Living in Hong Kong

Welcome to the Expat international relocation guide to living in Hong Kong. This definitive guide to living in Hong Kong as an expatriate contains all the practical information you need to know about finding your way in this amazing city.

Hong Kong is quite simply one of the most interesting places on this earth. It is a melting pot of cultures and landscapes, a vibrant metropolis of people from all backgrounds living side by side in ‘Asia’s World City’. Since the day China regained sovereignty and Britannia departed from the waters of Victoria Harbour, the city has continued to evolve and develop at breakneck speed. It has embraced the modern world while at the same time continuing to ooze traditional Chinese character and historical charm.

What Hong Kong means to different people varies enormously. For some it is quite simply the best place to shop in the world, from the up-market malls of Central and Causeway Bay through to the local street markets on Kowloon, there is a never-ending choice of places to visit and things to buy. For others it is a city that never sleeps, a place where you can quite literally party all night long in the streets of Wan Chai or Lan Kwai Fong and then rest and recuperate the following day on one of Hong Kong’s many beaches. A little known side of Hong Kong is the surrounding countryside parks and outlying islands where hiking, water sports, camping and barbeque pits can be enjoyed. People are often surprised to hear that less than one quarter of the land in Hong Kong is actually developed, leaving a huge area of natural beauty to be explored and enjoyed.

Hong Kong is truly a multicultural place and people from all over the world move here on a daily basis. Western conveniences and luxuries are widely available yet, so too, are opportunities to try new and exciting things.

This Hong Kong relocation guide is your first step to gaining a complete understanding of what it will be like to relocate to Hong Kong. It provides you with all the information you need when moving overseas.

1) Living legally in Hong Kong

Gaining a visa to live in Hong Kong legally is not easy and there is a great deal of paperwork involved. The Expat Info Desk relocation guide to living in Hong Kong contains a full low down on all the visa types available, what prerequisites exist in order to successfully apply for them and what the limitations of those visas are. We also give detailed information about how you can secure your Hong Kong ID card.

2) Setting up home in Hong Kong

There are a large variety of residential areas available in Hong Kong, all of which offer expats a very different type of lifestyle and living environment. Our expat guide to living in Hong Kong contains full details of all the popular living areas and provides thorough information on the type of people who live there, local amenities, types of accommodation and transport links.

3) Navigating the infrastructure when living in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a very bureaucratic city and it can be very frustrating trying to organize basic services such as telephone, cable television, and gas and electric connections. Our guide contains well-informed opinion and comment about all the major providers available and the best methods of contacting them and arranging assistance. The guide contains everything you need to know to start living life as a resident; from beauty salons and hairdressers through to malls, markets and mobile phone providers. It won’t be long until you know Hong Kong like a local.

4) Having fun in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is an amazing city with a large variety of different types of entertainment on offer. The Expat Info Desk guide to living in Hong Kong covers everything you need to know to make the most of your time here and points you in the right direction to find restaurants, bars, clubs and nightlife where you can meet like mind-ed people and party the night away. For those who prefer the quieter life, we also provide full details of popular trails, parks, beaches and sporting venues, together with information about how to get there and when to go.

5) Staying safe and healthy in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a safe city with a low crime rate. However, there are a number of actions that expats need to take in order to ensure they remain safe. Our relocation guide contains thorough information about maximizing your safety and well-being while you live in Hong Kong. In addition to this there is a full listing of public and private hospitals, clinics, dentists and other healthcare providers, together with location and contact details.

6) Blending in

Living in Hong Kong may not always be easy, and this vibrant Chinese city will undoubtedly offer different routines, climates, cultures and work ethics with which expats will need to accustom themselves. Our international guide to Hong Kong contains details of Chinese beliefs and superstitions, cultural idiosyncrasies and religious beliefs. Being informed of what to expect can help you to fit into life here and, while living with people that are so different may be challenging at times, you are sure to emerge a much more interesting and open-minded individual!

7) Reality bites

Our expat relocation guide to Hong Kong is written by an expatriate who has first-hand experience of moving overseas and relocating to Hong Kong. She is able to share the lessons she learned and the snippets of information she has discovered along the way. The authenticity of personal experience makes this the most comprehensive and accurate guide to Hong Kong available.

Your only expat guide to living in Hong Kong; Feel at home abroad – Fast! 

Price of this guide:£19.00 / €22.00 / $29.00

Don't forget you'll receive a 20% discount on our prices if you complete our questionnaire during the purchase process.

About the guide authors

Caryn Yeo Born and bred in Singapore, Caryn Yeo has been calling Hong Kong home for more than six years. A full-time journalist, she spends her most of her waking hours in the pressure cooker of a newsroom or holed up with her other half in their cozy closet-sized apartment. Whatever spare time she has, she relaxes by experiencing all the different facets of life in Hong Kong: getting a million-dollar view of the city's skyline from the Star Ferry, taking in the cool evening breeze while riding the trams that trundle along Hong Kong Island, tucking into delicious local dishes at noisy roadside eateries, and browsing for kitschy trinkets at the bustling, vibrant night markets. She constantly marvels at Hong Kong's ever-present buzz of humanity, the infectious energy of its people, and most of all, at how everything works without reason (and without apparent clarity) in this dynamo of a city.

Sarah Moore Sarah Moore was born in a small town in the North West of England, near Manchester. In August 2007, after a successful career spanning seven years across major blue chip companies, she resigned in order to throw caution to the wind and follow her dreams of living in Asia— she hasn't looked back since.

After living in Hong Kong for two and a half years she relocated to Singapore where she is now facing the daunting, yet exciting, task of making the city her own.

She is the proud founder of Global Art Limited— a Hong Kong registered publication agency— which owns a professional writing services site (vappingo.com); an SEO optimization services blog (searchengineswebsite.com) and a boutique publication house that provides more personalized editing and writing services.

In her spare time she likes to spend time with her dog, Spongebob, and loves nothing more than a cold drink in any bar that is willing to permit her entry.

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