Moving to Hong Kong 🇭🇰

Introduction

For any exportation to a foreign country, you will have to go through customs to enter it with your belongings. It is the case for Hong Kong but as you will see reading our guide, Hong Kong is not like any other country.

1.1 Customs process

The first thing to know regarding Hong Kong is that it is a free port. It means that your goods won’t be subject to any customs tariff during importation. Only four types of goods are subject to duties: tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, alcoholic beverages and methyl alcohol.

Liquors are divided into three subcategories which serve to apply a duty rate. Spirits (alcohol above 30%) are taxed at 100% of the CIF value. Wines between 0 and 60%. Beer at 30%. Tobacco is taxed either with a fix rate for 1,000 cigarettes (about 1,900 USD) or with a kilogram-based tariff scale.

Obviously, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, alcoholic beverages and methyl alcohol must be declared to the customs.

Currencies exceeding HK$120,000 also have to be declared to the Customs and Excise Department.

An import declaration is compulsory when bringing any type of goods in Hong Kong. There are several import declaration forms:

• The Form 1 for imports of non-food items
• The Form 1A for imports of food items only
• The Form 1B for imports of gold bars

Here is a list of documents you will need for your goods importation.

• A detailed inventory of the goods
• A packing list
• The original bill of lading
• A copy of your passport
• Your import declaration

1.2 Taxes exemption

As you can read in the latest paragraph, the only goods that are tax-exempted are … all goods except tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, alcoholic beverages and methyl alcohol. Compared to those of other countries, it is like Hong Kong Customs functions backwards.

*You will pay few taxes when moving to Hong Kong with your belongings.

1.3 Vehicle importation

Vehicle importation in a foreign country is very often very complicated because of the procedure and the huge taxation applied to the vehicles. But in Hong Kong, thanks to the status of the port, you won’t pay any tax for your vehicle importation, except from some registration fees.

The first step to your vehicle importation is to make sure you can import it in Hong Kong.

The Environmental Protection Department sets rules regarding your vehicle installations and characteristics. If your vehicle does not comply with those prerequisites, you won’t be authorized to import it.

Once you have checked that your vehicle can be imported, you will have to contact the Customs and Excise Department within 30 days of importation so that they record the importation. You will submit a completed Import Return and then they will provide you with a Notification of Motor Vehicle Provisional Taxable Value to issue during the first registration at the Transport Department.

After having imported the vehicle, an examination at the To Kwa Wan Vehicle Examination Centre will be needed. You will have to issue all documents necessary to prove that your vehicle complies with the emissions regulations set by the Environmental Protection Department. The result of this examination will lead to you obtaining (or not) a Certificate of Roadworthiness. This certificate is necessary to later proceed to the registration of your vehicle and get your licence.

1.4 What duties and taxes will I pay for my personal effects?

Sample of a declaration for personal effect importation (this one is for Singapore but could work for Hong Kong. Ask your SIAM Moving consultant to provide you the correct one)

Customs process

Drug Contreband

Explosives

Biohazard

Chemicals

Corrosive

Counterfeit

Ivory

Batteries

Flammable

Firearms

Drugs

Counterfeit notes

Poison

Pornography

Knife

Tobacco

Gambling

Hazardous

From Thailand to Hong Kong, you have a full range of transportation choices. You can either choose to move and ship by air, sea, road or rail. Each mode presents advantages and drawbacks. That’s why our consultants stay at your disposal to facilitate your understanding.

Why choose us?

We have been providing dedicated services for years and always in the same perspective: understanding what your needs are to best respond to them. Our moving consultants have experience and expertise and want the best for you.

*If the volumetric weight is higher than the actual weight of your box, the carrier will quote based on this weight. You can use online chargeable weight calculators to make it easier, now that you understand how it works.

SIAM Relocation has been dealing with relocations for a long time and always with the same perspective: the client must come first. That is why, through years of operations and observations, we decided to create specific offers in order to better fit your needs.

3.1 Moving insurance

Unfortunately, international freight is not without a risk. Despite all the care we place on your belongings during our manipulations, we can’t guarantee that there won’t be any problem during transit.

*Problems can also be caused by weather, piracy, bad storage, etc.

That’s why we propose you to choose an insurance: to anticipate those risks. Each insurance covers different risks but they generally cover the basic “usual” damages.

