Bringing Family to Hong Kong on a Talent Visa in 2026: Who Counts as a Dependant
If you are moving to Hong Kong on a talent visa in 2026 and want your family with you, the categories are narrower than most applicants expect: you can bring your spouse or recognised partner, and your unmarried dependent children under the age of 18. That is the position stated on the Immigration Department's official FAQ pages for the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals. What differs between the schemes is not who counts as family, but what you have to prove about the relationship and about money. This guide describes the framework in general terms only; it is not advice on your own situation, and the most recently published official pages remain the reference.
Who counts as a dependant on a Hong Kong talent visa in 2026?
The three schemes use the same two-part definition. You may apply to bring your 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 entered into by you in accordance with the local law in force of the place of celebration, with that status legally and officially recognised by the local authorities of the place of celebration — together with your unmarried dependent children under the age of 18.
Two tests sit underneath that sentence: for a civil partnership, civil union or "same-sex marriage", the relationship must have been entered into in accordance with the local law in force at the place of celebration and be legally and officially recognised by the local authorities there; for every dependant, the sponsor must show that dependants will be supported and housed in Hong Kong.
| Relationship | Qualifies as a dependant? | What the official pages say |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Yes | Named in all three schemes |
| Other party to a same-sex civil partnership, civil union or "same-sex marriage" | Yes | Named, subject to recognition at the place of celebration |
| Other party to an opposite-sex civil partnership or civil union | Yes | Named, subject to the same conditions |
| Unmarried dependent children under 18 | Yes | Named in all three schemes |
| De facto spouse or cohabiting partner | No | Expressly excluded |
| Fiancé or fiancée | No | Expressly excluded |
| Parents | No | Not among the categories set out |
| Children aged 18 or above | No | Not among the categories set out |
Is an unmarried partner, a fiancé, or a cohabiting partner included?
No. The FAQ pages state directly that the recognised relationships do not include a de facto spouse, partners in cohabitation, or a fiancé or fiancée. The terms "civil partnership" and "civil union" are defined as a legal institution of a nature akin to the spousal relationship in a marriage, and relationships entered into under laws outside Hong Kong are limited to those legally and officially recognised in the places of celebration.
The pages describe four features such relationships normally have: the entering into and dissolution of the relationship are governed by the legislation of the place where it is entered into; the relationship requires registration by the competent authority specified by that legislation; the registration is evidenced in a written instrument issued by that authority; and the parties have a mutual commitment to a shared life akin to spouses, to the exclusion of others, on a permanent basis.
For a cross-border family, the practical effect is that registration carries the weight, not the length of the relationship. A partnership that has lasted for years but was never registered with a competent authority in a jurisdiction that recognises the status does not become a dependant application, because there is no written instrument to produce.
Which children qualify, and where is the age line drawn?
The category is "unmarried dependent children under the age of 18". The pages use that phrase without further definition of dependency, and they do not, on the FAQ pages, set out a separate transitional rule for a child who reaches 18 while the family is already living in Hong Kong. If a child is close to that age when you plan the move, that timing question is one to check against current official guidance rather than assume.
The enumeration also stops where it stops. Parents, siblings and adult children are not listed as dependants under any of the three schemes, so a multi-generational household cannot be assembled through a talent visa application.
What standard of living do you have to prove for your family?
The financial test is qualitative rather than expressed as a figure. Under the Top Talent Pass Scheme and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, you must, to the satisfaction of the Director of Immigration, be able to support your dependants' living at a standard well above the subsistence level and provide them with suitable accommodation in Hong Kong. Under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, you must demonstrate that your personal net worth is sufficient to support and accommodate yourself and your dependants, if any, throughout your initial 12-month stay in Hong Kong; the scheme's own prerequisites separately require that you can support and accommodate yourself and your dependants on your own financial resources without relying on public assistance.
| Scheme | What the sponsor must show |
|---|---|
| Top Talent Pass Scheme | Support dependants' living at a standard well above the subsistence level, and suitable accommodation in Hong Kong, to the satisfaction of the Director of Immigration |
| Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals | The same standard: support well above the subsistence level and suitable accommodation in Hong Kong |
| Quality Migrant Admission Scheme | Personal net worth sufficient to support and accommodate yourself and your dependants throughout the initial 12-month stay; no reliance on public assistance |
It is worth keeping two different thresholds apart. The schemes do state income figures as admission criteria — an annual income of HK$2.5 million or above for Category A of the Top Talent Pass Scheme, and an annual income of HK$1 million or above as one of the twelve criteria under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme's General Points Test. Those figures govern whether you qualify in the first place. The dependant test is stated in words, and the FAQ pages set out no monetary threshold for it.
