As at 15 July 2026, Hong Kong’s New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) enables persons aged 18 or above who meet the relevant eligibility requirements to apply for residence after demonstrating net assets and completing eligible investments in accordance with official procedures. The core thresholds are net assets of not less than HK$30 million held throughout the six months preceding the application, and eligible investments of not less than HK$30 million, of which HK$3 million must be invested in the New CIES Investment Portfolio. All amounts in this article are in Hong Kong dollars (HK$), and the public information published by the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme Office and the Immigration Department shall prevail.
What are the eligibility requirements and monetary thresholds for Hong Kong’s New CIES in 2026?
As at 15 July 2026, an applicant for Hong Kong’s New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme must demonstrate net assets of not less than HK$30 million held throughout the six months preceding the date of application.
Official information: Both the net-asset and investment requirements must be met. An applicant must also be aged 18 or above and fall within one of the officially specified eligible status categories, including qualifying foreign nationals, Chinese nationals who have obtained permanent resident status in a foreign country, Macao SAR residents, Taiwan residents, and stateless persons who have obtained permanent resident status in a foreign country. The requirements applicable to individual nationalities and immigration restrictions should be verified against the Immigration Department’s rules in force on the date of application.
| Item | Official threshold or requirement as at 15 July 2026 | Points to check before applying |
|---|---|---|
| Age and status | Aged 18 or above and within an officially specified nationality or residence-status category. | Whether the passport, evidence of permanent resident status and nationality status are consistent. |
| Net assets | Net assets of not less than HK$30 million held throughout the six months preceding the application date. | Asset ownership, valuation date, proportion of joint ownership and any encumbrances. |
| Eligible investments | Not less than HK$30 million, subject to the eligible asset categories and holding requirements. | Investment products, transaction documents, settlement records and ongoing holding arrangements. |
| New CIES Investment Portfolio | HK$3 million of the HK$30 million investment amount must be allocated to the New CIES Investment Portfolio. | Allow sufficient time for subscription and settlement; ordinary liquid cash should not be used as a substitute. |
Net assets may comprise assets held across different jurisdictions and in different currencies, but applicants should not rely solely on the balance of a single account. Beneficial ownership, the transaction or valuation date, whether assets are subject to restrictions, and whether certification documents conform to the Scheme’s prescribed format may all affect whether assets can be used to demonstrate net assets.
How should HK$30 million be allocated among eligible investment assets?
Of the HK$30 million investment requirement under the New CIES, HK$3 million must be invested in the New CIES Investment Portfolio, while the remaining amount of at least HK$27 million must be allocated to other eligible investment assets.
Official information: Financial assets that may be counted, Hong Kong real estate and arrangements held through eligible private companies are governed by the asset categories, holding methods and restrictions published by the New CIES Office. Before investing, each proposed asset should be checked against the New CIES Office’s guidance on Eligible Investment Assets, rather than assuming that all bank deposits, insurance policies, offshore securities or private investments are countable assets.
Comparison of direct financial assets, real estate and holdings through private companies
| Allocation approach | How it may be counted | Key restrictions | Practical decision considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| New CIES Investment Portfolio | HK$3 million must be allocated. | No other asset may substitute for this dedicated allocation. | Confirm the timetable for subscription, fund transfers and documentation first. |
| Financial assets specified in official guidance | May be used to make up the remaining investment amount of at least HK$27 million. | The asset category, issuer, listing or fund eligibility, and holding arrangement must meet the official definitions. | Balance liquidity, valuation volatility, custodial location and ongoing compliance. |
| Hong Kong real estate | Up to HK$10 million in real estate investment may be counted towards the HK$30 million threshold. | The transaction price of an individual residential property must be no less than HK$50 million; the HK$10 million cap on the amount that may be counted still applies. | Property may form part of a family asset-allocation strategy, but cannot by itself satisfy the full investment threshold. |
| Holdings through an eligible private company | Where the conditions are met, Scheme-permitted investments may be made through an eligible private company wholly owned by the applicant. | The company’s eligibility, beneficial ownership and the assets held by the company must all meet the requirements. | More suitable for persons who already have a Hong Kong investment-holding structure, but corporate and ownership due diligence should be completed first. |
An individual residential property in Hong Kong must have a transaction price of not less than HK$50 million, and no more than HK$10 million of all real estate investments may be counted towards the investment threshold. Accordingly, even if a residential property is acquired for HK$50 million, this does not mean that the full HK$50 million can be counted. The inclusion of residential properties and arrangements through eligible private companies are among the enhancement measures effective from 1 March 2025. The policy direction may be found in the 2024 Policy Address and the latest information published by the New CIES Office.
