Relocations

Hong Kong

Overview
Hong Kong is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with something for everyone. It is very efficient and convenient. Whilst the inner city business and suburban areas can be quite built up and devoid of space, the countryside is never far away, with approximately 70% of the territory being national park. Whilst the perception is that Hong Kong is a very expensive city, it doesn’t have to be the case, and you can live relatively inexpensively once you have settled in and know the lie of the land. There is an abundance of shops, restaurants, bars and markets to keep you occupied, and many different sport and leisure options for you as well. From single professionals to families, you can find the right lifestyle to suit.

Housing
Housing can often be expensive depending on your space and lifestyle needs, but there are inexpensive options as well. Depending where you are arriving from, and where in Hong Kong you want to live, you may have to adjust to different living conditions. If you want to rent centrally, be prepared to compromise on space and outdoor areas. You may be lucky enough to find a central apartment with a roof-top or balcony, but gardens are only usually found in the most expensive dwellings. If you want this type of accommodation, you can find cheaper options in the New Territories where many expats now choose to base themselves, and traveling time to the city need only be 30-60 minutes depending on locations.

Cost of living
Housing aside, the overall cost of living in Hong Kong need not be expensive. Transport is cheap and readily available, and supermarkets have a lot of international goods, and are also relatively inexpensive. Bars and restaurants can be very cheap or very expensive depending on your tastes, but you can usually find options for all budgets. Most global brands can be found in Hong Kong as well as many local brands which can represent very good value for clothing indeed. Owning and running a car can be relatively cheap in Hong Kong, with many second hand choices available to you through private sellers or the various dealers around town.

Visa
All nationalities require a visa to work in Hong Kong, and these are usually issued first time around for a year. On renewal, the term is usually 2 years. Once you have lived and worked in Hong Kong for 7 years, you can apply for Permanent Residency. Spouses and children under 18 automatically qualify for a ‘Dependents’ visa, which allows those of the appropriate age to work and study in the territory. To obtain a visa, a company must sponsor you, and the processing time is usually between 4 and 8 weeks. More information on work visas can be found on the government’s immigration web-site:
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/
hkvisas_4_2.htm

Schools
There are many different options for schools in Hong Kong, with all the top international options available at a price. The English Schools Foundation has several schools across the territory, and these are often the schools of choice for expatriates paying for their children’s own education. Whilst a good deal cheaper that the international schools, they are more expensive than local schools, and have a good standard of education. Local schools are also available on a quota basis, and the education can be either English, Cantonese or Mandarin based. Please follow this link for more information: http://www.hongkongstudyguide.
com/index.htm

Sports / Leisure
There are many different sports and leisure choices in Hong Kong. There are varying levels of rugby and football leagues, all racquet sports, and international standard gyms in plentiful supply. Hiking / hill walking is a very popular pastime in Hong Kong, and there is an endless supply of easy, and very challenging trails to complete. There are public and private golf courses and several major sporting events taking place in the territory every year, such as the Hong Kong Rugby Seven’s, and the Hong Kong Open golf tournament. Horse racing is also on twice weekly year round at Shatin and Happy Valley.

Tax
Tax in Hong Kong is extremely low, and you will not pay any more than an average of 16% - 17%. Please go to the following web-site for more details:
http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/welcome.htm Annually, all taxpayers complete a tax return and file it, paying it themselves annually.

Others

Please contact us for information on any other Asian countries, such as Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, India or Macao. We will do our best to help.