Remote’s guide to employing in

Hong Kong
hong-kong flag

Make employment in Hong Kong easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in Hong Kong, all in one easy-to-use platform.

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor ManagementPayroll
  • Capital City

    Hong Kong

  • Currency

    Hong Kong dollar ($, HKD)

  • Languages

    Cantonese and English

  • Population size

    7,500,700

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor ManagementPayroll

Facts & Stats

Hong Kong Fact Section
  • Capital City

    Hong Kong

  • Currency

    Hong Kong dollar ($, HKD)

  • Languages

    Cantonese and English

  • Population size

    7,500,700

  • Ease of doing business

    Very easy

  • Cost of living index

    $$$$ (39 of 139 nations)

  • Payroll frequency

    Monthly

  • VAT - standard rate

    0%

  • GDP - real growth rate

    -1.2% (2019)

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China, nestled just off its southeastern coast.

For a territory of less than eight million, Hong Kong hosts a vibrant economy built on one of the world’s strongest financial services labour markets, a robust tourism sector, and a leading professional services sector.

Combined with its 4th place ranking on the human development index and a GDP that is several times the size of comparative nations, Hong Kong offers an attractive option for companies looking to build a presence in Asia with strong global connexions.

Grow your team in Hong Kong with Remote

Looking to employ workers in Hong Kong? Companies hiring in Hong Kong must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.

Remote can employ your team in Hong Kong on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your Hong Kong team. You can also pay contractors now in Hong Kong with Remote.

Risks of misclassification

Hong Kong, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Hong Kong may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.

An aerial view of a city with tall buildings.

Employing in Hong Kong

Since its enactment in 1968, the Employment Ordinance has served as the comprehensive body of statutes guiding employment relationships in Hong Kong, covering everything from wage protections to union privileges.

Common questions during the hiring process may be regarding minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Hong Kong.

Minimum Wage

From May 1st 2023, the minimum wage has been fixed at HK$ 40 per hour. It will be reviewed every two years.

Payroll Cycle

For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly instalments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.

Onboarding Time

We can help you get a new employee started in Hong Kong fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 5 working days.

Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.

For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.

Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.

15 Public holidays

Jan
Monday, January 1, 20241The first day of January
Feb
Saturday, February 10, 20242Lunar New Year's Day
Monday, February 12, 20243The third day of Lunar New Year
Tuesday, February 13, 20244The fourth day of Lunar New Year
Apr
Thursday, April 4, 20245Ching Ming Festival
May
Wednesday, May 1, 20246Labour Day
Wednesday, May 15, 20247The Birthday of the Buddha
Jun
Monday, June 10, 20248Tuen Ng Festival
Jul
Monday, July 1, 20249Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Sep
Wednesday, September 18, 202410The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
Oct
Tuesday, October 1, 202411National Day
Friday, October 11, 202412Chung Yeung Festival
Dec
Saturday, December 21, 202413Chinese Winter Solstice Festival (At the option of Employer)
Wednesday, December 25, 202414Christmas Day (At the option of Employer)
Thursday, December 26, 202415The first weekday after Christmas Day

Want to see and manage all holidays? Sign up for our free HRIS!

Effortless HR in Hong Kong: Take the Tour

Seamlessly Manage Your Workforce, from First Hire to Final Paycheck

Competitive benefits package in Hong Kong

At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practising fair equity, which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).

Our benefits packages in Hong Kong are tailored to fulfil the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance

  • Dental Insurance

  • Vision Insurance

  • Mental Health Support

  • Pension or 401(K)

  • Life and Disability Insurance

Fair Pricing in Hong Kong

Employer of Record

Hire and pay your global team

Starting at $809/month

for annual plans

Top features

  • Satisfaction guaranteed

  • No deposits or hidden fees

  • Zero onboarding or offboarding fees

  • Compliant equity incentives support including withholding and reporting

  • Built-in security and compliance

  • Fast onboarding (average 2-3 days)

  • Flexible, localised benefits

Contractor Management

Compliantly onboard and pay contractors

$39

per contractor/month

Top features

  • Only pay for contractors you actively work with

  • Work with contractors in 200+ countries

  • Create, edit, and sign tailored, localised contracts

  • Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay

  • Transparent payments with complete visibility

Global Payroll

Consolidate your multi-country payroll

$39

per employee/month

Top features

  • Reduce costs by centralising payroll management

  • Direct support from in-house local payroll experts

  • Accurate, on-time, compliant payroll to level-up your employee experience

  • Ensure local compliance for every country

  • Tax and labour authority reporting handled for you

HRIS

Manage all of your employees in one place

Free

Top features

  • Guided onboarding and offboarding

  • Employee profile and document management

  • Time and attendance (time off and tracking)

  • Expense management and reimbursement

  • Employee self-serve on the platform and mobile app