How do you hire a Hong Kong employee in 2026?
Hong Kong has no statutory written-contract deadline. But the Employment Ordinance sets your obligations from the first day of a continuous contract. MPF enrolment must be completed within 60 days of the start date. Miss it and both you and the employee face penalties.
· Hong Kong guide
Illustration · Hong Kong
The Hong Kong hire process has five steps. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written employment contract, onboarding admin, first payday.
The Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) governs all continuous contracts. A continuous contract is any arrangement where an employee works at least 18 hours per week for four or more continuous weeks.
MPF enrolment must be completed within 60 days of the start date. Annual leave of 7 days begins after 12 months of continuous service. The minimum notice after probation is 1 week from the employer and 7 days from the employee.
What does the end-to-end Hong Kong hire process look like?
Five steps take you from accepted offer to first payslip. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written contract, onboarding admin, first payday.
The key compliance deadlines are MPF enrolment within 60 days and, for non-permanent residents, confirming the right visa or work permit before the employee starts.
| Step | What happens | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, salary, start date, and key terms | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept |
| 2. Work-authorisation check | Confirm Hong Kong permanent resident status or verify the employee's valid work visa or employment permit | Teamed | Before the employee starts |
| 3. Written employment contract | Signed written contract covering Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) terms | Teamed (legal employer) | On or before day one |
| 4. Onboarding admin | MPF scheme enrolment, tax reference number, bank details, benefits setup | Teamed | Days 1 to 60 (MPF hard deadline) |
| 5. First payday | First payslip issued; employer's MPF contributions filed | Teamed | End of first pay period |
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Issue the offer letter
Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, salary, start date, probation terms with the no-notice first-month rule, notice of 1 week minimum after probation, and any conditions such as immigration clearance or reference checks.
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Complete the work-authorisation check
Check the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card for permanent residents, or verify the employment visa or entry permit for non-permanent residents, before the employee starts. Record the document details and retain a copy.
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Issue the written contract
A signed Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) compliant contract should be in place on or before day one. Teamed's standard Hong Kong contract covers all required terms. Clients choose commercial elements. Teamed signs as the legal employer.
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Complete onboarding admin
Enrol the employee in an MPF scheme (the hard deadline is 60 days from the start date), collect Hong Kong Identity Card details, bank account information, and set up benefits. This runs across days one to 60.
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Issue the first payslip
Run the first payroll at the end of the first pay period. The employee receives their payslip. Teamed files the employer's annual return with the Inland Revenue Department each April covering the full tax year.
What must a Hong Kong offer letter include?
The offer letter is not the contract. It is the document the candidate decides against.
Include role title, reporting line, start date, monthly salary, working hours, location, probation period and notice terms, MPF enrolment notice, and any conditions such as reference checks or immigration clearance.
Three traps to avoid in Hong Kong offer letters:
- Quoting only a base salary without specifying pay cycle. The Employment Ordinance requires wages to be paid at regular intervals. State the payment cycle (monthly is standard) in the offer letter and carry it through to the contract. Ambiguity about whether a payment is a wage or a discretionary bonus matters for statutory entitlement calculations.
- Vague probation terms. Hong Kong law sets no statutory cap on probation length. Market practice runs up to six months. But the rules around notice change at the one-month mark: within the first month of probation, either side can end the contract with no notice. After the first month, 7 days notice applies. State this clearly in the offer letter so there is no dispute.
- Omitting the continuous contract test. An employee who works at least 18 hours per week for four or more continuous weeks is on a continuous contract and receives the full Employment Ordinance protection set. If the role is part-time or irregular, state expected hours so both parties understand whether the continuous contract applies from day one.
Teamed's standard Hong Kong offer letter template covers all required ground. Clients choose commercial terms. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues documents in both English and Traditional Chinese where requested.
Hong Kong work-authorisation checks
Hong Kong does not have a right-to-work check in the UK sense. There is no government portal or online verification service for employment eligibility.
Hong Kong permanent residents can work freely. Non-permanent residents need a valid visa or entry permit that authorises employment before they start.
Hong Kong permanent residents
A holder of a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card (HKPIC) has the right to work without restriction. The employer checks the identity card, retains a copy, and records the card number. No separate work permit is required. Permanent residency is acquired after seven years of ordinary residence in Hong Kong.
Non-permanent residents and visa holders
Non-permanent residents who are not Hong Kong SAR or British National (Overseas) passport holders require a valid visa or entry permit issued by the Immigration Department. Common categories for employment include the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), and the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). Each permit specifies the employer and, often, the role. A change of employer generally requires a new or varied permit.
The employer must check the permit before the employee starts, retain a copy, and record the expiry date. A follow-up check is required before the permit expires. Employing a person without a valid work permit is a criminal offence under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115) and can result in a fine and imprisonment.
A person who is not a Hong Kong permanent resident must hold a valid visa or entry permit authorising employment before commencing work in Hong Kong. Employing a person without the right to work is an offence under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115).
Source: Hong Kong Immigration Department: Employment visas and entry permits
Ongoing checks for time-limited permits
For employees on visas with an expiry date, Teamed tracks the renewal deadline and alerts the employee ahead of time. A permit expiry without renewal is a compliance breach for both employer and employee. Teamed manages the calendar so no renewal is missed.
