1. Hong Kong travel agent license (Travel agency license)core application requirements
Statutory minimum paid-in share capital
The paid-in share capital of a limited company shall not be less than HK$500,000.，Partnership/sole proprietorship must provide bank deposit certificate of the same amount，and provide a bank guarantee as a deposit。
Authorized Representative (AR) Qualifications
At least one AR must be appointed，Completion of Form 5 or equivalent，Have at least 2 years of tourism management experience，Completion of courses designated by the Tourism Inspection Bureau。
Physical Business Location and Business License
Must have a physical place of business (non-residential) accessible to the public，A business license is required for each location，The head office and branches must be issued separately。
2. Hong Kong travel agent license (Travel agency license)Details of statutory fees
| Expense items | Amount | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Initial application fee | 630 Hong Kong dollar | Pay when submitting application，Non-refundable |
| annual license fee | 5,820 HKD/year | The license is valid for up to 12 months，Pay after approval |
| Legal deposit (bank guarantee) | 500,000 Hong Kong dollar | Provided by licensed bank guarantee |
| Additional branch capital requirements | 250,000 HKD/per branch | If you need to add a branch，Additional proof of capital required |
3. Hong Kong travel agent license (Travel agency license)application process
Stage one：Basic preparation and verification
Completed company capital injection to HK$500,000，Establish a physical store and sign a lease，Certified copies of key documents completed by a licensed attorney。
Stage 2：Acceptance and review by the Tourism Inspection Bureau
Submit paper or online application materials，Respond to regulatory inquiries regarding AR qualifications and background，Cooperate with necessary on-site or material spot checks。
Stage three：Officially issued electronic license
After meeting all licensing conditions，The Tourism Authority issues electronic master license and business location business license，The licensee must print and display the。
4. Hong Kong travel agent license (Travel agency license)List of application materials
Completed travel agent license application form (for companies) and authorized representative declaration form
Certificate of Incorporation (CI)、Valid Business Registration Certificate (BR)、Latest Annual Return (NAR1) or Incorporation Form (NNC1)
director、Copies of identification documents of shareholders and authorized representatives，And proof of AR’s academic qualifications and 2 years of relevant work experience
Financial report audited by an auditor or latest deposit statement issued by the bank (amount not less than $500,000)，and the original bank guarantee
Lease agreement for the business location or proof of property ownership，and indoor and outdoor photos of the location.
Key documents must be certified and stamped by a licensed lawyer or compliance professional in Hong Kong.
5. Hong Kong travel agent license (Travel agency license)Compliance red lines and legal risks
It is a criminal offense to operate or imply to operate a travel agency business without a license，The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for 2 years.。
Failure to display electronic license plates and business license printouts in a conspicuous place at the business location，Can be prosecuted and fined。
Unauthorized changes to major shareholders or controllers (holding more than 15% of shares or voting rights) without prior written approval from the Tourism Inspection Bureau，A serious violation，Can result in license revocation and criminal penalties。
Force shopping or arrange for travelers to enter specific stores，Travel agencies and their managers must bear criminal and disciplinary liability，The maximum number of licenses that can be revoked is。
Failure to pay the outbound travel levy and affix electronic stamps as required，would be a direct violation of the Tourism Industry Ordinance，Risk of fines and license revocation。
6. Hong Kong travel agent license (Travel agency license)success stories
Application for a Hong Kong branch license of a well-known OTA
Hong Kong Huitong assists an overseas online travel platform，With no physical retail experience，Successfully passed the background check of the Tourism Inspection Bureau，Obtained travel agent license，Only took 10 weeks。
Local hospitality agency quickly obtains license
A new travel agency specializing in mainland inbound tour groups，The Hong Kong Huitong legal team is fully involved in the process，Ensure that its capital certificate and authorized representative qualifications are passed in one go，Only 4 weeks from submission to approval。
Compliance approval for change of controller
A licensed travel agency plans to introduce new shareholders，Hong Kong Huitong legal consultant strictly complies with the requirements of Chapter 634，Assistance in obtaining prior approval from the Tourism Authority，Avoid criminal liability due to unauthorized changes。
7. Hong Kong travel agent license (Travel agency license)The latest regulatory developments
- 2026-05-01
The Tourism Authority fully implements electronic licenses and business permits，Only sent via email in PDF format，No more physical physical licenses will be issued，The licensee must print and properly display the。
- 2026-06-08
The latest administrative guidelines from the Tourism Authority emphasize that，Online travel platforms (OTAs) must display their license number in a prominent position on their website，Otherwise you may be fined。
8. Hong Kong Huitong - Professional card care team
Chen Dawen
Senior legal advisor，Hong Kong practicing lawyer，Specializing in tourism regulations and license applications，More than 15 years experience
Li Mingli
Compliance Director，Former inspector of the Bureau of Tourism Inspection，Thorough knowledge of authorized representative vetting standards and background investigation processes
Zhang Weixiong
Licensing Services Manager，Successfully assisted more than 200 companies to obtain travel agent licenses
9. Hong Kong travel agent license (Travel agency license)Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
Unified license plate：Under the current Tourism Industry Ordinance，The two types of businesses have been merged into a unified "Travel Agent License"。Applicants can check the box to operate "outbound travel business" and/or "inbound business" according to actual needs.。
AR is the key manager who directly oversees day-to-day operations on behalf of the travel agency.。The legal minimum requirement is 1 person，and unless specifically approved in writing by the Tourism Authority，The same AR shall not serve as the AR of two or more different licensed travel agencies.。
Must be paid in cash。A limited company must submit documents verified by the auditor to prove that the paid-in share capital has actually been received and is not less than HK$500,000.，Non-cash fixed asset discounts are not accepted as offsets。
Cannot operate in residential premises。If located in a shared office，The location must be independent、Dedicated room accessible to the public and with fixed physical partitions，Must not be an open mobile workstation。
The travel agent license is a "master license"，A business license is an authorization for a specific business location。The head office and each branch must apply for a business license separately before opening.。
From May 1, 2026，The Tourism Authority only issues electronic licenses (PDF format)。Licensees are required to print a clear version by themselves，Continuously display in a prominent location at the business location，And publish the license number on the official website。
On the premise that the materials are complete and the AR qualification is undisputed，The approval cycle of the Tourism Authority is usually 8 to 12 weeks。Young material failure，time will be extended。
Applicants must bring original documents，Go to Hong Kong to practice law、Accountant or notary office，The original will be inspected by a professional and the copy will be stamped with a certification seal and signed.。
Within 6 months after the end of each financial year，Annual financial statements audited by a practicing auditor must be submitted to the Tourism Authority，And prove that the annual capital is not lower than the legal bottom line。
a serious criminal offence，Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for 2 years.，Actual controller of the company、Directors and senior executives are subject to personal criminal liability。
When operating outbound travel package services，Travel agencies must pay the outbound travel levy to the Bureau of Tourism Supervision in accordance with the law，and stamp electronically on customer receipts，Ensure that travelers receive statutory compensation in the event of travel agency failure。
The license is usually valid for 1 to 3 years。The licensee must apply for renewal at least 1 month to 3 months before the license expires。
