Hong Kong is a major aviation hub in Asia. As for me, I’ve just flown back to London via Hong Kong from Taipei and one big advantage is the low taxes and fees. For example, my British Airways business class redemption only had about £40 in taxes, which is incredibly cheap.
But what’s even better is that even this low amount can be refunded – how generous it that?! Here’s a quick guide on how to reclaim Hong Kong’s Air Passenger Departure Tax.
Eligibility:
- Aged 12 or above
- Arrive in Hong Kong by sea, land, or air
- Depart by air on the same day or the following day
The refund amount is HKD 200 (around £19). Note that if you booked a through ticket (A – Hong Kong -B), the departure tax is usually not charged in the first place, so there’s nothing to reclaim. However, if you booked separate tickets like I did, you’ll generally be eligible.
If you enter Hong Kong by sea or land, you can process the refund directly at the SkyPier Terminal. But most people arrive by air, in which case you’ll need to apply through the official online refund portal. Note that you must complete Hong Kong departure immigration (i.e. enter the airside area) before submitting the application. If you’re not collecting cash, there’s no rush, as you can apply within 28 days.
Required documents:
- Travel document (usually your passport)
- Arrival boarding pass
- Departure boarding pass
- Proof of departure tax payment
The first three can simply be photographed. For the fourth, you’ll need to find your e-ticket receipt, where you should see a line item of HKD 200 labelled something like “Departure Tax”.
Once you upload the documents (images or PDFs), the system automatically recognises and verifies them, after which you choose a payment method:
- WeChat Pay or Alipay (Mainland China users only)
- Bank transfer
- Cash
Fees apply: 1.9% for WeChat Pay/Alipay, and as high as 5.9% for bank transfers. Cash is fee-free, but you’ll need to collect it at a designated counter airside before boarding. That said, holding onto HKD cash isn’t always that convenient if you don’t plan to spend it immediately.
The system is quite efficient – right after submission (facial recognition required), I received a notification that my application had been approved.
I chose WeChat Pay, though I’m not sure how many days it will take to arrive. Overall, the process is very smooth. Next time you fly via Hong Kong, don’t forget to claim this small but easy win.
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