If you're in HK and need consular assistance this is obviously your only option. It's conveniently…read morelocated a short walk from Admiralty. If you Uber or take a taxi they will drop you off across the street. Security is worse than TSA. No liquids and no cell phones. They will confiscate your phone and give you a claim check. Inside is basically like a prison. The staff composed of locals and Americans is behind plexiglass. Windows have bars. Anything remotely complicated you will first be assisted by locals who will then work on your issue before sending you to Americans who will complete whatever you need done. The workers are fairly efficient and friendly.

First of all, God Bless America - let freedom ring!…read more Second, we needed to take care of formalities for our newborn son- getting his US passport and social security number. As with any US government agency, one must exercise patience and make sure they have all their ducks in a row (fill out the forms in its entirety; provide all the correct documents for evidence) to ensure that the appointment goes smoothly. Even though our appointment fell on a rainy morning in the middle of a typhoon, being a US citizen has its perks- we get a shorter line at the entrance (compared to the visa line for non-citizens) and our service was processed indoors. Security is very high here (you know how we Americans are about national security) and you can't bring your mobile phone inside the Consulate. You'll have to leave it at the entrance with a guard and pick it up on your way out. Checking in was quite simple; you pay for your service then wait for your name to be called at one of the windows. The staff was very nice and sympathetic to us (bringing your fussy newborn in a carrier in pouring down rain is no easy feat!) and highlighted anything missing in our application that we needed to fill out. Meeting with the consul went smoothly as well; he gave us no problems, took our oath that we filled out the forms truthfully, and gave us all the information we needed for the next steps. The passport processing time for our case was quoted at 3-4 weeks, while social security is 3-4 months. Son, you're well on your way to becoming an official US citizen... enjoy that global taxation! ;)

Fast and friendly staff. They were able to accommodate me and offered assistance in English. The…read morewhole process was smooth and efficient.

Spending a day at Immigration Tower is sort of like going to a DMV in the states. Depending on the…read moretime of arrival, it be disorganized, crowded and above all, confusing. There is a certain level of efficiency here, but chaos tends to reign supreme. Since Immigration Tower is actually quite big, it's important to know how to get there. Take get out the Wanchai exit A1 and walk the footbridge north until one reaches the dead end building. From there walk through the security guys and let them know you're heading to the main lobby of the immigration offices. Naturally, there are all sorts of people here. Immigrants, expats tend to dominate the ID card area, but there are also folks who are just looking to square away their travel / visa situations as well. English is definitely spoken here, but one's mileage will vary depending on how good the desk agent is. It is important to come prepared, so do a little research on their official website (http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/index.html) ahead of time. There are copy machines on the 4th floor and ATMs are available on the bottom level in case cash is needed. When it comes to the ID session, the picture taking is the most fun. Choice of photo and autoadjust is pretty awesome. Don't get too carried away though, the desk agents have a several other hundred people waiting behind you.

The longest wait ever to extend my visa here…read more You pretty much grab a number and then sit down and wait to be called. I waited about 2.5 hours for my number to be called. You can't even leave the place without knowing if you're called. Once you're called it goes pretty fast with the processing.

Well, it's been almost three years and I am finally being brave enough to get my Hong Kong drivers…read morelicense; it might take me another three before I'm brave enough to use it, but that's another story. The process is actually pretty simple. Print off a form and show up at the office in Queensway with your original license, passport and Hong Kong ID card. I made sure I was at the office by 10am (the opening hours stated online, but they actually open at 9) and the queues weren't bad - although there were audible sighs of relief when the lady crazy enough to bring a stroller to the queue whipped out an iPad and shamelessly used Frozen to keep the baby in it quiet. I did have to wait about half an hour, but that was partially due to standing in the wrong queue. Now, going back to collect the actual document, it makes sense, but the sign "first issue of HK licence" seemed completely applicable to the act of applying for one (I'd read and re-read it multiple times to make sure and I thought I had a reasonable grasp of the English language). So, tip for new players, ask at the information desk before joining a queue and save yourself some time.

Queues, queues and more queues. That's about the only way you could describe this place. On the…read moreoccasions that I have been here, whether you are trying to apply for a license, renew a license, transfer vehicle ownership papers or registration mark ; it has always involved an hour of heel killing and neck hurting (from spending too much time on my phone) wait. To the uninitiated you really don't know which queue to follow as well- almost all of them seem to do the same thing (blame the government for having so many similarly named forms). However, as much as you may like to hate this place- it is convenient. If you work on HK island then this is probably the only place that you could go to during working hours that could handle everything (notably the international driving license). Given that government offices rarely open outside of office hours this is the only choice you have and I'm afraid you just have to bear with it. The staff are not to blame in that sense, I can see that they try their best to accommodate the masses of people who come through. Language wise they have to deal with all sorts of nationalities hence you can't expect too much if you don't speak English. I would say that you will need to leave a good hour clear in your diary if you were to do anything there as it will almost always involve an application stage and a payment stage; both of which involving more lines. Its the government- what else do you expect?

