Recent news from Hong Kong International Airport is especially encouraging for travelers connecting through Hong Kong. Starting October 1, Hong Kong’s air passenger departure tax rules will see a major change. Previously, travelers arriving in Hong Kong by land and then departing by air could not apply for a tax refund; that restriction is now being removed, so the exemption will no longer be limited to travelers arriving by sea. At the same time, the eligible connection window for claiming the refund will be extended to 48 hours.

The government announced on June 11 that, under the Air Passenger Departure Tax Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order 2025, more passengers will be exempt from paying the departure tax. The new order will be published in the Gazette this Friday (June 13), expanding the scope of exemptions under the Air Passenger Departure Tax Ordinance.

Key changes

  • If you arrive in Hong Kong by air and depart again by air within 48 hours, you can qualify for the tax refund or exemption. Previously, if you entered Hong Kong, you had to leave on the same day.
  • Travelers entering or leaving Hong Kong by non-air means can also qualify for the refund if they depart from Hong Kong International Airport within 48 hours after entering Hong Kong.
  • New provisions will restrict Hong Kong residents from avoiding the departure tax by making a brief trip to Mainland China or Macau.

Although the per-passenger departure tax increase from HK$120 to HK$200 is not huge, the change should still help improve Hong Kong International Airport’s competitiveness. Based on 2024 air passenger traffic statistics, this new exemption is expected to benefit nearly 830,000 air transit passengers and 2.5 million intermodal transfer passengers each year, while potentially reducing government revenue by about HK$670 million annually.

Refund platform

Previously, to receive the refund, travelers had to apply online, and the money would be refunded by check. If a visitor did not have a Hong Kong bank account, or did not return to Hong Kong again, it was effectively difficult to collect the money.

To support the new rules, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) will handle refund applications for all eligible passengers and will launch a new electronic application platform. This will allow travelers to apply for refunds via cash, credit card, or other payment methods. Given the high share of Mainland visitors, it would not be surprising if Mainland payment options such as WeChat Pay and Alipay are also supported.

Bottom line

Once the new rules take effect, travelers connecting in Hong Kong who are eligible for a departure tax refund should be able to claim it through a much simpler process. That convenience could also slightly lower the effective cost of award tickets departing from Hong Kong.