Hong Kong

Specific Information

No customs declaration for household goods: Because Hong Kong levies no duty on household goods, the import process is relatively straightforward compared to most jurisdictions. However, any dutiable items (alcohol above 30% ABV, tobacco) within a household goods shipment will attract duty.

ISPM 15: Wood packaging materials (crates, pallets) should comply with ISPM 15 standards as a general precaution, though enforcement is less stringent than in many other jurisdictions.

Duties & Taxes

Free port status: Hong Kong is a free port. All used household goods and personal effects can be imported free of duty. There are no general tariffs on imports. Excise duty is levied only on four types of dutiable commodities: liquor with alcohol content above 30% by volume, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol.

Prohibited & Restricted Items

Importing a Used Personal Vehicle

Required Documents

• Original vehicle documentation
• Original purchase invoice
• Insurance certificate
• Certificate of registration (must show boat dimensions if importing a vessel)
• Import declaration

Specific Information

Left-hand drive prohibition: Left-hand drive vehicles cannot be imported into Hong Kong (Hong Kong drives on the left, requiring right-hand drive vehicles).

First registration tax: All vehicles are subject to high first registration taxes designed to discourage personal vehicle imports. Rates for private cars are progressive based on taxable value:

• First HKD 150,000: 40%
• Next HKD 150,000: 75%
• Next HKD 200,000: 100%
• Remainder: 115%

Motorcycles are taxed at a flat rate of 35% of value.

Regulatory inspections: All vehicles are subject to strict regulatory inspections and must comply with Hong Kong's exhaust and noise emissions standards.

Environmental Protection Department: Approval or exemption from the Environmental Protection Department should be obtained before shipping a vehicle into Hong Kong.

Insurance for older vehicles: It is difficult to obtain insurance for vehicles older than 10 years in Hong Kong.

Marine Department (vessels): For boats, the certificate of registration must be submitted to the Marine Department for application of an import permit within 24 hours of arrival.

Strong recommendation: Given the extremely high registration taxes and strict regulatory requirements, it is highly recommended to obtain a detailed cost estimate before shipping any vehicle to Hong Kong. In most cases, purchasing a vehicle locally is more cost-effective.

Pets

• Special Permit (import permit) from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD)
• Health certificate from the origin country, endorsed by the government veterinary authority
• Rabies vaccination certificate (for pets from Group II and III countries)
• Captain's affidavit (airline personnel certificate confirming the pet did not leave its crate during transit)

Country classification system: Hong Kong classifies origin countries into groups based on rabies status. Requirements and quarantine periods differ by group:

Group I (rabies-free): Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Bailiwick of Jersey. Pet must have been born in or continuously resided in a Group I country for at least 6 months before import. No quarantine required.

Group II (rabies-controlled): Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Gibraltar, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Netherlands, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States (mainland), Vanuatu, Virgin Islands. Pet must have been born in or continuously resided in a Group I or II country for at least 4 months. No quarantine required if all requirements are met.

Group IIIA: Lithuania, Macao SAR, Mainland China. Pet must have been born in or continuously resided for at least 4 months. Mandatory 30-day quarantine.

Group IIIB: All other countries not in Groups I, II, or IIIA. Mandatory 120-day quarantine.

Import permit: A Special Permit from AFCD is required for all dog and cat imports (including transit). The permit is valid for 6 months and covers one animal.

Microchip: Required. A 9-digit or 15-digit ISO-compliant microchip must be implanted before (or at the same time as) the rabies vaccination. All documents must reflect the microchip number.

Rabies vaccination: Required for pets from Group II and III countries. Must be administered between 30 days and 12 months before entry. The pet must be at least 90 days old at the time of vaccination. The primary vaccination is valid for one year; multi-year vaccines are acceptable for boosters. Vaccination is optional but recommended for Group I pets.

Rabies titer test: Not required from any country. However, service (disability assistance) dogs from any country can avoid quarantine by having a titer test no sooner than 30 days after the primary vaccination and at least 6 months before entry. The test is valid for one year.

Other vaccinations: Dogs must be vaccinated against canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, and canine parvovirus. Cats must be vaccinated against feline panleukopenia (infectious enteritis) and feline respiratory disease complex.

Parasite treatments: Required. Pets must be treated against ticks, tapeworm, nematodes, and cestodes before entry.

Health certificate: Must be issued within 14 days of entry by an accredited veterinarian and endorsed by the government veterinary authority in the country of origin. Two originals required.

Residency certificate: Pets from Group I countries need a certificate confirming continuous residence in the Group I country for 180 days before export (or since birth, or since direct export from Hong Kong). Pets from Group II countries need a certificate confirming the area within 10 km of the pet's residence has not reported rabies in any species (excluding bats) for at least 180 days before export.

Captain's affidavit: Required for all pets. Airline personnel must certify that the pet traveled the entire journey without leaving its crate and did not contact other animals. For transit flights, the pet must not have left the cargo area of the transit airport. Pets may be detained if these conditions are not met.

Entry requirements: Pets must enter Hong Kong as air cargo at Hong Kong International Airport. The AFCD Duty Officer must be notified at least 24 hours before arrival. Transit permits are required for pets in transit for more than 6 hours or changing aircraft. Pets from mainland China must enter through designated land border control points (Shenzhen Bay, Lok Ma Chau, or Heung Yuen Wai) between 9am and 5pm.

Quarantine reservations: For Group III countries, advance reservations with the quarantine center are required. The estimated waiting time for quarantine space is 12 to 15 months, so owners should reserve space well before travel.

Puppies and kittens: From Group I countries, unvaccinated puppies/kittens must be at least 60 days old. From all other countries, puppies/kittens cannot enter younger than 5 months and must be vaccinated for rabies no sooner than 90 days of age. Pets more than 4 months pregnant are not permitted entry.

Banned breeds: The following breeds and their crosses are banned from import: Pit Bull Terrier (including American Staffordshire Terrier), Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro. Staffordshire Bull Terriers may require a statutory declaration attesting to breed. This restriction also applies to service and emotional support animals.

Birds: Require an import permit and health certificate. Birds are not permitted from the US, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Korea, Indonesia, South Africa, Ivory Coast, or India. The commercial import of rodents and rabbits from all countries has been suspended.

CDC note: Hong Kong is NOT on the U.S. CDC high-risk countries list for dog rabies (it is explicitly excluded from the China listing along with Macau and Taiwan). Dogs returning to the U.S. from Hong Kong follow standard (non-high-risk) CDC import procedures.

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