What this guide covers
- Prioritise safe accommodation, working contact and time-limited identity tasks, then add everyday services.
- Record responsibility, documents, next action and confirmation for each task, not merely application submitted.
- Schools, banks and public services have separate eligibility and processing times; keep alternatives.
Prepare a verifiable document set before travel
When packing, organise papers by family member: travel documents, visas or entry permission, relationship evidence, school and work records, and important medical information. Keep originals securely in hand luggage and protect electronic copies with encryption. Check spellings and expiry dates while everything is together, and note what is still outstanding. That saves having to reconstruct the file after arrival. Avoid putting all originals in checked baggage or making the family's complete identity records accessible through a public sharing link.
- Record conditions of stay, expected arrival and important deadlines.
- Prepare a working contact method, temporary address and emergency contacts.
- Arrange a reasonable transition for ongoing medicines or children's learning needs.
Days one to three: a safe home and working contact
For the first few days, concentrate on somewhere safe to stay, a working phone and usable payment methods. Check your entry records and actual permission to stay, and confirm an address where you can be contacted and receive mail. Complete any required SIM registration through the operator's official channel, then test calls, messages and data. Arrange transport payment and basic funds. In temporary accommodation, learn the access arrangements, fire exits, shopping options and nearby help before rushing into other tasks or using an inaccurate address.
- Keep entry and accommodation records and create the first-month task list.
- Check the phone number's validity and future retention method.
- Plan office locations, appointments and complete journeys for the coming days.
Week one: run identity and housing tasks together
Identity-card registration and finding a longer-term home can progress together during the first week. New arrivals generally aged 11 or above and permitted to stay more than 180 days must register an HKID within 30 days of arrival under Immigration Department rules, so book early and check your documents. For housing, weigh travel to work, schools, cost and the neighbourhood, and view the property and verify authority before signing or paying. A signed tenancy needs stamping within 30 days of signature; its start date may be different.
| Task | Evidence of completion |
|---|---|
| HKID application | Appointment and application receipt, collection notice |
| Tenancy | Complete signed agreement, receipts and handover arrangements |
| Stamping | Checked stamp certificate |
| Move-in | Confirmed photographs, inventory and meter readings |
Week two: household accounts and schedules
As you move in, record the furniture, appliances, existing defects and meter readings, then arrange utility accounts or transfers and broadband installation. Ask your chosen bank what it requires and prepare genuine identity, address and funding information. Opening may take time, so keep a workable way to pay for daily needs. Once the account is active, test payments and notifications and review its limits. When the address and phone number are settled, update your employer, school, insurer and other organisations individually.
- File the lease, deposits, account records, bills and confirmations by institution.
- Make sure family members handling separate tasks know each other's progress and next steps.
For children, ask before everything else is settled
Families do not need to finish every housing and banking task before speaking to schools. Make enquiries before or around arrival about applications or transfers, and assemble reports, identity, relationship and learning-support records. The Regional Education Office for your area can help with public-sector places; kindergarten families should separately check the relevant year's K1 and registration arrangements. Before the first day, confirm meals, uniform, collection, communication platforms and emergency contacts. Starting attendance is only one part of settling in, so keep watching language and emotional adjustment.
- Keep short-term care and backup options where school and work start dates conflict.
- Protect rest and familiar friendships so the child does not face too many changes at once.
Weeks three and four: complete work, healthcare and emergency plans
Once daily life is more settled, revisit work, healthcare and emergency arrangements. Check the employment contract, pay, rosters, MPF and tax details, keeping wage and contribution records. Actual statutory enrolment deadlines still apply; a first-month timetable does not extend them. Gather family medical, allergy and medication records and find out how first registration and booking work at Family Medicine Clinics. Keep emergency, weather, transport and school information easy to find, and agree storm arrangements with your employer and family.
Frequently asked questions
Must every account be opened in the first month?
No. Prioritise statutory deadlines, safe housing and essential contact. Follow other tasks according to eligibility and progress, with backup payments and care.
What can we do before having a tenancy?
Research registration, schools, bank documents and transport, organise originals and ask what temporary evidence is accepted. Do not invent a permanent address.
Can all family members use one checklist?
Use a shared tracker, but check each person's identity, school, medical, banking and authority requirements separately, with a responsible person and completion evidence.
Official sources and further reading
This guide draws on the sources below, last checked on 2026-11-13. Before acting, recheck the relevant authority’s current eligibility, fees and annual arrangements.
Immigration DepartmentRegistration or replacement of a Hong Kong identity cardChecked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceInland Revenue DepartmentTenancy agreement stamp duty FAQsChecked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceEducation BureauSchool placement for newly arrived childrenChecked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceHong Kong Monetary AuthorityOpening and maintaining bank accountsChecked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceHome Affairs DepartmentService Handbook for New ArrivalsChecked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceCheck whether each item is an official requirement, case-specific evidence or an editorial suggestion. Other people’s experiences may help, but decisions on your case remain with Immigration or the relevant authority.
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