To subscribe to an insurance, you can contact a specialized insurance broker or a general insurance company. But you may also contact your personal bank to get an insurance or us, SIAM Relocation.

We have consultants who are here to help you be sure the service you opt for really is what you need and one that is trustworthy.

3.2 Moving with your pet to Hong Kong

First, any animal must be inspected by a Thailand’s government veterinary before leaving Thailand. Thus, precisely three days before your planned departure, you must head to the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and then look for the Custom and Animal Quarantine Office. Your pet needs to have all its vaccinations up to date. You will be asked some documents during this inspection at the airport.

• The (English written) rabies certificate, with the complete contact details of the veterinary who made it. The pet also needs to have passed a blood serology test in order to check for rabies antibody levels minimum 30 days after the date of the rabies vaccination. The test results must be a minimum 0.5 IU/mL.
• One copy of your passport
• Your flight information
• Your pet’s microchip number

Afterward, you will need to fill in an export request form once at the office.

After he conducts the health check, the government veterinary will hand you the document needed for your travel and charge you about 50 Baht for each pet. To sum it up, you must remember to bring the following documents when you get on your plane: the export permit, the vet certificate from the airport, and your own original pet health certificate.

*All of this is what you imperatively must do with Thailand authorities.

Now, let’s see what the Hong Kong administration needs to accept your pet importation.

First, Hong Kong requires all dogs and cats to be microchipped with ISO-compatible chips.

Anyway, your veterinarian should recognize those vaccinations and know which are important.

To import your pet into Hong Kong, you will be asked an import permit. It is called a Special permit and is to be obtained from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. This Special Permit will be valid for six months and will be useful for the import of one dog or cat.

This Department classifies countries in three groups according to their rabies risk. Unfortunately for who wants to relocate from Thailand to Hong Kong, Thailand is classified group 3, which means your pet can not travel directly from Thailand to Hong Kong.

*Your pet will have to spend a minimum of 180 days in a group 2 or 1 country and run tests there before flying to Hong Kong.

3.3 Packing service

Packing your goods is absolutely necessary. Not packing is tremendously increasing the risk of damage. More, packing facilitates all the process : from the handling of movers to the storage in warehouses or containers.

The most commonly used packing materials are wooden boxes, cardboard boxes and bubble wrap.

Wooden crates are useful when a large packing size is needed. They are resistant and can be submitted to a high-pressure strength. They are solid but also heavier than cardboard boxes.

Cardboard boxes are very easy to fold, fill and move around. They exist in many sizes and are resistant enough if you choose good quality cardboard like double corrugated cardboard for example.

Bubble wrap is used to care about fragile items. It is wrapped around them, inside a wooden crate or a cardboard box.

3.4 Warehousing service

When you have an emergency, a setback or whatever could disturb your relocation organization, a warehousing service can save your life. You may stock your goods in our warehouses before shipping them to Hong Kong.

3.5 Office moves

Remember that we also have a department dedicated to office moves.

In order to adapt our offer to the customer, to his needs but also to his budget, we created three moving packages : from the simple package to the complete package.

5.1 Visa & Business

Visa

In Hong Kong, tourist or student visas are easily obtained but work visa require doubled efforts.

To obtain a work visa, you need a Hong Kong company to affiliate you to them, proving you have the skills needed for the job and that it is essential that you (and not a local) took the job.

Business

Hong Kong is a city of business. Many people say Hong Kong smells like money. It is mainly because of the big buildings and the skilled jobs in the city. 90% of the jobs are concentrated in the service sector.

5.2 Living in Hong Kong

Overview

Hong Kong is a dynamic place, contrasted by the two cultures that live there: Asian and Western- European. It is a place where East meets West.

Cost of life

Hong Kong is one of the cities with the highest cost of life in the world. In Asia, only Tokyo and Seoul are said to be more expensive to live in.

For instance, rent prices are 3 times more expensive in Hong Kong than in Bangkok.

Job

If more than 7 million people live in the third expensive country in the world, the incomes are of course very high. If you are hired by a local company because of your skills, you should have a very decent salary to live in Hong Kong.

But if you start your business by yourself, you may struggle for a little while because of the competition and the cost of life.

5.3 Local contacts