Hong Kong
UN/LOCODE HKHKG · Hong Kong · Asia-Pacific
Crew guide
Shore leave
Hong Kong grants shore leave to seafarers with seaman's books and a shore pass issued by the agent under the standard Hong Kong Immigration Department procedure. Hong Kong is not a Convention 185 signatory but has its own efficient shore-leave regime. Most crew changes happen at Kwai Tsing Container Terminals (the world's busiest container hub for many years) or at the Hung Hom anchorage for tanker turnarounds. Mission to Seafarers Hong Kong operates the Mariners' Club in Tsim Sha Tsui, one of the largest and best-equipped seafarer centres in the world.
Walking distance + transit
Container terminals at Kwai Tsing connect to the city by agent van (30 minutes to Central). The Mariners' Club is at TST, on the MTR (subway), 5 minutes walk from the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island. Pricier than Singapore, but cleaner and easier than Shanghai or Shenzhen.
Essentials
- ATMs: every MTR station, every 7-Eleven; HSBC, Hang Seng, Citibank machines are universal
- Money changers: Chungking Mansions in TST is famous (best rates, slightly chaotic); Central has gentler options
- Hospital: Queen Mary Hospital (Pok Fu Lam, public, A&E open 24/7), Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Yau Ma Tei)
- Prayer rooms: every major mall, Kowloon Mosque (TST) is the central Islamic landmark
- Halal food: clusters in TST and Yau Ma Tei, plus the South Asian community in Sham Shui Po
- Supermarket: Wellcome, ParknShop everywhere; 7-Eleven for 24/7
- SIM card: 1010, 3, csl at airport or any 7-Eleven; HK$80-150 for 30-day tourist plan
Seafarer tips
Do: use the Octopus card for transport — it works on MTR, buses, ferries, and many shops. Don't: argue about the shore-pass duration with immigration officers — Hong Kong is strict on overstays and the consequences include flag-administration notification. Watch for: post-2020 political climate has tightened entry procedures slightly. Hong Kong remains crew-friendly but expect more paperwork than 5 years ago. The Mariners' Club is open 24/7 with full amenities — internet, restaurant, accommodation, chaplaincy.
Last verified: 2026-06-29. Confirm with ship's agent before going ashore — local policy changes.
Hong Kong (UN/LOCODE HKHKG) is a designated seaport with an adjacent airport in Hong Kong in the tropical northern Asia-Pacific region. The port operates on Asia/Hong_Kong, uses the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), runs shore power at 220V/50Hz (Type G). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), 26 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- 22.3167, 114.1667
- Time zone
- Asia/Hong_KongUTC +08:00no DST
- Local currency
- HKD— Hong Kong Dollar
- Languages
- zh, en
- Nearest airport
- HKGHong Kong International Airport~26 km
- Electricity
- 220 V50 Hzplugs G(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- CwaHumid subtropical (dry winter)
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 1--45---
seaport · airport · postal exchange
- Port authority
- Home - Marine Department
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
P&I correspondents
- · Holman Fenwick Willan Hong Kong
- · Mayer Brown Hong Kong
- · Spica Services Hong Kong
Port agents
- · Wallem Hong Kong
- · Inchcape HK
- · Cosco Shipping Agency HK
ISPS security level (normal): 1
Western Quarantine and Immigration Anchorage (WQIA); fast-paced lighter operations; typhoon season Jul-Oct.
Helplines for seafarers in Hong Kong
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- Mariners' Club Hong Kong (Stella Maris + MtS)Asia-Pacific · 24/7 front desk · en, zh
- Mariners' Club Hong Kong (Mission to Seafarers)Asia-Pacific · Mon-Sat 9-21 HKT · en, zh
- ISWAN SeafarerHelpGlobal · 24/7 · en, ar, es, fr
- ISWAN Mental Health & Wellbeing helplineGlobal · 24/7 · en, es, ru, tl
- ITF SeafarersGlobal · 24/7 for emergencies · en
- ISWAN — Family helpline (for relatives of seafarers)Global · 24/7 · en, hi, tl
Other ports in Hong Kong
Survival information
Practical information for crew arriving here. Verified where possible — see sources. Spot a mistake or missing detail? Tell us.
