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Brits in Hong Kong

Everything you need to move to, rent in and enjoy Hong Kong as a Brit, and how it fits with your UK tax, pension, money and paperwork.

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Official Britain

British Consulate General Hong Kong

The UK's mission in Hong Kong: passports, emergency help and consular services; public access by appointment

1 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Website · Map

Votes for lifeVote from Hong KongLiving abroad doesn't cost you your vote. Register as an overseas elector, choose a proxy or postal vote, and renew every three years.
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Hong Kong Partners

Katharina Bergauer, innsicht

Global partner · online

The inner move

A move abroad changes more than your postcode. Katharina Bergauer (innsicht) supports individuals, couples and families before the move and until everyone feels at home. Online, in English or German.

Katharina Bergauer

Eintragungsnummer: 17784

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Global partner · online

Learn the language

Get to grips with the language where you live, keep the kids' English sharp or prep for an exam. Live online lessons with qualified teachers since 1991: English and the main world languages, 1:1 or in small groups, for adults, kids and household staff.

Cambridge School of English Online

Cambridge School of English sp. z o.o.Warsaw, Poland · online since 1991

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Your business here: partner in Hong Kong

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Guides for life in Hong Kong

Basics

Cost of living in Hong Kong: how far your pounds go against London and the UK average

Hong Kong rent will make a Londoner wince, but the MTR, a bowl of noodles and the public hospitals are a bargain. Here's the full budget, in Hong Kong dollars and pounds.

Basics

Typhoon signals and black rainstorms in Hong Kong: what the numbers mean for work, school and your flat

T8 means a day at home, black rain means stay where you are, and T10 means the real thing. Here's what each Hong Kong weather signal means for your job, the school run and your flat.

Basics

Languages and your family in Hong Kong: Cantonese, Mandarin and keeping English strong

Hong Kong runs on Cantonese, its schools increasingly teach Mandarin, and your kids will meet Chinese whichever school they go to. Here's what that means for a British family.

Money and work

Hong Kong taxes for Brits: low rates, the 2010 treaty and your frozen State Pension

Hong Kong's top salaries tax rate is 17% and there's no tax on capital gains or dividends. HMRC still needs a proper goodbye, and your State Pension stops rising the day you settle.

Money and work

Banking in Hong Kong as a Brit: opening an account, FPS and keeping your UK bank

Hong Kong banking is fast and app-based once you're in, but getting in means paperwork. Here's what banks ask newcomers for, how FPS works and why you should keep your UK account open.

Money and work

MPF: how Hong Kong's pension works, and getting your money out when you leave

Every Hong Kong payslip feeds the MPF, and Brits who leave for good can usually take the lot. Here's how the contributions work, the once-in-a-lifetime claim and where HMRC fits in.

Money and work

Salaries tax in Hong Kong: allowances, the April tax year and splitting your UK year

Hong Kong's salaries tax is low and simple, but the first bill can come with a year's provisional tax on top. Here's how it works, and how to stop HMRC taxing the same months.

Home

Renting in Hong Kong: where Brits live and what to check before you sign

Hong Kong rents are among the highest anywhere, and flats are small. Here's where Brits live, what a fair lease looks like, who pays what and the checks that protect your deposit.

Home

Buying property in Hong Kong: stamp duty, mortgages and the end of the cooling measures

Since February 2024 a British buyer pays the same stamp duty as a local. Here's what a flat costs to buy, how much a bank will lend, and whether buying beats renting.

Moving and visas

Moving to Hong Kong as a Brit: the routes that actually get you there

A Brit can visit Hong Kong for six months without a visa, but not work a single day on it. Here are the routes that really get you living there, and the first jobs once you land.

Moving and visas

Visas for Brits in Hong Kong: the employment and talent schemes compared

A job offer, a big salary or a top-ranked degree: each opens a different Hong Kong visa. Here's how the GEP, the Top Talent Pass and QMAS work for Brits, and what the family gets.

Moving and visas

Permanent residence in Hong Kong after seven years: what Brits actually get

Seven years of ordinary residence can turn a Brit into a Hong Kong permanent resident. Here's how the application works, what it changes, and how you can lose it again by staying away.

Moving and visas

The BN(O) route in reverse: planning for British–Hong Kong families

You moved to Hong Kong; your in-laws may be moving to the UK. Here's how the BN(O) visa, the family visa and Hong Kong's dependant rules fit together for British–Hong Kong families.

Health

Healthcare in Hong Kong: public hospitals, private care and why the NHS won't pay

With an HKID card you can use Hong Kong's public hospitals for modest fees, but most Brits lean on private doctors and insurance. Here's how the two systems work and what they cost.

