Did you know that Hong Kong is one of the most popular travel destinations among Malaysians? In fact, the Special Administrative Region of China recorded 405,508 arrivals from Malaysia last year, the nationality with the 8th highest number of visitors outside of Mainland China.
Well, Malaysians planning to visit Hong Kong later this year will have to fork out a little bit more as the Hong Kong Government has announced that it is increasing its departure tax by a whopping 67% starting in October 2025!
Hong Kong is increasing its departure tax by 67% to HKD200 (RM115)
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For context, Hong Kong’s Air Passenger Departure Tax (APDT) is imposed on passengers aged 12 and older who depart from Hong Kong International Airport and is included in the airfare.
Hong Kong charges APDT on all passengers departing from Hong Kong International Airport, except for direct transit passengers/connecting airside transfer passengers, passengers who arrive in Hong Kong by aircraft and depart the city by aircraft within the same day, those arriving from China, as well as others in this list.
Paul Chan
Currently, APDT is set at HKD120 or around RM69, but recently, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan has announced that starting in October, the tax will be increased by 67% to HKD200 or approximately RM115.
The Hong Kong Free Press quoted Chan as saying that the tax hike will increase the revenue of the Hong Kong Government by HKD1.6 billion or RM917.23 million per year while having minimal impact on air passengers.
The new APDT rate will apply to tickets purchased after 1 October 2025.
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Hong Kong is also increasing visa fees to HKD1,300 (RM745)
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The Hong Kong Financial Secretary revealed the matter during his 2025 Budget speech at the Legislative Council on 26 February.
Besides that, Chan said that visa fees, which are charged based on the duration of stay will rise from HKD600 (RM344) to HKD1,300 (RM745). Accordingly, the revenue from the visa fees is expected to increase by HKD620 million (RM355.3 million) per annum.
However, Malaysian travellers do not need to worry about visa fees when visiting Hong Kong as Malaysian passport holders are exempted from visa applications for tourism or social visits, which allows them to stay in the city for up to 90 days.
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So, what do you guys think of Hong Kong’s increased departure tax starting October 2025? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