Allocation consideration: Where the HK$10 million limit on countable real estate investment has already been fully used, the applicant must still make up the balance through the New CIES Investment Portfolio and other eligible financial assets. Using property for family asset preservation, financial assets for liquidity, or a private company to consolidate existing holdings are different family asset-management choices and are not fully interchangeable.
What are the steps and 180-day timeline for applying under the New CIES?
The application sequence for the New CIES comprises Net Asset Assessment, approval-in-principle by the Immigration Department, completion of investments within 180 days, Investment Assessment and formal approval.
- A certified public accountant (practising) who meets the Scheme’s requirements prepares the net-asset certification documents in the prescribed format and submits a Net Asset Assessment application to the New CIES Office.
- After obtaining the certification documents required for the Net Asset Assessment, submit an application for an entry visa or entry permit, together with identity documents, to the Immigration Department.
- Following approval-in-principle by the Immigration Department, the applicant may arrange eligible investments within the prescribed period.
- Complete eligible investments of not less than HK$30 million within the 180-day period, including the HK$3 million allocation to the New CIES Investment Portfolio.
- A certified public accountant (practising) prepares the certification documents for the Investment Assessment to demonstrate to the New CIES Office that the investments have been completed in accordance with the requirements.
- Once the investments are confirmed, complete the formal approval and relevant stay arrangements with the Immigration Department.
Following approval-in-principle by the Immigration Department, the applicant must complete the eligible investments and submit the certification documents required for the Investment Assessment within 180 days. The application forms, certification formats and procedures in force at the time of submission, as published by the New CIES Office and the Immigration Department, shall prevail.
Pre-submission document checklist
- Confirm that the passport, evidence of nationality or overseas permanent resident status, and records of name, date of birth and address are consistent.
- Prepare an asset schedule for the six-month net-asset period, stating the asset holder, valuation basis, ownership proportion and supporting documents.
- Confirm item by item whether each proposed investment product falls within an officially permitted category, and retain subscription, purchase, sale, settlement and custody documents.
- Reserve the funds and operational time for the HK$3 million New CIES Investment Portfolio allocation, and avoid using the same unsettled funds for other transactions.
- Organise the source-of-wealth and source-of-funds trail, including business sale agreements, shareholding documents, distribution records, tax documents, bank statements and remittance routes.
- If a spouse or children will apply together with the principal applicant, prepare evidence of marriage, birth and dependency in advance.
How should source-of-funds evidence and cross-border tax matters be coordinated?
The New CIES asset threshold, financial institutions’ anti-money laundering reviews and cross-border tax-residence determinations are three separate processes; satisfying any one of them does not replace either of the other two.
Jirui International practical perspective: Net-asset certification primarily addresses whether the applicant held sufficient net assets during the specified period. Banks, brokers and fund managers may, under their anti-money laundering and Know Your Customer procedures, require an explanation of where the funds came from and how they were remitted. Tax-residence status must be determined separately by reference to the facts of residence, the tax laws of the relevant jurisdictions and applicable tax treaties. Although there may be overlap among the documents used for these purposes, applicants should not prepare only one simplified explanation.
Scenario example: Linking proceeds from an offshore business sale to Hong Kong investments
The following is a planning scenario, not a client case. Investor A holds sufficient cash after selling an offshore business and intends to purchase a Hong Kong residential property for HK$50 million and use this investment to apply under the Scheme. Even if the property meets the residential-property transaction-price condition, no more than HK$10 million may be counted. A must still allocate HK$3 million to the New CIES Investment Portfolio and use at least HK$17 million in other eligible investment assets to make up the HK$30 million threshold.
In this scenario, a more prudent documentation sequence is to link the business sale agreement, completion statement, shareholding structure, tax filings or tax-payment information, receiving-bank records, foreign-exchange conversion and remittance records, and then match these to the subscription or settlement documents for the property and financial assets. Where sale proceeds pass through a family trust, investment-holding company or multiple joint accounts, the applicant’s beneficial ownership and the available holding route should be confirmed first.
- Before relocating, identify tax-residence risks and filing timelines in the jurisdiction of origin, Hong Kong and any other usual place of residence.