Schools and study

Schools in Hong Kong: British schools, ESF, local options and what it all costs

School fees in Hong Kong run from about £13,700 a year at ESF to over £26,000 at Kellett, before levies. Here's how the system works, what it costs and how to plan for UK university.

Schools and study

ESF and international schools in Hong Kong: debentures, levies and how waiting lists really work

A Hong Kong school place can cost more than the fees. Here's how ESF's capital levy and nomination rights work, what Kellett's debentures cost, and how to play the waiting list.

Getting around

Driving in Hong Kong with a UK licence, and getting around without a car

A UK licence lets visitors drive for 12 months, and residents can swap it for a Hong Kong licence without a test. Most Brits barely bother: the MTR, trams and ferries are that good.

Community

British life in Hong Kong: poppies at the Cenotaph, pints in Wan Chai and a ball for the Scots

Hong Kong's British crowd has a busy Legion branch, a Remembrance service at the Cenotaph, a St Andrew's Ball, the Sevens at Kai Tak and plenty of pubs for the match.

Community

Hiring a domestic helper in Hong Kong: the rules, the contract and the real cost

Live-in help is normal for Hong Kong families in a way it never was back home. Here's what the law requires: the standard contract, the minimum wage, the room, the insurance and the paperwork.

Going out

British food in Hong Kong: where to find a full English, a Sunday roast and a proper chippy

Hong Kong does a proper roast, a decent chippy and a very grand afternoon tea. Here's where to go, what it costs in HK$ and pounds, and where to hunt down Walkers and Marmite.

Going out

Nightlife in Hong Kong: from Lan Kwai Fong to the 118th floor, and the rules that catch Brits out

Hong Kong goes out late and drinks high up. Here are the areas, the rooftop bars, Wednesday nights at the races, what it costs, getting home, and the vaping and drugs rules.

Compare propertyBuy in Hong Kong or back in the UK?Mortgages, stamp duty, buying costs and capital gains side by side.
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Britain in Hong Kong

Free listings we choose and check: the British mission, clubs, party groups, sport, schools, pubs, shops and churches. Every entry checked on its own or an official 2025–2026 page (2026-11); listings are not paid. Tell us on WhatsApp if something has changed.

Official Britain

British Consulate General Hong Kong

The UK's mission in Hong Kong: passports, emergency help and consular services; public access by appointment

1 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Website · Map · Facebook · Instagram · X · YouTube

British Council Hong Kong (Admiralty)

UK cultural and education body: English courses, IELTS and UK exams

3 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Website · Map

Business and networking

The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

Business chamber for British-linked companies: advocacy, networking and market insight; open to firms of any nationality

RM1201, Emperor Group Centre, 288 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2824 2211 · contact@britcham.com · LinkedIn

Clubs and associations

The Hong Kong St Andrew's Society

Society for Scots and friends of Scotland: St Andrew's Ball, Burns Night and the St Andrew's Challenge Quaich race night

16/F, The Hong Kong Club Building, 3A Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong

Website · Map · secretary@standrewshk.org · Facebook · Instagram · X · LinkedIn

Royal British Legion

Royal British Legion (Hong Kong & China) Branch

RBL branch running the Poppy Appeal and welfare support for veterans and their families in Hong Kong and China

WWII Veterans' Association Clubhouse, G/F Moreton Terrace, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2544 6270 · enquiry@rbl.hk

Party groups abroad

Listed side by side, in alphabetical order. We don't favour any party.

Conservatives Abroad – Hong Kong

Hong Kong branch of the Conservative Party's organisation for members abroad, serving members and supporters in Hong Kong

Website

Labour International – Asia-Pacific branch

Asia-Pacific branch of the Labour Party's organisation for members abroad, serving members and supporters in the Asia-Pacific region, including Hong Kong

Website

Lib Dems Overseas

Non-European branch of the Liberal Democrats' organisation for members abroad, serving members and supporters in countries outside Europe, including Hong Kong

Website

Sport

Hong Kong Football Club

Members' sports club founded for association and rugby football, with rugby, football, hockey, netball and other sections

Website · Map

Schools and universities

School

Harrow International School Hong Kong

British boarding and day school for ages 3 to 18, with GCSE and A level

38 Tsing Ying Road, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2824 9099 · X

School

Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong

British primary and lower secondary school for ages 3 to 13, closely aligned with the English National Curriculum

10 Shek Kok Road, Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2480 1500 · Facebook · Instagram

School

Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong

Ages 3 to 18: English National Curriculum in primary, IGCSE, then IB Diploma, A level or BTEC

