FAQ about your appointment and your trip to Hong Kong

The appointment in Hong Kong first takes place at our administrative headquarters in the Tsim Sha Tsui district and then at the bank (the bank does not allow us to be present during this appointment, but we will make the appointment for you and prepare you for it).

We invite you to provide us with the dates of your trip to Hong Kong at least 3 days before your departure. We will then confirm the time of your appointment at our premises. You will be given the exact map and directions for reaching our premises by taxi and public transport. Please allow a maximum of 2 hours for this appointment.

The appointment takes place in two stages:

For approximately 1 hour, we will: Explain all the documents and records relating to your company (the company's articles of association, certificate of incorporation, company stamps, etc.). If available, you will be given the green box containing all this information. You can either take it with you or leave it safely at our offices. Have you sign all the original documents (share certificate, declaration of trust, etc.). Review your business activities with you and confirm certain points in your business plan before submitting it to the bank. Exchange the cash you are depositing when the account is opened for a cheque in the same amount made out to your company (banking procedures require the first deposit into an account to be made by cheque in HK$). This exchange takes place in your presence and incurs no commission or fees. Check the documents you have brought (passport, proof of address, etc.).
We will then accompany you to the bank (please note that some banks only allow the client to attend!). You will meet your account manager. You will present your file to the account manager. It is common for the bank to ask you about your business activities. If you are not very comfortable speaking English, simply give the answer stated in your business plan (“Business nature” and “Target market”). After a few exchanges, depending on your level of English, the appointment will be over. The appointment with the bank rarely lasts more than 20 minutes.

PLEASE NOTE: the appointment at the bank is only possible if your company has already been incorporated (Certificate of Incorporation issued). Otherwise, it will not be possible to schedule an appointment with HSBC HK, but the account-opening procedure can be completed at our offices because we are authorized by HSBC HK to do so. The entire process takes no more than 2 hours.

For your appointment in Hong Kong, please bring the following:

The original of your passport or your company’s articles of association.
The original of proof of address (electricity, water, gas, mobile or landline telephone bill, bank statement, etc.).
Your business plan written in English and, if applicable, pre-approved by our department (it will in any case be re-approved with you on site in Hong Kong). Please use only our template, which will be provided to you after your order.

Chinese people are very pragmatic, and we will do everything to make your appointment in Hong Kong as easy as possible. When you do not understand your counterpart, do not hesitate to ask them to repeat themselves. Note that a sense of humor is very well received! When a Chinese person gives you a business card (or any other document), it is customary to receive it with both hands. Face the person being introduced to you and offer them your card with both hands (upright, facing your counterpart). While handing over the card, introduce yourself with a standard phrase such as “my name is Pierre DUPOND, nice to meet you” (“my name is Pierre DUPOND, delighted to meet you”). Custom dictates that visitors should be the first to present their cards. As you give or receive a business card, accompany the gesture with a slight bow, proceeding slowly and methodically with each person in turn. Do not hand out your cards as if they were playing cards. When someone gives you a card, read it carefully and treat it with respect. Putting it away immediately, crumpling it, or writing on it would be interpreted as a sign of disrespect. It is perfectly acceptable to leave the cards on the table during the meeting, which will help you remember your counterpart’s name.

There are plenty of things to do in Hong Kong, whether for work or leisure! Between the city to explore and the nature to discover, a few days will allow you to get a good feel for Hong Kong.

As for accommodation and restaurants, here are some prices: Accommodation (per night): Very cheap: HK$80 to HK$130. Cheap: HK$130 to HK$250. Mid-range: HK$250 to HK$500. More upscale: over HK$500. Restaurants (per dish): Cheap: HK$30 to HK$60. Mid-range: HK$60 to HK$120. A little more upscale: HK$120 to HK$150. More upscale: over HK$150.

Climate:

Hong Kong has a subtropical climate with relatively little variation in temperature, but fairly high humidity (80% on average). Spring lasts from March to the end of May, summer from early June to mid-September, autumn from the end of September to early December, and winter from December to February (approximately 18° to 20°).

Getting around Hong Kong

There are many modes of transport: taxis, the metro (MTR = Mass Transit Railway), trains (KCR = Kowloon Canton Railway), trams, double-decker buses, ferries, and the “Airport Express”. Taxis are available on every street corner and are not very expensive, costing around HK$30 per ride. Be aware that taxi drivers rarely speak English, so bring a map or the address of your destination! As soon as you arrive at the airport, we recommend buying an “Octopus” card. You can use it immediately (it includes the two airport journeys on the “Airport Express”) and throughout your stay. You can top it up at any time to use the metro, buses, ferries… and even pay at certain businesses (McDonald’s, Seven-Eleven, etc.).

Our tips and recommendations

When you arrive at Hong Kong airport, we recommend buying an “Airport Express Travel Pass”, which includes a return trip on the rapid train connecting the airport and Central Hong Kong (via Kowloon), as well as 3 days of unlimited use of the MTR network (metro and buses). This card has the Octopus function, allowing you to pay for the Star Ferry, the tram to the Peak, and at several businesses (McDonald’s, Seven-Eleven, etc.). It can be topped up, and the remaining balance will be refunded when you return to the airport at the “Airport Express Customer Service Centre”. If you have some time and would like to see Hong Kong as soon as you arrive, we suggest taking the following route: Take the Airport Express to Hong Kong Station (the terminus). Then take Exit 2B (located below Exit 2A of IFC Mall) to reach the Star Ferry Pier via the footbridge. Take the ferry using the Upper Level so that you are on the upper deck of the boat crossing Hong Kong Bay to Tsim Sha Tsui (across the way on the Kowloon peninsula). From Tsim Sha Tsui, you can see the whole of Hong Kong Island and connect to the Kowloon metro network (to return to your hotel or visit Kowloon). The Peninsula Hotel is Hong Kong’s legendary hotel (a very high-end hotel that was the arrival point of the Orient Express). We recommend going there for a drink at the Felix restaurant bar and visiting its restrooms designed by Philippe Starck. For a concise and straightforward guide to Hong Kong, we recommend the “Top 10 Hong Kong” guide published by Hachette (ISBN: 2012440835, approximately EUR 12). On the day of your departure, you can check in your luggage at Central Hong Kong, at the Airport Express terminus (In-town Check-in Service), from the morning until 90 minutes before your flight, leaving you the rest of the day “free”.

Certain nationalities (France, Belgium, Switzerland, etc.) are exempt from visa requirements to enter Hong Kong if their stay in Hong Kong is shorter than a specified period (usually less than 90 days). We invite you to visit this website: http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm#part2 Please note that Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region and therefore has immigration rules that differ from those of China.