- Before making substantial investments, assess the potential tax consequences arising from business sale proceeds, dividends, investment income, trust distributions and property holdings.
- Before using a family structure, confirm that the structure documents, beneficial interests, directors’ authority and fund flows can be certified and explained to financial institutions.
The above is general information only and does not constitute individual tax, legal, immigration or investment advice. Actual arrangements should be assessed on a case-by-case basis by appropriately qualified professionals in the relevant jurisdictions.
How long may an applicant stay after approval, and can Hong Kong permanent resident status be obtained after seven years?
Approval under the New CIES does not automatically confer Hong Kong permanent resident status. Only after having ordinarily resided in Hong Kong continuously for seven years may a person apply for the right of abode in accordance with the law.
Official information: Formal approval generally grants an initial stay of two years. Extensions of stay require continuing compliance with the Scheme’s requirements. Determination of the right of abode involves ordinary residence and other statutory conditions, and is considered by the Immigration Department on a case-by-case basis. Holding investments or obtaining a visa should not be treated as equivalent to permanent resident status.
| Stage | Typical period | Conditions for the applicant to note |
|---|---|---|
| Approval-in-principle | 180 days | Complete eligible investments and obtain the certification required for the Investment Assessment within the time limit. |
| Initial stay after formal approval | Generally two years | Continuously maintain investments and stay conditions that comply with the Scheme’s requirements. |
| Extension of stay | Generally not more than three years at a time | Before extension, demonstrate continuing compliance with the Scheme’s requirements; allow time for document updates and investment verification. |
| After seven years in Hong Kong | Depends on the actual circumstances of ordinary residence | An application for the right of abode may be made under the Basic Law and relevant legislation; it is not granted automatically. |
After a principal applicant has received formal approval, the applicant may apply, in accordance with Immigration Department requirements, for a spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to come to Hong Kong. Dependant arrangements do not reduce the principal applicant’s investment-maintenance, asset-certification or extension requirements.
What are common practical misconceptions about the New CIES?
The most common misconceptions are treating the full property transaction price as countable, assuming that all account assets are eligible investments, overlooking beneficial-ownership documentation, and treating residence approval as tax or permanent-residence approval.
- Misconception 1: Purchasing a HK$50 million residential property means HK$50 million can be counted. Meeting the residential-property transaction-price threshold is only one condition; no more than HK$10 million in real estate investment may be counted towards the investment threshold.
- Misconception 2: Cash, insurance policies or offshore products in an account must be eligible financial assets. Many applicants mistakenly believe that having sufficient net assets means that the investment type is eligible. In fact, each asset must be checked against the officially permitted categories and holding rules.
- Misconception 3: Holding assets through a private company automatically qualifies. Many investors complete transactions through a family holding company before discovering that the company’s eligibility, wholly owned beneficial ownership and the categories of underlying assets must still be checked against the official rules.
- Misconception 4: After obtaining approval-in-principle, transaction and documentation matters can be organised gradually. The 180-day period covers fund transfers, subscriptions or property settlement, certification and preparation for the Investment Assessment. Delays in cross-border remittances or corporate resolutions may compress the timetable.
- Misconception 5: Hong Kong residence approval means that the person has become a Hong Kong tax resident or no longer needs to deal with tax matters in the jurisdiction of origin. The right of abode, tax-residence status, overseas reporting and financial-institution compliance are separate matters and should each be addressed through professional advice.
Jirui International practical perspective: How can the application be turned into a verifiable project?
Whether cross-border family assets are countable should be confirmed independently by accounting, tax, legal and regulated investment professionals, each within their respective responsibilities, before an immigration application is submitted, rather than remedied after investments have been completed.
Jirui International, a Hong Kong-headquartered cross-border professional-services organisation, can, within its publicly stated service scope of tax advisory, company secretarial, bookkeeping, audit and assurance, cross-border legal compliance, personalised tax planning, and family wealth succession planning, coordinate asset inventories, corporate structures, document lists and multi-jurisdictional timetables. Where Scheme documents must be certified by a certified public accountant (practising) with specified qualifications and independence, applicants should confirm before engagement that the certifier meets the official requirements then in force.
Update reminder: The New CIES may be amended by the Government. This article applies as at 15 July 2026. Before subscribing for assets, entering into a property sale and purchase agreement or submitting an application, the latest announcements of the New CIES Office, the Immigration Department and other relevant government authorities should be checked again.