If you’re travelling to Hong Kong with your family — especially if you like to be organised before you land — you might be wondering:
Do we need to fill in a landing card?
The good news is that for most travellers, the process is now very simple. Below is everything you need to know about Hong Kong landing cards, who needs one, what replaced them, and what to keep safe during your stay.
Do You Need a Landing Card for Hong Kong?
For most visitors, no — you do not need to complete a traditional paper landing card anymore. Hong Kong removed the standard arrival and departure landing card requirement for visitors in 2013. Instead, when you pass through immigration at Hong Kong International Airport you will receive a small printed Landing Slip.
This has replaced the old landing card system.
What Is the Hong Kong Landing Slip?
The Landing Slip is a small printed piece of paper given to you by immigration officers after your passport is checked.
It includes:
- Your name
- Passport number
- Date of arrival
- Your permitted length of stay
- The condition of stay (for example visitor)
It replaces the old entry stamp.
Who Gets a Landing Slip?
Most visitors entering Hong Kong as tourists will receive one.
This includes:
- UK passport holders
- EU passport holders
- US, Canadian and Australian passport holders
- Many other visa-free nationalities
If you are entering on a visa, you will still receive documentation confirming your stay conditions.
How Long Can You Stay in Hong Kong?
This depends on your passport.
For example:
- UK passport holders can usually stay up to 180 days visa-free
- EU passport holders typically receive 90 days
- US passport holders typically receive 90 days
Immigration officers decide the permitted duration at the border.
Always check your individual eligibility before travelling.
How Do You Get a Landing Slip?
You do not apply for it in advance.
The process is straightforward:
- Arrive in Hong Kong
- Join the immigration queue
- Present your passport
- Answer any routine questions
- Receive your Landing Slip
You will also receive one if you arrive in Hong Kong by cruise ship – it is slightly different in what is presented on it and will usually include the name of the ship you arrived on.
There is nothing to fill in beforehand for standard tourist visits. If you are travelling with autistic children or children who struggle with queues, you can request special assistance at the airport which means someone will often escort you through the airport in shorter queues, even at immigration.
Read: Special assistance at Hong Kong International Airport
Do Children Receive a Landing Slip?
Yes. Every traveller, including children, receives their own Landing Slip.
If you are travelling as a family, make sure each person’s slip is kept safely with their passport. They are small, loose pieces of paper that would be very easy to lose.
How Long Do You Need to Keep the Landing Slip?
You must keep it for your entire stay in Hong Kong.
You may be asked to show it:
- When checking into hotels
- If dealing with immigration matters
- When exiting Hong Kong
You will not hand it in when you leave, but you should keep it until departure. If you lose it, you may need to visit the Hong Kong Immigration Department to obtain a replacement. If you’re travelling with kids, it can help to designate one parent to hold all travel documents.
What If You Enter Hong Kong by Cruise?
If you arrive by cruise ship at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal or Ocean Terminal you will still go through immigration procedures and receive documentation confirming your entry and permitted stay.
The process may vary slightly depending on whether Hong Kong is a port stop or embarkation point, but the Landing Slip system still applies.
Do You Need to Complete Any Online Arrival Form?
Currently, standard short-stay visitors do not need to complete an online arrival card before travelling to Hong Kong. This makes Hong Kong one of the simplest Asian destinations for UK families in terms of paperwork.
- No digital arrival card
- No paper landing card
- Just immigration and your Landing Slip
Final Tips for Families Visiting Hong Kong
- Check your passport validity before travelling
- Put your Landing Slip inside your passport immediately
- Take a photo of it as a backup
- If travelling with children, organise documents before joining the immigration queue
Hong Kong is genuinely one of the smoothest airport arrivals we’ve experienced as a family, which makes a big difference when travelling with neurodivergent children.
Ready to plan your trip to Hong Kong? These guides will help:
