Just Landed in Hong Kong? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage is excellent across the whole territory, including deep inside the MTR tunnels, road tunnels and even on many hiking trails. Prepaid SIMs need no ID registration and are by far the fastest way to get online the moment you land, and public Wi-Fi is widespread in malls, cafes and government buildings.

Typical cost: Prepaid local-data SIMs start from about HKD 80 to 150 for a solid data bundle; unlimited-data postpaid plans run roughly HKD 150 to 300 per month, and 5G is standard on newer plans across all major carriers.

Hong Kong is a low-tax, card-and-Octopus economy with salaries tax capped at 15 percent, but you still need cash for markets, older taxis and small food stalls. The HKD is pegged to the US dollar within a band around 7.75 to 7.85, so exchange rates against the greenback barely move.

Opening an account: HSBC, Hang Seng, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) are the mainstream choices; opening usually requires your Hong Kong ID card, a proof of local address and often proof of employment, and may need an in-branch appointment. Virtual banks such as Mox (by Standard Chartered), ZA Bank and WeLab Bank can often be opened in-app within days once you hold a HKID.

Cash: Cards and Octopus dominate everyday spending, but wet markets, dai pai dong, older red taxis and some green minibuses remain cash-only, so keep HKD 20, 50 and 100 notes handy. AlipayHK and WeChat Pay HK QR payments are widely accepted, and many people use FPS, the instant bank-to-bank transfer system, to pay friends.

Tipping: Tipping is not expected as a rule. Sit-down restaurants add a 10 percent service charge to the bill, and in taxis people simply round up to the nearest dollar or leave the coins rather than calculate a percentage. Leaving a little extra for good service in a private restaurant is appreciated but never required.

Anyone aged 11 or over who will stay in Hong Kong for more than 180 days must register in person for a Hong Kong Identity Card, giving fingerprints and a photograph. The HKID is the identity document you show for banking, signing a tenancy, starting employment and dealing with government, and by law you must be able to produce identification when asked. Registration itself is straightforward once you have an appointment, and the card is collected a week or two after your visit.

Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival for those staying more than 180 days

Where: Immigration Department, Registration of Persons offices; book an appointment online in advance via the Immigration Department website

The MTR is fast, spotless, air-conditioned and the backbone of the city, complemented by double-decker buses, green and red minibuses, the century-old trams on Hong Kong Island and the Star Ferry across the harbour. Tap your Octopus card for almost every mode, and services run frequently from around 6am to past midnight. Traffic and tunnels can be slow at peak, so the train is usually fastest.

From the airport: Airport Express to Kowloon Station in about 21 minutes or Hong Kong Station (Central) in about 24 minutes, costing roughly HKD 115 to Central and offering free in-town check-in for many airlines. A-series Cityflyer buses run to the city and New Territories for about HKD 33 to 45, while a red urban taxi to Central costs roughly HKD 300 to 370 including tunnel tolls.

Rents are among the highest in the world and flats are small, so a 400 to 500 square foot one-bedroom is normal even at a good salary. Most newcomers rent through licensed estate agents, who charge commission, and serviced apartments make a practical short-term landing spot while you view places in person, which matters given how much light and layout vary.

Typical rent: A modest one-bedroom flat runs roughly HKD 15,000 to 25,000 per month, rising well above that in Central, the Mid-Levels, Happy Valley or prime Kowloon; you can pay less in New Territories towns such as Sha Tin, Tseung Kwan O or Tuen Mun.

Deposit norm: Landlords typically ask for two months' rent as a deposit plus the first month upfront, and agents usually charge half a month's rent as commission. Read the tenancy for the break clause, which commonly lets either side end the lease after the first year with notice.

Hong Kong has excellent public hospitals run by the Hospital Authority, with heavily subsidised care for residents, alongside a large, fast and English-speaking private sector. Public accident and emergency care is available to everyone, though waits for non-urgent cases can be long, and the city's overall health outcomes are among the best in the world.

How to access it: Public A&E and clinics charge low fees to Hong Kong ID holders, so bring your HKID; the standard A&E charge for residents is modest while non-residents pay a far higher fixed fee. Many expats use private clinics and hospitals such as Matilda, Gleneagles, Hong Kong Sanatorium or Quality HealthCare for speed and English-language service, paying either out of pocket or through insurance.

Insurance: There is no mandatory national health insurance; most employers provide private medical cover as a benefit, and the government-backed Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) offers certified individual plans. Private insurance is strongly recommended given how quickly private-hospital bills add up.

• Stand on the right on escalators so people in a hurry can pass on the left, and let passengers exit trains and lifts before you board.
• Queue patiently and orderly lines form naturally at bus stops, taxi ranks, tram stops and shops.
• Use both hands when giving or receiving a business card, and take a moment to read it rather than pocketing it immediately.
• Keep your voice down on public transport and never eat or drink on the MTR, where it carries a fine.
• At a shared meal, let elders start, use serving chopsticks for communal dishes, and offer to pour tea for others before yourself.
• A light tap of two fingers on the table is the customary way to thank someone for pouring your tea.
• Remove your shoes when entering someone's home, and bring a small gift such as fruit or pastries if invited to dinner.

• Politics is a sensitive topic; be cautious and read the room before discussing local politics, protests or mainland affairs in public.
• Do not jaywalk, litter or spit, as fixed penalties are actively enforced by police and are easy to incur without realising.
• Summer heat and humidity are intense from May to September, and heavy black-rainstorm and typhoon signals can shut the city down, so watch official warnings.
• Air quality can dip on hazy days, especially near busy roads, so those with respiratory issues should check the Air Quality Health Index.
• The number four is considered unlucky because it sounds like the word for death, so some buildings skip floors numbered with a four.