Hong Kong’s New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme has received a total of over 2,800 applications since its launch in March 2024 until the end of 2025, bolstering the special administrative region’s status as a global investment hub, the city direct investment promotion agency said on Monday.
Invest Hong Kong said in a statement that it has received 2,825 applications for New CIES program, which was expected to bring in more than HK$85.5 billion ($10.96 billion) in investments to the city.
Under the scheme, an eligible applicant must invest a minimum of HK$30 million in permissible investment assets. A successful applicant and his or her dependents will normally be granted with permission to stay in Hong Kong for two years with the possibility of extensions.
“Through preferential policy packages, we are committed to attracting more high-potential companies to set up in Hong Kong and showcasing to the international business community the enormous potential of Hong Kong as a cross-border collaboration platform,” said Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK Alpha Lau Hai-suen.
InvestHK also assisted a total of 560 Chinese mainland and overseas companies to set up or expand their businesses in the SAR in 2025, reaching a record high and a 4 percent year-on-year increase.
The strong foreign direct investment (FDI) performance was driven by investment across diverse and high-value industries, InvestHK said.
These companies brought in almost HK$69.4 billion in investments, a nearly 2 percent increase compared to 2024.
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They were expected to create 10,748 job opportunities, covering transport, logistics and industrials, tourism and hospitality, as well as the financial services and fintech industries, with around 20 percent in management/professional level jobs, during their first year of operation, achieving more than 57 percent of increment compared to 2024, according to the agency.
A total of 298 companies assisted by InvestHK came from the mainland, topping the ranking of the top five locations of origin, followed by 42 from the United States, 29 from Singapore, 26 from the United Kingdom and 15 from Canada/Japan.
In terms of top five sectors, 117 firms were classified into financial services and fintech industry, followed by 115 from innovation and technology industry, 80 from family offices, 65 from tourism and hospitality industry and 54 from consumer products.
HKSAR Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah stressed that together with record numbers of mainland and overseas companies and start-ups in the city, there was a clear reflection of the strong global investor confidence in Hong Kong.
The SAR government will further promote Hong Kong's national opportunities and international advantages to attract FDI and companies, demonstrating the city's roles as a ”super-connector” and a “super value-adder”, Yau added.
