Entry Requirements for Britons Booking Flights to Hong Kong

Sitting in the Far East, Hong Kong is a destination of choice for countless travellers worldwide. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of People's Republic of China and has its own set of rules and regulations concerning immigration. Take a look at some of the necessary points before paying for your airfares to the destination.

Visa Facts

• British citizens can book tickets for their cheap flights to Hong Kong as they can visit the country without a visa and stay there for as long as six months. The website of the Immigration Department of Hong Kong states that the time period is 90 days for other British nationals such as British Protected persons, British subjects, British Overseas citizens, and British Overseas Territories citizens.
  


• The length of stay allowed is again 90 days for citizens of British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, and British Antarctic Territory arriving in Hong Kong without a visa.

Passport Policy

• British citizens catching flights to Hong Kong can stay in the country for 6 months provided their passports are valid for this duration. Hong Kong Immigration allows passport holders with less than six months of validity on their passports to stay for an additional month above the scheduled stay if the passport covers this time frame.
  


• Many British passport holders book flights to Hong Kong and plan to visit Mainland China via the destination. Such travellers are required to get a Chinese visa before reaching the border of China. Violating this rule can result in a fine and even detention. While entering Hong Kong through Mainland China and leaving again through the Mainland, one should definitely carry a multiple or double entry visa for Mainland China.
  

Safety and Security

• Thankfully, violent crime is quite rare but petty crime does happen. For instance, it is necessary to be on your guard against pickpockets in crowded areas.
  


• One should also avoid drinking with strangers or accepting any drinks or edibles. There have been instances of spiked drinks being served to trusting tourists.
  


• Be extra careful of your luggage, when you check in and out of hotels.
  


• It is unadvisable to stray into unfamiliar areas on one’s own.
  

Health Tips

• Seek medical advice before booking your cheap flights to Hong Kong. Ensure that you have all the necessary vaccinations. The UK and Hong Kong Reciprocal Health Care Arrangement came to an end in June 1997 and visitors can be made to take temperature screenings on arrival. As per the results of temperature screening results, additional tests can also be conducted.


• With dengue being reported almost every year, travellers should be careful against mosquitoes. Similarly, it is wise to exercise due caution against different STDs.
  


• For further information on health, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or visit the websites of the National Travel Heath Network and Centre NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland’s Fit for Travel.
  

(Source: Websites of FCO and Immigration Department of Hong Kong which must be referred for more detailed information. The author disclaims liability of any kind of losses or damages resulting from the use of above information)