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BackThe Hong Kong SAR Government expands the Specially Invited Persons Entry Facilitation Scheme to cover Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries
The Hong Kong SAR Government expands the Specially Invited Persons Entry Facilitation Scheme to cover Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries
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中国新闻网1 hour agoPolitics1 min readChinaView original

The Hong Kong SAR Government expands the Specially Invited Persons Entry Facilitation Scheme to cover Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries

Hong Kong SAR GovernmentEntry Facilitation Scheme for Specially Invited PersonsASEAN

Quick Look

The Hong Kong SAR government announced that starting from October 1, the coverage of the "Specially Invited Entry Facilitation Scheme" will be expanded from ASEAN countries to Central Asia and the Middle East countries and regions, and all policy bureaux and departments will be allowed to issue invitations through the scheme to promote economic and trade exchanges and multi-faceted exchanges.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The Hong Kong SAR government launched the ‘Entry Facilitation Scheme for Specially Invited Persons’ for the first time on March 18, 2025. Initially, it was limited to specially invited persons from ASEAN countries, and specific policy bureaux were responsible for the invitation.

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China News Service, Hong Kong, September 24th. The Hong Kong SAR government stated on the 24th that it will expand the coverage of the "Specially Invited Entry Facilitation Scheme" from October 1, from the current ASEAN member states to Central Asia and the Middle East countries and regions, and allow all SAR government policy bureaux and departments to issue invitations through the scheme to promote economic and trade exchanges and multi-faceted exchanges. After the expansion of the "Specially Invited Persons Entry Facilitation Program", it will cover Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Under this program, policy bureaux and departments of the SAR Government will proactively invite individuals from ASEAN, Central Asia and the GCC who can make considerable contributions to Hong Kong's economic development or who have been invited to Hong Kong to attend important events. The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will process the relevant applications of specially invited persons in one stop through the electronic platform, and will appropriately relax the application qualifications for self-service customs clearance and simplify the information required for visa applications. Specially invited persons can enjoy self-service customs clearance at Hong Kong's ports. It is reported that the Hong Kong SAR government launched the "Entry Facilitation Scheme for Specially Invited Persons" on March 18, 2025, allowing the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, and the Department of Justice to proactively invite specially invited persons from ASEAN and provide them with more convenient entry and exit arrangements. (over)

Open Questions

  • What are the specific lists of newly added Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries?
  • What are the application approval criteria for this program?
  • Are there annual quotas or headcount limits?

Related Topics

Hong Kong SAR Government
OrganizationsHong Kong SAR Government Immigration DepartmentFinancial Services and the Treasury Bureau, Hong Kong SAR GovernmentCommerce and Economic Development Bureau, Hong Kong SAR GovernmentInnovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government
PlacesHong KongASEANCentral Asiamiddle east
TopicsEntry Facilitation Scheme for Specially Invited PersonsASEANCentral Asiamiddle eastGCCImmigration Department
This article was originally published by 中国新闻网.

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