The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES), launched on 1 March 2024 and jointly administered by InvestHK and the Immigration Department, offers qualifying investors a route to Hong Kong residency and, in time, permanent residency or unconditional stay.
In essence, you show net assets of at least HK$30 million, commit at least HK$30 million to permissible investments in Hong Kong, and maintain that investment while you remain resident. All applications are decided at the authorities' discretion; no outcome is guaranteed.
At a glance
- Net assets
- At least HK$30 million, held throughout the 6 months before applying
- Committed investment
- At least HK$30 million: HK$27 million in financial assets or real estate, plus HK$3 million in the CIES Investment Portfolio
- Entry to invest
- Up to 180 days on visitor status after Approval-in-Principle
- Initial stay
- Normally up to 24 months, then 3-year extensions
- Government fees
- HK$600 application per person; HK$600 or HK$1,300 visa issuance
- After 7 years
- Permanent residency or unconditional stay may be applied for
Who is eligible
- Age: 18 or above when applying for Net Asset Assessment.
- Category: foreign nationals; Chinese nationals with permanent residence in a foreign country; Macao SAR residents; Chinese residents of Taiwan. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea are excluded.
- Net assets: absolute beneficial entitlement to at least HK$30 million throughout the preceding six months.
- Committed investment: at least HK$30 million in permissible assets within the specified timeframe.
- No adverse record, and normal immigration and security requirements met.
- Self-supporting: able to support and accommodate yourself and dependants without relying on investment returns, employment, business or public assistance in Hong Kong.
Permissible investment assets
Financial assets include SEHK-listed equities and debt securities traded in HKD or RMB; HKD or RMB certificates of deposit and subordinated debt issued by authorised institutions; eligible collective investment schemes; and interests in limited partnership funds under Cap. 637. Real estate includes non-residential property and one residential property with a transaction price of HK$30 million or more. A fixed HK$3 million goes into the CIES Investment Portfolio, overseen by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, subject to lock-up.
| Asset category | Cap |
|---|---|
| Certificates of deposit (at least 12 months to maturity) | HK$3 million |
| Private open-ended fund companies and private limited partnership funds | HK$10 million in aggregate |
| Real estate, all types | HK$15 million in aggregate |
| of which residential | HK$10 million |
How the investment must be held
Financial assets must sit in designated accounts with eligible financial intermediaries (at most three, and no more than one each of: an authorised institution, a Type 1 or Type 9 SFC licensed corporation, and a Class C insurer). The committed investment must not be reduced while you are permitted to stay. Accounts may be in your own name or in a wholly owned Hong Kong holding company structured as a Family-owned Investment Holding Vehicle, with at least two full-time Hong Kong employees and HK$2 million in annual local operating expenditure, managed by an eligible single family office with at least HK$240 million in assets.
The application journey
| Step | Authority | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Net Asset Assessment | InvestHK | Application with a practising CPA's fulfilment document; InvestHK issues a certifying proof |
| 2. Approval-in-Principle | ImmD | Entry application; if granted, entry on visitor status for up to 180 days to invest |
| 3. Investment assessment | InvestHK | After investing, a further CPA fulfilment document; certifying proof issued |
| 4. Formal Approval | ImmD | Permission to stay normally up to 24 months |
| 5. Portfolio maintenance | InvestHK | CPA fulfilment document at each anniversary |
| 6. Extension of stay | ImmD | Normally 3 years at a time |
| 7. After 7 years | ImmD / InvestHK | Permanent residency or unconditional stay |
Government fees
| Government fee | Amount (HK$) | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 600 per applicant | Every applicant and dependant; non-refundable |
| Visa/entry permit issuance, 180 days or less | 600 | Visitor-status entry to invest |
| Visa/entry permit issuance, more than 180 days | 1,300 | The 24-month initial stay and each 3-year extension |
These reflect the fee structure in effect from 26 February 2025. Our professional fees are scoped in writing and shown separately.
Family, conditions and the seven-year point
- Spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18 may apply; dependants are generally permitted to work or study.
- Entrants may take up employment, hold office, be self-employed or establish a business. No re-entry visa is needed when returning within the limit of stay.
- Permanent residency: after 7 years' continuous ordinary residence, apply for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card.
- Unconditional stay: if you have met the portfolio maintenance requirements for 7 years but not the residence requirement, apply at the end of the seventh year while your status is still valid.
- Eligibility and structuring advice before you commit any capital.
- Coordinating the Net Asset and Investment Requirement assessments.
- Holding company, FIHV and single family office set-up.
- Liaison with eligible financial intermediaries; submissions to InvestHK and ImmD.
- Dependant applications, extensions, unconditional stay and permanent residency applications.
In summary
- A net asset test and a HK$30 million committed investment held in a defined way.
- Sequencing between InvestHK and the Immigration Department rewards careful preparation.
- Seven years of continued compliance before permanent residency or unconditional stay.
Official references
- Rules for the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New Scheme Rules)
- InvestHK: New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, www.newcies.gov.hk
- Immigration Department, www.immd.gov.hk