19 Yuet Wah Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 3958 1488 · Facebook · Instagram · X · LinkedIn · YouTube

School

King George V School (ESF)

English Schools Foundation secondary school, Years 7 to 13: IB MYP, then GCSE, IGCSE or BTEC, then IB Diploma or BTEC

2 Tin Kwong Road, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2711 3029 · Facebook · Instagram

School

Malvern College Hong Kong

Sister school of Malvern College in England, ages 5 to 18, teaching the full IB programme with English-style houses

3 Fo Chun Road, Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 3763 0111 · Facebook · Instagram · LinkedIn · YouTube

School

Discovery Bay International School

British international school on Lantau, from Early Years Foundation Stage through primary and secondary to sixth form, based on the English National Curriculum

Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2987 7331 · Facebook · Instagram · LinkedIn · YouTube

School

Lantau International School

British-curriculum primary school on South Lantau, Reception to Primary 6, with strong Mandarin teaching; campuses at Cheung Sha, Tong Fuk and Pui O

South Lantau, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2980 3676 · Facebook · Instagram

School

Mount Kelly School Hong Kong

All-through British school linked to Mount Kelly in Devon, for children from 6 months to 14 years: babies and toddlers, preschool, prep school and college

Website · Map

School

Kellett School

British international school teaching the English national curriculum from Reception to I/GCSE and A level, with campuses in Pok Fu Lam and Kowloon Bay

7 Lam Hing Street, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 3120 0700 · Facebook · Instagram · YouTube

Preschool

Zebedee International Pre-school and Nursery

English-medium nursery and preschool in Tai Po following the British Early Years Foundation Stage, with daily Mandarin

Yat Wing House, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2650 3339 · Facebook · Instagram · X

Preschool

City Kids Preschool & Playgroup

Mid-Levels preschool following the UK Early Years Foundation Stage: accompanied classes from 10 months, preschool from 2.8 to 5.5 years

2/F East Wing, 12 Borrett Road, Mid Levels, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2522 4446 · Facebook · Instagram

University

University of Manchester East Asia Centre

Wholly owned Hong Kong centre of the University of Manchester, running postgraduate and Global MBA courses and alumni events

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Website · Map

Pubs and restaurants

Our guide to British food, shops and pubs in Hong Kong

Pub

Delaney's Kowloon

Irish pub in Tsim Sha Tsui streaming football and rugby; pub-style fish and chips

B/F, Mary Building, 71-77 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Map · 2301 3980 · Facebook

Pub

The Queen Victoria

Wan Chai pub showing live European football

G/F, Gaylord Commercial Building, 108 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai

Map · 2529 7800 · Facebook

Pub

The White Stag

Wan Chai pub showing live sport

G/F, 54-62 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai

Website · Map · 2866 4244

Fish and chips

Staunton's

Soho pub open since 1997, popular with British expats; traditional fish and chips

G/F, 10-12 Staunton Street, Soho, Central

Website · Map · 2739 3666 · Instagram

Fish and chips

The Chippy

Family-run seaside pub in Discovery Bay: cod and chips, scampi, battered sausage and British drinks

Shop G101, G/F, DB Plaza, 8 Plaza Lane, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island

Map · 2987 8688 · Facebook

Sunday roast

King's Belly

British-style pub in Tai Po with a Sunday and holiday roast menu

Shop C, G/F, Mei Fung Building, 6 Wan Tau Kok Lane, Tai Po

Map · 2663 3550 · Facebook · Instagram

Afternoon tea

The Lobby, The Peninsula Hong Kong

Classic hotel afternoon tea, served daily 2pm-6pm, first come first served

The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Website · Map

Restaurant or café

The Globe

Soho gastropub with British food and craft beer; beer-battered haddock with minted peas and curry sauce

G/F, Garley Building, 45-53 Graham Street, Soho, Central

Website · Map · 2543 1941 · Instagram

Restaurant or café

BRICK LANE

British-themed restaurant and brunch spot (also a Tsim Sha Tsui branch on Minden Avenue)

Shop 404, 4/F, CITIC Tower, 1 Tim Mei Avenue, Admiralty

Website · Map · 2363 2500 · Instagram

Restaurant or café

Magistracy Dining Room

British fine dining in the old Central Magistracy at Tai Kwun; Michelin-recommended

G/F, Block 9, Tai Kwun, 1 Arbuthnot Road, Central

Website · Map · 2252 3177 · Instagram

Churches

St John's Cathedral

Anglican cathedral in Central with English Sunday Eucharists and live-streamed services

4-8 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong

Website · Map · +852 2523 4157 · general@stjohnscathedral.org.hk · Facebook · Instagram · YouTube

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