People's Republic of China or Hong Kong
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| People's Republic of China | Hong Kong | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | $ 61 224 |
| Citizenship | — | — |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | doable | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | difficult |
| Pet limit | 1 | no limit |
| Quarantine | no | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 118 · estimate | $ 3 152 |
| Basket | $ 26,7 | $ 54,6 |
| Life expectancy | 78.02 | 85.39 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.5 | 0.38 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 7.8 | — |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: People's Republic of China — 24, Hong Kong — 21. Types present in both: work, study, family, startup, talent and repatriation. Hong Kong adds: investment and working holiday.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
People's Republic of China: the fee is 1,500 CNY wherever it is published. Routes with a published decision deadline: 6; the shortest is 15 days. Hong Kong: fees range from 330 to 600 HKD. Routes with a published decision deadline: 14; the shortest is 14 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: People's Republic of China after 4 years, Hong Kong after 7 years. Bringing your own parents: People's Republic of China — yes, Hong Kong — no.
People's Republic of China in brief
The PRC builds entry around qualifications: besides the ordinary Z work visa there is an R visa for occupations in acute demand and, introduced on 1 October 2025, a K visa for young scientists and technologists. The constraint is the longer-term outlook: dual citizenship is not allowed, and official sources do not disclose the conditions for naturalisation.
Hong Kong in brief
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the PRC with the status of a separate jurisdiction (“one country, two systems”): low taxes, English as a working language, three channels for skilled specialists (GEP, TTPS, QMAS). Permanent residence comes after 7 continuous years, but it is not the same as PRC citizenship — naturalisation is difficult and does not allow dual citizenship. The official dependant visa covers only a spouse and minor children, not parents. Housing is among the most expensive in the world; typhoons are a recurring natural hazard.
Other comparisons
People's Republic of China or… Taiwan · South Korea · Japan · Thailand · Kazakhstan · Lebanon · Uzbekistan · Malaysia
Hong Kong or… Azerbaijan · Philippines · Bangladesh · Kuwait · Iraq · Mongolia · Oman · Sri Lanka
More on each: People's Republic of China · Hong Kong. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.