Hong Kong or Japan
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
| Hong Kong | Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 61 224 | $ 24 467 |
| Citizenship | — | 5 years |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | difficult | no |
| Pets | difficult | difficult |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | — | 180 days |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 3 152 | $ 1 606 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 54,6 | $ 34,9 |
| Life expectancy | 85.39 | 84.04 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.38 | 0.23 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | — | 8.3 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Hong Kong — 21, Japan — 88. Types present in both: work, study, family, investment, startup, talent, repatriation and working holiday. Japan adds: remote work, retirement and job seeking.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Hong Kong: fees range from 330 to 600 HKD. Routes with a published decision deadline: 14; the shortest is 14 days. Japan: fees range from 6,000 to 10,000 JPY. Routes with no fee: 72. Routes with a published decision deadline: 87; the shortest is 14 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: Hong Kong after 7 years, Japan after 10 years. Citizenship: Japan after 5 years; the other country publishes no term. Parents cannot be brought to either country.
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.
Japan in brief
Japan combines low crime, good healthcare and a fast route to permanent residence through the Highly Skilled Professional points system with high natural hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, volcanoes), a ban on dual citizenship and practically no route for parent reunification outside a narrow HSP exception.
Other comparisons
Hong Kong or… Taiwan · South Korea · Thailand · Kazakhstan · Lebanon · Uzbekistan · Malaysia · Azerbaijan
Japan or… Philippines · Bangladesh · Kuwait · Iraq · Mongolia · Oman · People's Republic of China · Sri Lanka
More on each: Hong Kong · Japan. 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.