Hong Kong Travel checklist
Flying to Hong Kong soon?
Latest update: 11 August 2022
From 12 August, passengers travelling to Hong Kong will only need to complete three nights in a Designated Quarantine Hotel (DQH), followed by four days of medical self-monitoring at home or in a normal hotel.
Here's our step-by-step checklist on what you need to do to prepare for your trip.
Our colleagues welcoming you in London Heathrow or Manchester Airport will check the following documents.
Your documents will also be checked multiple times by quarantine officials on arrival in Hong Kong. Therefore, we strongly recommend you to have printed copies ready for your convenience.
A valid passport
A valid passport or other valid travel document and, if required, a Visa/permit to enter Hong Kong.
Check restrictions for passengers travelling to Hong Kong and the Immigration and quarantine requirements section on the same page.
A negative COVID-19 PCR test
Travellers age three and over will require a negative PCR test, please ensure your test report contains the following elements:
a) It is printed in English, Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese.
b) Your name printed on the test report MUST match that in your travel document or Hong Kong Identity Card.
c) Test type must be a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based nucleic acid test.
d) The sample collection date and time must be clearly stated. Your sample needs to be taken not more than 48 hours before the scheduled time of departure of your flight to Hong Kong.
e) The result must be 'Negative' or 'Not detected'.
We also recommend to have additional personal identifiers such as your 'Date of Birth' or 'Travel Document Number' printed on the test certificate.
Your Hong Kong hotel room reservation
Starting from the day of arrival, you will need a hotel reservation in one of the designated quarantine hotels for no less than three nights.
Please ensure your full name is printed on the hotel confirmation, including all guests’ names in shared room.
Proof of your vaccination status
For passengers vaccinated in England or Wales, we only accept the NHS COVID Pass or proof of full vaccination in the UK, in a physical or digital format.
For those vaccinated in Scotland or Northern Ireland, we accept the relevant certificates.
For those vaccinated in the European Union, we will only accept the Digital Covid Certificate Vaccination (EUDCC) issued by relevant national health authorities, in a physical or digital format.
If you were vaccinated in Hong Kong, your printed vaccination certificate, eHealth record or your vaccination pass stored in your electronic wallet will need to be shown.
Please note, it must have been at least 14 days since you were given your final dose in order to be considered “fully vaccinated”.
Hong Kong Pre-Arrival Clearance
Once you have all the documents ready, fill in the Health Declaration required by the Hong Kong authorities. Download and save the QR Code at the end.
Fly ready confirmation
Log on to Fly Ready, follow the prompts and upload the necessary documents. Once your documents have been verified, a successful confirmation email will be sent to you or we will let you know if further clarification is required.
Once you have received a successful confirmation, you are ready to fly!
Save time at the airport
Fly Ready with our document pre-verification
Save time and stress by uploading your documents before your flight from the UK to Hong Kong. We’ll verify them ahead of time and let you know if there's any issues – so you can arrive at the airport ready to fly.
Submit your documents anytime between 48 hours and 12 hours before your flight departs from London Heathrow or Manchester.
Pre-departure COVID-19 test
Travellers aged three and over who are transiting through the UK and ending their journey in Hong Kong, must have a COVID-19 PCR test 48 hours before their scheduled departure time.
Only a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based nucleic acid test will be accepted as a pre-departure testing requirement.
We have partnered with various providers and pre-approved their testing and documentation processes for smooth departure from London Heathrow airport. You can also find exclusive discounts for Cathay Pacific customers.
Hotel quarantine upon arrival
A reservation confirmation at one of the designated hotels in Hong Kong is required, for no less than three nights starting on the day of your arrival in Hong Kong. See our hand-picked hotel deals for quarantine.
We understand there may be some uncertainty about where to stay and what you can expect from your quarantine, so we've put together a useful guide to help you make the most out of your time.
Documentation & further FAQs
COVID-19 rules continue to change, often at short notice, so it’s important to be well informed. Please visit our Hong Kong entry requirements page for more information about required documents.
We've also collated your most frequently asked questions to ensure you have all the information you need before flying.
How should I get a test report with an accredited laboratory that Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong Government will accept?
There are many accredited testing providers available, however we work closely with a select few and would recommend that all our passengers use one of these providers. View our recommended testing partners.
These organisations are reputable, reliable and responsive to our customers when real time support is needed. They are also clear on the requirements of the Hong Kong Government and their test reports for passengers travelling to Hong Kong are custom made to fit the requirements of the Hong Kong Government.
Furthermore, our recommended test centres have all presented their accreditation to us and we hold copies of these, so we can assist if you need help providing their accreditation document.
My test report does not have my middle name on it. However, it has my passport number that shows that I am the person on the report, is that okay?
The Hong Kong Government has recently relaxed its requirement on names shown on health related certificates.
This relaxation means that we are now allowed to accept passengers in possession of health related documents that show only an incomplete given name but feature the passenger’s exact family name together with the passenger’s date of birth or travel document number identical to what is shown on the person’s travel document. However, some restrictions do apply and we invite you to consult the Hong Kong Government website for more details.
When should I get my PCR test?
Your sample needs to be collected within 48 hours of the scheduled departure time of your flight to Hong Kong i.e. the flight you take from the last departure point on your journey to Hong Kong.
If you are travelling from elsewhere to London or Manchester and then flying with us to Hong Kong, you need to make sure that your test is conducted within 48 hours of the scheduled departure time of your Cathay Pacific flight.
However, you should also make sure to leave ample time to receive your test results. Please check with your provider for expected turnaround time.