What documents does the Immigration Department ask for?
The Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals FAQ page lists what is normally required for a dependant application, and the three items map onto the three questions a case officer has to answer.
- The applicant's valid travel document, containing personal particulars, date of issue, date of expiry and details of any re-entry visa held. For an applicant already staying in Hong Kong, the page showing the latest arrival stamp, landing slip, extension of stay label or the latest issued e-Visa. A Chinese resident of the Mainland who has not been issued with a travel document may submit their People's Republic of China resident identity card.
- Relationship proof with the sponsor, meaning the principal applicant.
- Proof of financial status showing that the sponsor can support the dependants' living at a standard well above the subsistence level and provide them with suitable accommodation in Hong Kong.
Identity, relationship, means. A file that answers all three clearly is doing the work the policy asks for; a file strong on one and thin on another is where family applications tend to slow down.
Can you add family members after you have already been approved?
Yes, and there are two routes. You can include dependants in the initial application: the Top Talent Pass Scheme and Quality Migrant Admission Scheme pages both say that accompanying dependants do not need separate online applications, and under the Top Talent Pass Scheme you can apply for up to eight accompanying dependants in a single online application. If you have already been approved, all three schemes allow a later application for residence as a dependant; the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme page points to the Guidebook for Entry for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong (ID(C) 998 in Chinese, ID(E) 998 in English) for that process.
Including dependants at the outset means one round of evidence covering the whole household. Applying later means the relationship test and the financial test are applied again, on their own.
Can dependants work, study, and travel in and out of Hong Kong?
Yes, on all three counts. Under prevailing policy, a person permitted to reside in Hong Kong as a dependant under the Top Talent Pass Scheme or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme is allowed to take up employment or study; under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, dependants are not prohibited from taking up employment or studies.
On travel, non-permanent residents of the HKSAR, including persons admitted under the Top Talent Pass Scheme or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme and their dependants, do not require a re-entry visa or entry permit to enter the HKSAR provided that they return within the currency of their permitted limit of stay and that the circumstances upon which they have acquired their residential status remain unchanged.
Dependants remain subject to a limit of stay while in Hong Kong, and the pages describe extension applications as being made within three months before the limit of stay expires. Principals admitted under the Top Talent Pass Scheme are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months under Category A, or 24 months under Categories B and C, on time limitation only; under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the initial stay is normally 36 months through the General Points Test and eight years through the Achievement-based Points Test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my parents or my adult children to Hong Kong on a talent visa?
The categories set out on the Immigration Department's FAQ pages are limited to a spouse or recognised partner and unmarried dependent children under 18. Parents, siblings and children aged 18 or above are not among them, so they cannot be included in a dependant application under these schemes.
Does my civil partnership have to be registered in Hong Kong?
No, but it must have been entered into in accordance with the local law in force at the place of celebration and be legally and officially recognised by the local authorities there. The pages expect a written instrument issued by the competent authority; relationships based on cohabitation, de facto status or an engagement are expressly excluded.
Is there a minimum income figure for sponsoring dependants?
The FAQ pages express the dependant test qualitatively: support at a standard well above the subsistence level plus suitable accommodation, or, under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, net worth sufficient for the first 12 months. No monetary threshold for the dependant test is given on those pages, although the schemes do set income figures as admission criteria.
How many dependants can I include in one application?
Under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, up to eight accompanying dependants can be included in one online application. The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme page states that dependants can be included in the same online application without separate submissions, but does not give a figure on the FAQ page.
How long does a dependant application take?
According to the Immigration Department's FAQ page for the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, it normally takes four weeks to process a visa or entry permit application for residence as a dependant upon receipt of all the required documents. Processing does not begin until all required documents and information have been received.
Can my spouse work in Hong Kong as a dependant?
Yes. Under prevailing policy, a person permitted to reside in Hong Kong as a dependant under the Top Talent Pass Scheme or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme may take up employment or study, and dependants under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals are not prohibited from employment or studies.
What documents prove the relationship to the sponsor?
The Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals FAQ page asks for relationship proof with the sponsor, meaning the principal applicant. For a partner outside marriage, the pages describe a written instrument issued by the competent authority at the place of celebration as a feature of the recognised relationship; beyond that, the pages state only that relationship proof with the sponsor (the principal applicant) is required.