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Cars 4 Rental Information on Hong Kong

General

Area: 1098 sq km (424 sq miles).

Population: 6,787,000 (official estimate 2002).

Population Density: 6181.2 per sq km.

GEOGRAPHY: Hong Kong is located in East Asia, just south of the Tropic of Cancer. Hong Kong Island is 32km (20 miles) east of the mouth of Pearl River and 135km (84 miles) southeast of Canton. It is separated from the mainland by a good natural harbour. Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain in 1842 by the Treaty of Nanking; and the Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street and Stonecutters Island) in 1860 by the Convention of Peking. The area of Boundary Street to Shenzhen River and a group of 260 islands, now known as the New Territories, were leased to Britain in 1898 for a period of 99 years. The New Territories (plus the 260 islands) comprise 891 sq km (380 sq miles). Shortage of land suitable for development has led to reclamation from the sea, principally from the seafronts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

Government: Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China since 1997. Head of Government: Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa.

Language: Chinese and English are the official languages, with Cantonese most widely spoken. English is spoken by many, particularly in business circles.

Religion: Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist, with Christian and Muslim minorities, but there are also places of worship for most other religious groups.

Time: GMT + 8.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Telephone

Directory enquiries services are computerised. For directory enquiries, dial 1081 (English) or 1083 (Chinese). Full IDD is available. Country code: 852. Outgoing international code: 001. Local public telephone calls can be made either with phonecards or coins. Local calls are free from private phones.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 and 1800 networks provide excellent coverage, even to most of the smaller outlying islands. Mobile telephones also function all over the underground network, thanks to transmitters installed in the tunnels. Main network operators include New World Mobility (website: www.nwmobility.com), Peoples Telephone Co Ltd (website: www.peoplesphone.com.hk), SmarTone Mobile Comms Ltd (website: www.smartone.com.hk) and Sunday (website: www.sunday.com).

Fax

HK Telecom International Ltd and the post office provide services. Bureaufax and international services are also available.

Internet

ISPs include ABC Net (website: www.hkabc.net), HKNet (website: www.hknet.com) and Hong Kong Internet Service (website: www.hkispa.org.hk). Internet cafes are plentiful nationwide.

Post

Regular postal services are available. Airmail to Europe takes 3 to 5 days. Poste Restante facilities are available. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800; Sat 0800-1400.

Press

English-language dailies include Asian Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune and South China Morning Post.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Hong Kong Dollar (HK$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of HK$1000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of HK$10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20 and 10 cents.

Currency exchange: Foreign currency can be changed in banks, hotels and bureaux de change. Banks usually offer the best rate of exchange.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Accepted almost everywhere. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Pounds Sterling, US Dollars or Euros.

Currency restrictions: There are no restrictions on the import or export of either local or foreign currency.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Hong Kong Dollar against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04 Aug ’04
£1.00= 12.94 14.15 13.93 14.36
$1.00= 7.74 7.78 7.80 7.79

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1630, Sat 0900-1230.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No No
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio 1 N/A
Malaria 2 N/A

1: Vaccination against typhoid and polio is advised.

2: There may be a slight risk of malaria in the rural areas although prophylaxis is not considered necessary.

Food & drink: All water direct from government mains in Hong Kong exceeds the United Nations WHO standards and is fit for drinking. However, all hotels also provide bottled water in guest rooms. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

Other risks: Japanese encephalitis may occur in the New Territories between April and October. Immunisation against hepatitis A, B, diphtheria and TB is sometimes recommended. Dengue fever is increasing.

Health care: Charges are made for all services and treatment. All visitors are advised to take out private health insurance. Hotels have a list of government-accredited doctors. First-class Western medicine is practised. Excellent dental care is available. For emergency medical services, dial 999.

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Climate

Hong Kong experiences four distinct seasons, with the climate influenced in winter by the north-northeast monsoon and in summer by the south-southwest monsoon. Summers are very hot, with the rainy season running from June to August. Spring and autumn are warm with occasional rain and cooler evenings. Winter can be cold, but most days are mild. There is a risk of typhoons and tropical storms from April to October, although direct hits are rare.

Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are worn during warmer months, with warmer clothes for spring and autumn evenings. It should be noted that even during the hottest weather, a jacket or pullover will be required for the sometimes fierce air conditioning indoors. Warm mediumweights are best during winter. Waterproofing is advisable during summer rains.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No/1 Yes
Australian Yes No/2 Yes
Canadian Yes No/2 Yes
USA Yes No/4 Yes
OtherEU Yes No/3 Yes
Japanese Yes No/4 Yes

Entry restrictions: All visitors must show evidence of sufficient funds to support themselves during their stay.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least 6 months after the period of intended visit required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) 1. British Citizens for stays of up to 180 days (British Overseas Citizens, British Subjects, British Protected Persons and nationals of British Dependent Territories may stay for up to 90 days);
(b) 2. nationals of Commonwealth countries for stays of up to 90 days (except nationals of Samoa, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Uganda for stays of up to 30 days, and nationals of Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, Lesotho and Mozambique for stays up to 14 days): nationals of Grenada, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and the Solomon Islands do require a visa;
(c) 3. nationals of EU countries for stays of up to 90 days (except 1. British citizens for stays of up to 180 days);
(d) 4. nationals of Andorra, Anguilla, Bermuda, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montserrat, Norway, Romania, St Helena and Dependencies, San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, USA, Venezuela and Zimbabwe for stays of up to 90 days;
(e) nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Costa Rica (except holders of a provisional passport and holders of ‘Documento de Identidad Y Viaje’ issued by the Costa Rican Government, who do require a visa), Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru (except for holders of Peruvian special resident’s passports, who do require a visa), Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay (except holders of passports issued under decree 289/90, who do require a visa) and Yemen for stays of up to 30 days;
(f) nationals of Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoro Islands, Congo (Dem Rep), Congo (Rep), Cte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Madagascar, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, (Federated States of) Micronesia, Mongolia, Niger, Oman, Palau, The Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, So Tom e Prncipe, Saudi Arabia, Surinam, Togo and Vatican City for stays of up to 14 days;
(g) People in transit not leaving the airport transit area except for nationals of Eritrea, Iraq, Liberia, Pakistan (except holders of Diplomatic and Official passports) and Sierra Leone who do require a transit visa;
(h) all other nationals for stays of up to 7 days (except for nationals of Eritrea, Iraq, Liberia, Pakistan (except holders of Diplomatic and Official passports) and Sierra Leone who do require a visa at all times).

Note: For clarification or further information, contact the Hong Kong Immigration Department, 2nd Floor, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (tel: 2824 6111; fax: 2877 7711; e-mail: enquiry@immd.gov.hk; website: www.immd.gov.hk). Their booklet Do you need a Visa for Hong Kong is also available from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London (see Contact Addresses section).

Types of visa and cost: Tourist; Business (single- and multiple-entry); visas generally cost HK$135, but this varies according to nationality and nature of visit. Enquire at the Chinese Consulate (or Consular section at the Embassy) or the Hong Kong Immigration Department for details. Transit: HK$70.

Validity: 3 months. Extensions are possible for about HK$135. Enquire at the Immigration Department in Hong Kong or at the nearest Chinese Embassy (or Consular Section).

Application to: Chinese Consulate (or Consular Section at the Embassy), Hong Kong Economic Office or the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

Application requirements: (a) Passport valid for at least 6 months with photocopies of the relevant pages of information. (b) Completed application form. (c) Valid travel documents (onward or return tickets and accommodation bookings). (d) Sufficient funds to cover duration of stay. (e) Two passport-size photos. (f) Evidence of employment (employment certificate, company letter etc). (g) Fee. (h) For business visas, a letter of invitation from a ministry, firm or an official Hong Kong organisation is required.

Working days required: 5 (if the application is processed by a Chinese Consulate or Embassy); 4 to 6 weeks if the application needs to be considered by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. Note that there is no refund if the application is turned down.

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