than three months before the limit of stay expires, the entrant approaches InvestHK for verification of continuous compliance with the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements. InvestHK issues a Certifying Proof for Fulfillment of Portfolio Maintenance Requirements. The entrant and any dependants must then apply to ImmD for extension of stay before the limit of stay expires, even if the certifying proof has not yet been obtained; ImmD decides the application depending on whether the proof is subsequently submitted.

If ImmD is satisfied that the entrant and dependants still meet the New CIES eligibility criteria, extension of stay is normally granted for not more than three years. Further extensions, again of not more than three years, follow the same procedure. Applicants must be physically present in Hong Kong when applying for extension, and again at the time of payment and collection of the e-Visa.

What changes after seven years — unconditional stay versus permanent residency?

Seven years of financial compliance does not convert into permanent residency by itself. The Immigration Department states that even where an entrant has continuously met the financial requirements and been granted extensions for not less than seven years, this carries no implication or acknowledgement that the person has met the ordinary residence requirement or other requirements under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115) for the right of abode. A person claiming to be a Hong Kong permanent resident may apply, under established procedures, for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card if he or she meets the statutory ordinary-residence requirement and other relevant provisions.

Unconditional stay is the separate track. After InvestHK has verified continuous compliance with the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements for seven years, and the entrant has been approved for permission to stay under the scheme for at least seven years, he or she may apply for unconditional stay at the end of the seventh year. InvestHK issues the certifying proof and informs ImmD of the result; the entrant and dependants then apply to ImmD within that proof's validity period. A valid residence status under the scheme is required on the date of application, so an expired limit of stay cannot be the basis for an application.

Once an entrant has obtained unconditional stay — or has become a Hong Kong permanent resident — he or she is free to dispose of the permissible investment assets, subject to the terms and conditions of the underlying investments.

How do you submit, and who can come with you?

Where applications go

Entry applications under the New CIES are submitted online, with supporting documents uploaded through the same service; the Immigration Department notifies applicants of results by e-mail, and a technical support hotline is available if a notification fails to arrive. Applications for extension of stay also run through an online service, subject to the physical-presence requirement described above.

Dependants

An applicant or entrant may bring a spouse, or the other party to a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, "same-sex marriage", opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union that is legally and officially recognised in the place of celebration, together with unmarried dependent children aged under 18. De facto spouses, cohabiting partners and fiancés are excluded from those relationship categories.

Up to eight accompanying dependants can be included in a single online application; dependants can also apply later. A dependant's length of stay is normally linked to the sponsor's, and later extensions depend on the dependant still meeting the dependant eligibility criteria and the sponsor remaining a bona fide Hong Kong resident. Dependants are not prohibited from taking employment or study in Hong Kong under prevailing policy. Entry of dependants remains subject to any other policy applicable at the time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I apply to InvestHK or the Immigration Department first?

InvestHK first. An applicant must obtain InvestHK's verification of the Net Asset Requirement and its Certifying Proof for Fulfillment of Net Asset Requirement before lodging an entry application with ImmD. The entry application must be submitted within the validity period of that certifying proof.

How long can I stay in Hong Kong to make the committed investment?

ImmD grants a visa or entry permit for entry on visitor status for not more than 180 days, for making the committed investment within that period. This follows approval-in-principle and precedes InvestHK's verification of the Investment Requirements.

What stay is granted after formal approval?

Formal approval brings permission to stay for not more than 24 months, on time limitation only, for the entrant and any dependants. The grant is conditional on the entrant continuing to satisfy the requirements of the New CIES throughout the period.

Can my spouse and children come with me?

Yes. An applicant may bring a spouse or recognised civil partner or civil union party, and unmarried dependent children under 18, up to a maximum of eight accompanying dependants in a single online application. Dependants may take employment or study in Hong Kong, and their length of stay is normally linked to their sponsor's.

Does seven years under the New CIES make me a Hong Kong permanent resident?

No. Continuous satisfaction of the financial requirements and extensions of stay for not less than seven years does not by itself establish ordinary residence or the right of abode under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115). Eligibility for a permanent identity card has to be verified through the established application procedure.

When can I dispose of my permissible investment assets?

After obtaining unconditional stay, or after successfully becoming a Hong Kong permanent resident, an entrant is free to dispose of the assets, subject to the terms and conditions of the underlying investments. Before that point, the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements continue to apply and are verified by InvestHK.