The Hong Kong written contract: what must it contain?
Hong Kong law does not set a deadline for delivering the written contract. The Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) requires the terms to be agreed, but does not require them to be in writing unless the employee requests it.
In practice, a signed written contract before day one is the only safe approach. Teamed issues a full written contract on or before the start date.
What a Hong Kong employment contract should include to comply with the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57):
- Names of employer and employee
- Start date of employment
- Job title or brief description of the work
- Wage amount and payment cycle (monthly is standard)
- Allowances, commissions, or bonuses, with a clear statement of whether each is discretionary or contractual
- Working hours per day or week and the rest day arrangement
- Annual leave entitlement, accrual method, and the basis for computing leave pay
- Sickness allowance terms and the accumulation cap of 120 days
- Probation period terms including the no-notice window in the first month and 7 days notice after that
- Notice required by each side after probation: 1 week minimum from the employer and 7 days from the employee
- MPF scheme details and the employer contribution rate
- Any end-of-year payment, contractual bonus, or long-service arrangement
- Disciplinary and grievance procedure references
The continuous-contract test is central to Hong Kong employment law. An employee working at least 18 hours per week for four or more consecutive weeks is on a continuous contract and entitled to all Ordinance protections from day one. Teamed's standard Hong Kong contract is drafted to the continuous-contract standard and reviewed annually against current legislation.
Key source: Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) via the Hong Kong Labour Department.
Onboarding admin in the first week
Days 1 to 7 cover the contract signature, visa verification, bank details, tax reference, and benefits setup.
MPF enrolment has a 60-day window from the start date. Teamed submits enrolment before that deadline. The client handles the cultural and operational side.
| Onboarding task | Who does it | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Written contract signed | Employee and Teamed | Day 0 or 1 |
| Work-authorisation check completed (HKPIC or valid visa copy) | Teamed | Day 0 (before start) |
| Hong Kong Identity Card or passport copy collected | Employee submits to Teamed | Day 1 |
| MPF scheme enrolment | Teamed | Within 60 days of start date |
| Bank details (FPS or CHATS account) collected for payroll | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Salaries Tax reference noted (employee files own tax return) | Employee; Teamed advises | Days 1 to 7 |
| Private medical or benefits enrolment | Teamed (admin) and Client (decision) | Days 1 to 14 |
| Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 |
| Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 |
| 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 |
How does Teamed handle Hong Kong employment for you?
Teamed becomes your legal employer of record in Hong Kong for from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up in any currency.
The Employment Ordinance contract, MPF enrolment, payroll, and the full Hong Kong compliance stack run on one platform.
Real HR and legal experts handle your Hong Kong hires, from the first offer letter through every annual employer's return to the Inland Revenue Department. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice.
EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A Hong Kong contractor who converts to direct employment keeps their record. Run the Crossover Calculator to see when your Hong Kong hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Hong Kong hiring overview. Each guide here takes one layer of Hong Kong employment law.
Key sources: Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57), MPF mandatory contributions, and Immigration Department employment visas.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire someone in Hong Kong through Teamed?
Teamed can onboard a Hong Kong permanent resident within a few business days from accepted offer. The critical path items are the written contract, the work-authorisation check, and MPF enrolment. MPF enrolment has a 60-day window from the start date. Non-permanent residents who need a new or varied employment visa will take longer, as immigration clearance must be in place before the employee starts.
What is the MPF and when must enrolment happen?
The Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) is Hong Kong's compulsory retirement savings scheme. Both the employer and employee must contribute 5% of the employee's relevant income each month, up to a salary ceiling. Enrolment must be completed within 60 days of the employment start date. Failure to enrol on time is an offence under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485) and can result in financial penalties.
What is the notice period during probation in Hong Kong?
In Hong Kong, no notice is required from either side during the first month of a probationary period. After the first month, the minimum notice for either side is 7 days. After probation ends, the minimum employer notice rises to 1 week and the minimum employee resignation notice is 7 days. These are the legal minimums under the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57); contracts commonly set longer notice periods for senior roles.
When does unreasonable dismissal protection apply in Hong Kong?
An employee on a continuous contract who has been employed for 24 months or more is protected against unreasonable dismissal under Part VIA of the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57). Before that threshold, the employer can end the contract with the required notice and no compensation beyond terminal pay. After 24 months, dismissal for a discriminatory or retaliatory reason can attract a compensation award.
What is the minimum annual leave entitlement in Hong Kong?
The minimum paid annual leave under the Employment Ordinance is 7 days per year after completing 12 months of continuous employment. Leave entitlement increases with tenure on a stepped scale. Hong Kong also has 15 statutory holidays per year. Statutory holidays and annual leave are separate entitlements; employers must grant both.
The MPF window catches companies out. Sixty days sounds like plenty of time but it runs from day one, not from probation end. If an employee leaves before the enrolment deadline and contributions have not been made, the liability is already accrued. We enrol on day one so the window never becomes a problem.
Hong Kong gives you 60 days to enrol in MPF. The clock starts on the first day of work.
The continuous-contract test applies from day one if the employee works 18 hours a week or more.
Get the enrolment and the contract in place early and you stay clean from the start.