Have you ever walked past this building and wondered what it was? I have, and it wasn't until I had…read moreto look up the post office opening times that I realized there was an 'Old Wan Chai Post Office'. The current Wan Chai post office is actually located a few steps away, at the Wu Chung House. The Old Office is no longer used for postal services, but it's an Environmental Resource Centre since 1993. The building dates back to the 20s and was a proper post office for almost 80 years. The architecture is certainly distinctive and stands out from the rest of the buildings around, especially since it's located at a corner and looks more like a one floor 'house'. There are two features that I like about it: the roof and the stairs leading to the main entrance, which is a little above ground level. The details around the windows and door also add personality to it and it's a good example of the architecture of the time. Thankfully it has been very well preserved and in 1990 it was declared historical building. You can come in and see it with your own eyes. One of the things that will remind you of it being a post office is the red mailboxes. And now that you are there, check out the Environmental Centre, they have a library and a garden that are worth having a look at. The Old Post Office is also part of the Wan Chai Heritage Trail that goes across main historical and cultural sites of the district...more on that later. Gotta love Wan Chai!

Statue Square is Christmas magic overload! Hong Kong…read moreWinterFest turned it into an epic Christmas Town with a huge 20-meter tree, fun toy props (spaceships, trains, mini train ride), Santa meet-and-greets, carolers, workshops, and a cute market with food and gifts. The nightly 3D light show on the skyscrapers (HSBC, Prince's Building) is absolutely stunning with total photo heaven! Runs Nov 14, 2025 - Jan 4, 2026. Easy access: MTR Central Station, Exit K. Must-visit for holiday vibes in HK--already wanna go back!

There's a reason that Hong Kong is the financial capital of Asia, and the buildings that surround…read morestatue square really showcase the influence of money in HK. If you come here at night, the buildings come to life, lighting up the sky around you. You wouldn't imagine that a bank could be a tourist attraction, but something about all these buildings together really creates such an amazing atmosphere. (I think I spent 5 minutes just watching the HSBC building change colors.) Since it's Christmas time, the square itself has a bunch of decorations and a huge Christmas tree made of ornaments. After spending some time looking at the buildings, there is also alot of great shopping and food around central/admiralty to enjoy.

Came here (obviously) for Visa application. I have been here before so it was relatively easy to…read morefind. From the ferry you enter Star House and turn left, walk all the way to the end and take the lifts at the end to 12/F. The consulate will be directly on your left when you walk out the lift. Things you need to bring for a Visa application (if you hold a BNO or HKSAR passport): - Application form (they have it at their office, but you can print your own from the website below) - Recent passport photo (4cm x 6cm or larger so they can cut it up) - Photocopy of your passport - Original passport for their verification/reference - Cash (Tourist Visa is HK$290 and business is HK$360, make sure you have cash because they don't take credit card) I think most people will find it difficult to visit their office given they operate short hours within working hours. The good news is that anybody can hand-in the application for you as long as they have all of the above (especially the original passport), no authorization/delegation form is necessary. The process will be quite short and painless if you have everything I've just mentioned. Given no line-ups (there usually are none), the process shouldn't take anymore than 5 minutes. The official website is a mess; HKTDC has a much more organized website: http://hong-kong-economy-research.hktdc.com/business-news/article/Visa-On-Demand/Cambodia-Visa-on-Demand/vod/en/1/1X000000/1X007HXO.htm

Well, everything in the process of getting 5 visas on the spot in 10' for my family went well…read moreEXCEPT that they tried to charge me adult fares for 2 kids under 12. Luckily their visas mention "gratis" in english at the top of the visa stamp/sticker. I came back to the counter and asked why they charged me nearly HKD 600 for 2 kids' visa earmarked as "gratis". Without an additional word (nor disagreement nor apology), I was refunded in cash immediately. Absent mindedness or corruption? Either way, caution is in order there...

Opened in 1989, it connects Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Island and Cha Kwo Ling, Kowloon…read more Toll is HK$25.00 for private cars, this is one of 3 cross harbour tunnels that connects Hong Kong Island to the Kowloon Peninsular. My personal preference when travelling to Kowloon is to take the Eastern Cross Harbour Tunnel as the Cross Harbour Tunnel ( connecting Causeway Bay to Hung Hom ), is super congested, waiting time usually can be 15 or 30 mins. Of course, during peak hours most tunnels will also be congested but still ECHT is more bearable!