Hong Kong Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
A relaunched Hong Kong residency route for substantial net-worth individuals, on a real, diversified portfolio of permissible assets rather than a single donation or property.
Hong Kong Capital Investment Entrant Scheme Overview
Hong Kong's original Capital Investment Entrant Scheme was suspended in 2015; the New CIES relaunched it in March 2024 under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115), as a "specified scheme" under Schedule 2 of the Immigration Regulations (Cap. 115A). Applicants must demonstrate net assets of at least HK$30 million throughout the six months preceding application, then place that sum into a defined mix of permissible assets.
The scheme has been actively enhanced since relaunch — most recently with a 1 March 2026 measure allowing a newly incorporated eligible private holding company (under six months old) to be used for the investment-requirement assessment, reflecting continued government effort to broaden the programme's practical accessibility.
Benefits of Hong Kong Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
- Hong Kong residency for high-net-worth investors and their dependants, in one of Asia's premier financial centres
- A path toward Hong Kong permanent residency (and eventual right of abode) after seven years of continuous ordinary residence, subject to separate requirements under the Immigration Ordinance
- Territorial tax system — no capital gains tax, and income tax applies only to Hong Kong-sourced income
- The investment is held across a genuine, diversified portfolio of financial instruments and eligible real estate, not a single non-refundable contribution
- Open to foreign nationals, overseas Chinese passport holders, and Macao SAR and Taiwan residents
Requirements
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and demonstrate net assets of not less than HK$30 million for the six months immediately preceding application, then invest that sum as follows:
1. Diversified Permissible-Asset Portfolio
A minimum of HK$30,000,000 in total, of which at least HK$3,000,000 must go into the government-managed CIES Investment Portfolio; the remaining HK$27,000,000 may be allocated across permitted financial instruments and eligible real estate.
Procedure
Applicants first demonstrate the required six-month net-asset history, then submit an application to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, which holds absolute discretion under the Immigration Ordinance to approve or refuse any application. On approval, the applicant completes the qualifying investment allocation, including the mandatory CIES Investment Portfolio placement, within the scheme's defined window.
Fees & Costs
Beyond the HK$30,000,000 investment itself, applicants pay Immigration Department processing fees, portfolio-management fees on the mandatory CIES Investment Portfolio component, and separate legal and asset-structuring advisory fees. Indohill discloses the full statutory and legal fee breakdown for this programme, and every other programme we track, in the Global Matrix Marketplace fee breakdown tool before you commit to a specific asset allocation.
The Rules Continue to Be Actively Revised
Since its March 2024 relaunch, the New CIES has already been enhanced multiple times, including a 1 March 2026 measure easing the holding-company eligibility test. Indohill re-verifies the current scheme rules against the Immigration Department's own published rules before every client engagement, rather than relying on a single point-in-time summary.
Background & Legal Considerations
The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme operates under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115 of the Laws of Hong Kong), specifically as a "specified scheme" for the purposes of Schedule 2 of the Immigration Regulations (Cap. 115A). The Director of Immigration holds absolute discretion over approval of any application made under the Scheme.
Why Indohill Advises This Program
- A private, advisor-reviewed intake — every application is scoped by a person, with the applicant's net-asset history and proposed allocation confirmed against current scheme rules before submission
- Coordination with independently licensed Hong Kong asset managers and immigration counsel, vetted against Indohill's Certified Partner Network standards before any introduction is made
- Full statutory and legal fee disclosure through the Global Matrix Marketplace, including the mandatory CIES Investment Portfolio component, before you commit
- The same 5-phase advisory methodology Indohill applies across every program, from initial audit through lifelong governance and renewal support
Hong Kong Capital Investment Entrant Scheme FAQ
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