smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
Hong Kong
| Hong Kong overall | This Advice is current for Saturday, 22 November 2008. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be alert to own security | Exercise caution | High degree of caution | Reconsider your need to travel | Do not travel |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information under Safety and Security: Natural Disasters, Severe Weather and Climate (update). The overall level of the advice has not changed.
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Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
There is little violent crime in Hong Kong.
There have been reported incidents of drinks being spiked, particularly in bars in the Wanchai area, with the intent of robbery and identity theft. You should ensure that anything you drink cannot be tampered with.
Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag snatching occurs, particularly in crowded shopping areas and on public transport.
Robberies of and attacks on tourists have increased in Shenzhen, a popular destination for day shopping trips from Hong Kong, located in neighbouring Guangdong province in mainland China. If your passport is lost or stolen while in Shenzhen, you must obtain a replacement passport (the nearest Australian Consulate-General is in Guangzhou) and a Chinese visa in order to exit the Chinese mainland and return to Hong Kong. This could delay your return to Hong Kong by up to five working days. When travelling to Shenzhen, you should keep some cash and photocopies of your passport and other documents identifying you separate from other personal belongings.
There have been robberies and assaults on hiking trails in Hong Kong's parks. You are more vulnerable to robbery or assault if you walk alone or venture off marked trails.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are only allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. You can find out more information at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website. Similar restrictions apply to flights in an increasing number of countries. Passengers travelling through the International Airport in Hong Kong may be asked to surrender duty-free alcohol, perfume and cosmetics and other items exceeding 100ml in their carry-on baggage. Contact your airline for further information.
If you have concerns about the safety standards of a particular airline or aircraft, we recommend you research the airline or aircraft through organisations such as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has published fact sheets on security for air travellers. When staff at Australia's overseas missions are advised not to use particular airlines due to safety concerns, this will be included in the travel advisory.
The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that are subject to operating bans or restrictions within the EU. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through its foreign assessment program focuses on a country's ability, not the individual airline, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by ICAO.
Typhoon season is usually from June to September. The direction and strength of typhoons can change with little warning. In the event of an approaching typhoon, you should identify your local shelter. Flights into and out of affected areas may be delayed or suspended. Available flights may fill quickly. You should contact your airline about flight information. The typhoon could also affect access to sea ports in the region. In some areas, adequate shelter from a severe typhoon may not be available to all who may choose to stay. You should carry your travel documents (eg passports, photographic IDs) or secure them in a safe, waterproof location. You should also keep friends and family in Australia advised of your welfare and whereabouts.
A well-developed weather alert and monitoring system is available from the Hong Kong Observatory. Monitor local media reports and follow the instructions of local emergency officials. For further information, see our Travel Bulletin: Severe Weather – Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons.
Australians are advised to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Check with your bank whether your ATM card will work overseas.
Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or childcare facilities in Australia.
Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
When you are in Hong Kong, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
Laws prohibiting demonstrations without government approval are strictly enforced. If arrested, you could be imprisoned or deported.
Hong Kong has strict laws regarding the import and/or possession of weapons and items that may resemble weapons, including replicas, antiques or toys. The laws apply to individuals in Hong Kong as well as those simply transiting Hong Kong airport on their way to another destination. The laws apply to items in hand-carried luggage or checked luggage, including luggage in transit. Items including genuine, replica, antique or toy guns and firearms, bullet casings or shells, knuckle-dusters, ninja throwing stars, nun chucks, flick knives and jewellery or fashion accessories that resemble such items are strictly illegal unless permits for their import and possession have been obtained from local authorities beforehand. Travellers found in possession of such items will be subject to arrest and, if found guilty, may face a fine of up to HK$100,000 or 14 years imprisonment or both.
Penalties for possession of illegal drugs, including 'soft-drugs', include heavy fines and imprisonment.
You should avoid taking photographs of military installations.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia.
Under Chinese law, dual nationality is not recognised. However, Hong Kong's basic law allows dual nationals of Chinese descent to register their Australian nationality with the Hong Kong Immigration Department, if they wish to be considered as a national of Australia. Doing so would ensure access to Australian consular service, if required. If you are an Australian/Hong Kong dual national, you are advised to seek further information on completing a Declaration of Change of Nationality, and the consequences of this, from the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
Our brochure on Travel Information for Dual Nationals provides further information for dual nationals.
