Hong Kong decides to withdraw visa-free entry facility for Indians

The Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, has withdrawn the visa-free facility for Indians and they will now have to complete a pre-arrival registration from next month. The Pre-arrival Registration for Indian Nationals will be implemented on January 23, 2017. 

The Hong Kong immigration department said, Indian nationals must apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival registration online before they can visit or transit Hong Kong visa-free, if seeking to enter Hong Kong during transit. Pre-arrival registration will not be required for Indian nationals



in direct transit by air and not leaving the airport transit area. 

This is a major set-back for over half a million Indians who visit the former British colony for business, trade and holidays. 

Official sources said that till now Hong Kong, which is now a Special Administrative Region of China, has permitted Indians to enter with valid passport for a period up to 14 days without a visa. But the facility has been withdrawn despite representations from India ostensibly on the ground that the number of Indian asylum. seekers was on the rise.