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Arbitral Proceedings Visitor Facilitation

Hong KongShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Hong Kong Read the five questions ↓

For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

Under the Scheme for Arbitral Proceedings, foreign nationals, whether they may visit Hong Kong visa-free or require a visit visa or entry permit, and residents of the Mainland, Macao and Taiwan may come to Hong Kong as visitors to participate in arbitral proceedings without the need to obtain an employment visa or entry permit.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This bounded answer preserves a supported page statement; a full independent clause review is pending.
  • Captured official page; selected text for short_stay_visit_seo.r1
    Under the Scheme for Arbitral Proceedings, foreign nationals, whether they may visit Hong Kong visa-free (“Visa-free Nationals”) or require a visit visa or entry permit to enter Hong Kong (“Visa-required Nationals”), and residents of the Mainland, Macao and Taiwan are eligible to come to Hong Kong as visitors to participate in arbitral proceedings under the Scheme without the need to obtain an employment visa/ entry permit (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Eligible Person(s)”).

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

The scheme covers visits to Hong Kong to participate in arbitral proceedings, without the need to obtain an employment visa or entry permit.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This bounded answer preserves a supported page statement; a full independent clause review is pending.
  • Captured official page; selected text for short_stay_visit_seo.r2
    For arbitrations that are being administered by an arbitral institution, the Letter shall be issued by one of those qualified arbitral and dispute resolution institutions and permanent offices in Hong Kong which satisfies the criteria set out under Article 2(1) of the "Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the HKSAR".
  • Captured official page; selected text for short_stay_visit_seo.r1
    Under the Scheme for Arbitral Proceedings, foreign nationals, whether they may visit Hong Kong visa-free (“Visa-free Nationals”) or require a visit visa or entry permit to enter Hong Kong (“Visa-required Nationals”), and residents of the Mainland, Macao and Taiwan are eligible to come to Hong Kong as visitors to participate in arbitral proceedings under the Scheme without the need to obtain an employment visa/ entry permit (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Eligible Person(s)”).

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

Visitors may stay in Hong Kong to participate in arbitral proceedings for a period not exceeding the period for which they are permitted to remain as a visitor, with no cap on the number of days of participation during each entry or on the number of times they may do so in a year.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This bounded answer preserves a supported page statement; a full independent clause review is pending.
  • Captured official page; selected text for short_stay_visit_seo.r3
    Under the Scheme for Arbitral Proceedings, foreign nationals, whether they may visit Hong Kong visa-free (“Visa-free Nationals”) or require a visit visa or entry permit to enter Hong Kong (“Visa-required Nationals”), and residents of the Mainland, Macao and Taiwan are eligible to come to Hong Kong as visitors to participate in arbitral proceedings under the Scheme without the need to obtain an employment visa/ entry permit (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Eligible Person(s)”).
  • Captured official page; selected text for short_stay_visit_seo.r4
    Eligible Person(s) are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for participating in arbitral proceedings for a period not exceeding the period for which they are permitted to remain in Hong Kong as a visitor and there will be no cap on the number of days that an Eligible Person may participate in arbitral proceedings during each entry into Hong Kong or the number of times that the person may do so in a year.

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

For Hong Kong's Arbitral Proceedings Visitor Facilitation Scheme, an eligible participant must obtain a Letter of Proof before entering Hong Kong. For institution-administered arbitration it is issued by a qualified arbitral institution or the Department of Justice; for qualifying ad hoc arbitration it is issued by an eligible venue provider. The Letter confirms the person's eligibility to participate in the proceedings. It does not replace the ordinary visit visa or entry-permit requirements: participants must still satisfy those requirements, and their stay cannot exceed their visitor permission. The captured scheme page does not establish a funds, accommodation, insurance, onward-ticket or passport-document checklist.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This capture establishes the scheme-specific Letter of Proof and ordinary visit-visa/entry-permit requirement only. It does not demonstrate whether general visitor-entry evidence for funds, accommodation, insurance, onward travel or passport validity is required; absence of those items must not be inferred.
  • Eligible categories and visitor immigration status
    The Scheme for Arbitral Proceedings covers five categories of persons, namely: Arbitrators; Expert and factual witnesses; Counsel in the arbitration; Parties to the arbitration; and Other persons directly related to or involved in the arbitration such as tribunal secretaries, tribunal-appointed experts.
  • Ordinary visit entry requirements and Letter of Proof
    Eligible Person(s) are still required to fulfill the requisite visit visa or entry permit requirements in order to enter into Hong Kong. Eligible Person(s) who obtained a “Letter of Proof” (“the Letter”) from a qualified arbitral institution or the Department of Justice of the HKSAR Government (“DoJ”) (see below) before entry
  • Letter is a pre-entry condition and issuing bodies
    Persons who seek to benefit from the Scheme for Arbitral Proceedings shall, prior to their entry into Hong Kong, obtain the Letter confirming that they are Eligible Persons participating in arbitral proceedings in the HKSAR. For arbitrations that are being administered by an arbitral institution, the Letter shall be issued by one of those qualified arbitral and dispute resolution institutions and permanent offices in Hong Kong which satisfies the criteria set out under Article 2(1) of the "Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the HKSAR".
  • Letter issuer for ad hoc arbitration
    For ad hoc arbitrations (i.e. arbitrations not administered by an arbitral institution) that are held in reputable venue(s) with established and well-equipped hearing facilities, the Letter shall be issued by such venue providers.
  • Stay duration is bounded by visitor permission
    Eligible Person(s) are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for participating in arbitral proceedings for a period not exceeding the period for which they are permitted to remain in Hong Kong as a visitor

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm where or how permission is obtained under the scheme or when a stay can be extended or changed.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This bounded answer preserves a supported page statement; a full independent clause review is pending.
  • Captured official page; selected text for short_stay_visit_seo.r5
    Eligible Person(s) are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for participating in arbitral proceedings for a period not exceeding the period for which they are permitted to remain in Hong Kong as a visitor and there will be no cap on the number of days that an Eligible Person may participate in arbitral proceedings during each entry into Hong Kong or the number of times that the person may do so in a year.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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