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. We strongly encourage you to seek information from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Immigration Department well in advance of your intended travel date.
Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) and has separate immigration regulations from those of the People's Republic of China. Three-month visas for Hong Kong are issued to visitors on arrival but you should be aware more stringent visa issuing requirements have been introduced.
If you are entering the Hong Kong SAR from the People's Republic of China, you may be required to obtain a new visa to re-enter the People's Republic of China.
You can visit the Hong Kong SAR Immigration Department at 7 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong, (tel: (852) 2824 6111) or online at www.immd.gov.hk for further advice on Hong Kong visa matters. You can also enquire at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at level 1, Hong Kong House, 80 Druitt Street, Sydney (tel: 02 9283 3222) and online at www.hketosydney.org.au.
As a preventative measure against severe acute aspiratory syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza, local quarantine measures on entry into Hong Kong include a body temperature check. Depending on results, further medical examinations may be required.
If you plan to enter mainland China from Hong Kong, you should do so on your Australian passport. If you travel on other documents we may not be able to provide you with consular assistance as China does not recognise dual nationality. You should be aware that Chinese authorities have implemented more stringent visa issuing requirements. Authorities have also tightened the enforcement of documentation requirements for tourist (L) and business (F) visa applications, while the number of multiple entry visas issued has been reduced. You are strongly encouraged to contact your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate for detailed information. We strongly recommend you get an appropriate visa for China before leaving Australia. You should also read our travel advice for China.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while travelling overseas.
Hong Kong has a wide range of medical services and facilities of a high standard. Costs can be considerably more expensive than in Australia. Private hospitals will insist on confirmation of insurance cover, guarantee of payment or an up-front deposit before admitting patients.
Outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illnesses dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis occur from time to time. We recommend you take measures to avoid mosquito bites, including using insect repellent. Japanese encephalitis vaccine is currently unavailable in Australia. The Department of Health and Ageing is working with vaccine suppliers to make a vaccine available as soon as possible. For further details see the Department of Health and Ageing's website or consult your doctor.
Water-borne, food-borne and other infectious diseases (including tuberculosis, hepatitis and Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease) occur sporadically. We encourage you to consider having vaccinations before travelling. We recommend that you avoid raw and undercooked food. In rural areas, it is recommended that all drinking water be boiled or that you drink bottled water, and that you avoid ice cubes. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: There has been an outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in several provinces, particularly in eastern and southern regions of China, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. HFMD is caused by intestinal Enterovirus 71 (EV 71) and mainly affects small children. HFMD is transmitted via respiratory droplets and is characterised by fever, blisters and rashes on the hands, feet and buttocks. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information on preventative measures.
Milk Products: Australians overseas are advised to avoid all milk products manufactured in China. For further information, please see our Travel Bulletin on "Contaminated Dairy Products".
Avian influenza: There have been human deaths from avian influenza in mainland China since October 2005. Outbreaks of avian influenza amongst wild birds in Hong Kong have been reported. The Department of Health and Ageing advises Australians who reside in Hong Kong for an extended period to consider, as a precautionary measure, having access to influenza antiviral medicine for treatment. Long term residents are at a greater risk of exposure to avian influenza over time. You should seek medical advice before taking antiviral medicines. Australians intending to travel to Hong Kong for shorter periods are at much lower risk of infection but should discuss the risk of avian influenza with their doctor as part of their routine pre-travel health checks.
If the avian influenza virus mutates to a form where efficient human-to-human transmission occurs, it may spread quickly and local authorities could move quickly to impose restrictions on travel. Australian travellers and long-term residents in Hong Kong should be prepared to take personal responsibility for their own safety and well-being, including deciding when to leave an affected area and ensuring they have appropriate contingency plans in place. Australians in Hong Kong should monitor the travel advice and bulletin for updated information and advice, and ensure that their travel documents, including passports and visas for any non-Australian family members, are up to date in case they need to depart at short notice.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.
In Hong Kong, you can obtain consular assistance from the:
Australian Consulate General
23/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong
Telephone: (852) 2827 8881
Facsimile: (852) 2585 4457
Website: http://www.hongkong.china.embassy.gov.au/
If you are travelling to Hong Kong, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency-whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the Consulate-General you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
