New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES)
The HK$30 Million Investment Visa
The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) is Hong Kong’s residency-by-investment program. It lets eligible foreign nationals, Macao SAR residents, and certain Chinese nationals secure Hong Kong residence by allocating a minimum of HK$30 million into permissible assets — without needing a job offer or an operating business.
Who Is Eligible for New CIES?
Eligibility is limited to specific applicant categories:
- Foreign nationals
- Macao SAR residents
- Chinese residents of Taiwan
- Chinese nationals who already hold permanent resident status in a third country
Every applicant must pass the Net Asset Test: proof of clean, unencumbered net assets or net equity worth at least HK$30 million (or the foreign currency equivalent), held continuously for the six months immediately before applying.
How the HK$30 Million Must Be Allocated
| Component | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Permissible financial assets/real estate | HK$27 million | Listed HKEX equities, debt securities, SFC-authorized funds, registered limited partnership funds; non-residential and eligible residential real estate (capped at HK$10 million combined) |
| New CIES Investment Portfolio | HK$3 million | Mandatory allocation into a government-managed portfolio (via Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited) supporting local innovation and tech |
Application Process Step by Step
- Asset statement submission — Submit a comprehensive asset statement to InvestHK’s New CIES Office for historical financial vetting.
- Financial clearance — Once cleared, lodge the formal entry visa application with the Immigration Department.
- Approval-in-Principle visa — If background and security checks pass, you receive an Approval-in-Principle visa allowing entry as a visitor for 180 days to execute the required investments.
- Capital deployment — Deploy the full HK$30 million through an authorized financial intermediary within that window.
- Investment verification — Documentation returns to InvestHK, which issues a Fulfillment Document once the investment is verified.
- Formal Approval — The Immigration Department grants Formal Approval and a two-year residence e-Visa for the principal applicant and qualifying dependants.
Renewals and the Path to Permanent Residency
Residency extensions follow a two-plus-two-plus-three-year cycle, contingent on maintaining the required portfolio. After 7 continuous years, applicants can pursue one of two outcomes:
- Permanent Residency — if the ordinary residence (physical presence) test is met, granting full right of abode and allowing immediate liquidation of the investment portfolio.
- Unconditional Stay — for applicants who travel too extensively to meet the physical presence test; this still removes all residency restrictions, allows unrestricted work, and fully unlocks the HK$30 million portfolio from maintenance rules.
Professional Service Fees
| Item | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | $13,000 |
| Each dependant | $2,000 |
| Government fee | $250 per passport |
| CPA fees (typical) | $2,000–3,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
HK$30 million total: HK$27 million into permissible financial assets or real estate, plus a mandatory HK$3 million allocation into the government-managed New CIES Investment Portfolio.
No. New CIES is a passive capital-allocation route — there is no employment or active business requirement, unlike the Entrepreneur or Intercompany Transferee visas.
Yes, but real estate (non-residential and eligible residential property) is capped at HK$10 million combined within the HK$27 million financial assets portion.
After InvestHK financial clearance, applicants get an Approval-in-Principle visa valid for a 180-day visit to deploy capital, followed by verification and issuance of a two-year residence e-Visa.
Once you qualify for full Permanent Residency after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence, you may immediately liquidate the investment portfolio, since the maintenance requirement ends.