These are additional measures we are taking to ensure our Hong Kong bound passengers test negative on arrival, thereby facilitating the arrival experience for all and to support local community’s effort to combat the virus. We appreciate your understanding and co-operation.
What types of tests are accepted by Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong Government?
The following types of test are acceptable (extracted from the Hong Kong Government website):
The following are common acceptable terms for "nucleic acid test":
- "Polymerase chain reaction" ("PCR"),
- "reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction" ("RT-PCR"),
- "real time RT-PCR",
- "real-time PCR",
- "nucleic test",
- "qRT-PCR", "RT-qPCR",
- "nucleic acid amplification test" ("NAAT"), "TrueNAT", "CBNAAT",
Apart from "COVID-19", "SARS-CoV-2" is also an acceptable term for the virus in relation to tests.
LFD tests, LAMP tests or Antigen tests are NOT accepted.
What proof do I need to show that I’m fully vaccinated?
A person is only considered “fully vaccinated” by the Hong Kong Government 14 nights after the last dose in the course of vaccination.
For example, if you receive your final dose on 01 June (Day 0), you are considered to be fully vaccinated on or after 15 June (Day 14). That is - we can only accept you to travel on flights departing on or after 15 June.
You must have been vaccinated with one of the vaccines recognised by the Hong Kong Government.
The three vaccines currently being administered in the United Kingdom; Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna, are all on the list of approved vaccines by the Government of Hong Kong.
For passengers vaccinated in England or Wales, we only accept the NHS COVID Pass, in one of the following formats:
1. The NHS Covid Pass directly accessed from your NHS app
2. A digital or physical version of the NHS Covid Pass downloaded from https://covid-status.service.nhsx.nhs.uk
3. A physical NHS Covid Pass letter sent to you by the NHS
For those vaccinated in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man we accept the relevant certificates.
If you are vaccinated in the European Union, we accept only EU Digital Covid Certificate issued by the relevant national authorities in a digital format or physical format.
Your vaccination certificate must contain the following elements:
a) It is printed in English, Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese.
b) Your name that matches with your travel documents.
c) Name of vaccine received.
d) Date when does(s) were administered.
If you were vaccinated in Hong Kong, your printed vaccination certificate, eHealth record or your vaccination pass stored in your electronic wallet will need to be shown.
If you have been vaccinated elsewhere, please refer to the Hong Kong Government websiteOpen a new window for further requirements on documentary proof of vaccination.
How can travellers aged 12-17 provide proof of vaccination?
Inbound travellers aged 12 to 17 who have received one dose of Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine more than 14 days ago are deemed to have complied with the requirements of completing the COVID-19 vaccination course under boarding and quarantine requirements by the Hong Kong Government.
Travellers vaccinated in the UK aged 16 and 17 can apply for an NHS Covid Pass for travel. Please see the "What proof do I need to show I'm fully vaccinated?" FAQ above for further information on getting an NHS Covid Pass.
Requirements for passengers aged 12-15:
The UK Government have recently made it possible for travellers aged 12-15 to acquire for an NHS Covid Pass for travel therefore, from 27 December onwards we will only accept the NHS Covid Pass for passengers over 12 who have been vaccinated in the UK. The application may take seven days or longer to process we therefore recommend applying as soon as possible. Please see the "What proof do I need to show I'm fully vaccinated?" FAQ above for further information on getting an NHS Covid Pass.
The UK Government has extended the NHS COVID PASS to vaccinated individuals aged 12 years old and above since 13 December. The Government has also previously announced that NHS appointment cards are not to be used as proof of vaccination and should not be used to demonstrate vaccination status.
All proof of vaccination must be provided in English, Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese.
I’ve heard the UK Government accreditation of the testing laboratory is no longer required by the Hong Kong Government, is that true?
Yes, passengers entering Hong Kong will no longer have to show a separate document proof to show that the laboratory or healthcare institution is accredited by the relevant authorities.
Are children under 3 exempt from pre-departure testing?
Yes - The Hong Kong Government has announced that from 01 June 2022, children under three (i.e. before they reached their 3rd birthday) will no longer need to present a negative PCR test before they board. They are nevertheless, subject to a PCR test on arrival administered by health officials on arrival in Hong Kong.
Do you need paper copies of the test report and accreditation, or is it okay to show them to you on my phone?
You can present your documents on your phone if you wish. However, we strongly recommend you to print out your test report (and separate accreditation document if you are flying before 1 June) for check-in and inspection upon your arrival in Hong Kong. This will speed up the whole process and ensure smooth handling at various checkpoints.
If you choose to present these items on your phone, we recommend that you have a back-up way to access them in case your device runs out of battery or in case of technical issues.
However, you must print the Cathay Pacific Passenger Travel Declaration.
I recently recovered from COVID. My PCR Test still shows positive, can I still travel to Hong Kong?
We hope you are feeling better.
From 01 June 2022, you may still be able to travel to Hong Kong if you fulfill the following additional requirements:
i) A certificate issued by a medical practitioner or a recovery record issued by relevant authorities, showing that you were infected with COVID-19 14 to 90 days prior to boarding for Hong Kong and have recovered (the personal information contained on the documentary must match your travel document);
ii) a negative Rapid Antigen Test (Lateral Flow Test) test for COVID-19 issued by a laboratory or medical clinic. The sample for which was taken within 24 hours before the scheduled time of departure of your flight to Hong Kong.
Please ensure these documents are in English, Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese
Don't forget! You can also save time at the airport by submitting your documents to us between 48 and 12 hours before your flight departs for pre-verification using Fly Ready.