Emergency contacts
- Hong Kong Police / Fire / Ambulance: 999 · 24/7
- Marine Police Operations Base — Hong Kong Marine Region: +852 2226 4111 · 24/7
- ITF inspector — Hong Kong: +852 2541 1331 · business hours
Hospitals / clinics
- Queen Mary Hospital102 Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong
- Princess Margaret Hospital — Lai Chi Kok (port-area)
Shore leave
Hong Kong generally permits shore leave under a port shore pass arranged by the vessel's agent. Crew with regular HK visa-waiver nationality may also exit port area for the duration of the call. Reference: immd.gov.hk.
Plan it: /tools/shore-leave-port-card
Transport
Nearest major airport: Hong Kong International Airport (HKG (~26 km)). Vessel agent normally arranges taxi or seafarer-centre shuttle to/from the airport at sign-on / sign-off. Confirm transport with the agent at least 24 hours before disembarkation.
SIM & Wi-Fi
Major operators: CSL, SmarTone, 3 HK. Tourist SIM at HKIA arrival hall (Terminal 1, Level 5). Free Wi-Fi at Mariners Club Hong Kong (11 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui) + The Mission to Seafarers HK chapel.
Related rights: shore leave · medical care · abandonment · unpaid wages.
Port-state-control region: tokyo MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Hong Kong: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Hong Kong?
- Shore leave at Hong Kong: Hong Kong generally permits shore leave under a port shore pass arranged by the vessel's agent. Crew with regular HK visa-waiver nationality may also exit port area for the duration of the call. Reference: immd.gov.hk.. Shore leave policy is set by the port authority, the flag administration, and the visa regime of Hong Kong. Confirm with the agent before stepping ashore.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Hong Kong?
- Seafarers calling at Hong Kong on a vessel are generally exempt from regular tourist visas under Convention 108 / 185 (Seafarers' Identity Documents) if their flag administration has ratified the convention and they hold an SID. The standard document is the seaman's book + ship's crew list. Hong Kong may also require a shore pass issued by the agent. Confirm before you board the vessel — visa rules vary by nationality and by recent immigration-policy changes.
- Is there a seafarer welfare centre at Hong Kong?
- Yes — 1 seafarer welfare centre is listed for Hong Kong in our directory. The centres are typically run by the Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea), or a regional ministry, and offer wifi, transport, shop, chaplaincy, and advocacy. Walk-in is normal; no appointment needed.
- Is there a crisis or welfare helpline I can call from Hong Kong?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for Hong Kong in our directory, plus ISWAN's 24-hour multilingual SeafarerHelp (+44 20 7323 2737) and the ITF Helpline. Helplines handle crisis support, abandonment, wage theft, mental health, and bereavement.
- What's the nearest hospital to Hong Kong?
- Most major ports have a port-area hospital with seafarer-accustomed admissions; the welfare centre and the ship's agent can both advise. For serious cases, the nearest international hospital is normally in the same city or the next major city. The nearest major airport is Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), about 26 km away — useful for medevac planning.
- Is Hong Kong a recognised crew-change port?
- Yes — Hong Kong is listed in our directory of recognised crew-change hubs, consolidated from IMO MSC.1/Circ.1636, ICS/IFSMA briefings, and ITF priority-port reports. Recognised hubs typically have better port-state and immigration facilitation for crew-change operations, faster visa processing for seafarers, and more welfare-centre presence.
For the arriving crew
- Pilot ladder (SOLAS V/23) — rigging + inspection + Master's duty of care.
- Pre-arrival checklist — the standard bridge + engine + agent workflow before entering port.
- Ships' agent — role + documentation + interface with pilotage + tug + immigration.
- Currency at port — cash-carrying limits + declaration + safe practices.
- Hours of rest — STCW VIII/1 + MLC A2.3 rest rules during port operations.
Sources & verification (14)
- country_iso3 · ISO 3166-1 (HK)retrieved 2026-05-05
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (HK)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (HKD)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (HKD)retrieved 2026-05-05
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (HK)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Asia/Hong_Kong)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Hong_Kong)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Hong_Kong)retrieved 2026-05-05
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (HK)retrieved 2026-05-05
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (1--45---)retrieved 2026-05-05
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (HKG)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q8646)retrieved 2026-05-07
- osm_relation_id · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q8646)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (HK)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.