Moving To Hong Kong From The UK

Moving to Hong Kong

If you are moving to Hong Kong, whether to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, or one of the smaller islands, Britannia Movers International has the local knowledge and experience to tailor the move to your individual needs.

	Importing Personal Effects to Hong Kong Shipments of used household and personal effects may be imported duty free provided that the shipper has owned and used them prior to shipment. Your local Britannia Member will provide you with detailed customs regulations. We do not recommend importation of alcohol as the duties are extremely high. All necessary documentation must be completed and submitted when requested, before your shipment is dispatched. Please note that you must be in the country in order to successfully complete all customs clearance procedures. Britannia and our agents will assist you with completion of customs formalities. To assist us with this please let us have a copy of your passport (and visa if applicable). The required documentation will be supplied to you on arrival.
	Prohibitions and Restrictions In general it is in your interest not to import the following items: Firearms & ammunition Inflammable goods & substances Plants & plant material Foodstuffs, perishables or otherwise Narcotics and dangerous goods Offensive materials Alcohol & Tobacco
	Transit Times Groupage or shared containers usually take an average of 8 – 12 weeks door to door. However, this can vary depending on volumes being shipped, customs or immigration delays and prevailing weather conditions. Sole use container loads take on average 5 – 6 weeks door to door.
	Bar Coding All Groupage consignments will be bar coded before they are loaded into the shipping container. This will ensure that no items are left at origin.
	Domestic Pets Britannia can recommend a specialised shipper of animals to assist you in sending your family pet(s) from home to home. They will coordinate all documentation and necessary veterinary procedures. Find out more about pet transport.
	Moving Motor Vehicles To Hong Kong The importation of motor vehicles is comparatively simple, and there is no import duty to be paid. However if you want to use your car in Hong Kong, you’ll have to register and license the vehicle, which can be costly and time-consuming. Your local Britannia Member can give you more information if you wish to ship your vehicle.
	International FX When you are making international payments for individuals you can benefit from IFX expertise in seeking the best possible rate, whether you are sending or receiving foreign currency. IFX can help to protect you from exchange rate fluctuations and save you time and money on international payments. IFX offers : International payments Regular Overseas Transfers Prepaid Currency Card Forward Contracts More info on the IFX website.

Moving to Hong Kong with Britannia

Your Move to Hong Kong with Britannia – Britannia can offer you a door to door shipping service to Hong Kong, and can either ship your effects by shared load or by full container load. In addition we can offer a door to door airfreight service. Our agents in Hong Kong will arrange customs clearance, and deliver and unpack the effects, including removal of debris on day of delivery.

Additional Removal Services – Britannia can provide a variety of additional removal services when moving to Hong Kong. We are authorised to provide comprehensive insurance, can arrange storage prior to delivery, and can also take care of your pet transport.

If you are interested in moving to Hong Kong, find out your removal costs, and  read more about Britannia’s international removals and additional moving services, such as pet transport or money transfer.

Living in Hong Kong

If you are planning to move to Asia for professional reasons or to find more opportunities, Hong Kong could be your perfect destination, with its strong economy, and modernised lifestyle. Often regarded as the place where “East and West meet” Hong Kong offers a perfect fusion of Western and Eastern cultures, where a modernised way of a life and a skyline dotted with skyscrapers don’t mean that traditional Chinese practices have disappeared.

Located on China’s south coast, and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and the South China Sea, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong has a different political system from mainland China, and is one of the world’s leading financial and business centres. It has a capitalist service economy, with low levels of taxation, free trade, and many international corporations have their headquarters here. Business and investment opportunities thus definitely abound and the city-state that can also boast high levels of economic competitiveness, a high quality of life, low levels of corruption, and a developed transportation system and infrastructure.

While it could first be challenging to get used to living in one of the world’s most vertical and one of the most densely populated regions, where high rises are already brimming with tenants, Hong Kong can offer a comfortable and modern lifestyle and an abundance of business opportunities. And if you want to experience something different, you can always immerse yourself in Chinese culture and get away from the buzz of this cosmopolitan city to explore one of the beautiful offshore islands.

Interesting Facts About Hong Kong

• The official languages of Hong Kong are Cantonese (a dialect of Chinese) and English.
• Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world, around 8000, almost twice as many as in New York.
• The name Hong Kong means ‘Fragrant Harbour’.
• 95% of the people of Hong Kong are of Chinese descent.
• Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Tips about Moving to and Living in Hong Kong

• British citizens may visit Hong Kong visa-free for up to 180 days. If you want to take up employment, establish a business, study, or settle down, you will need to obtain a visa before arrival.
• Hong Kong can offer high quality health care services. Although private doctors and hospitals can be very expensive – almost on par with costs in the USA – the quality of service is excellent, and doctors speak English.
• There are a number of English-speaking international schools in Hong Kong and you will be able to find schools following the British curriculum or the International Baccalaureate system.
• The cost of living and housing can be very high in Hong Kong, which is regarded as one of the most expensive expatriate destinations. High prices are slightly offset by high salaries, and low levels of taxation.