Are you a start-up in the design industry thinking about acquiring a Hong Kong Investment Visa but don’t have the funds needed to do so? An extremely useful government-backed programme that is available that is looked on favourably by the Immigration Department is the Design Incubation Programme which is administered by the Hong Kong Design Centre. This scheme offers a whole range of benefits to make achieving your Investment Visa as easy as possible. At Centre O we help our clients every step of the way to give them every chance of a successful application.
The DIP is a two year non-profit making programme receiving funding support from the Hong Kong SAR Government. Throughout this two year incubation period, successful applicants will enjoy assistance in many areas including office premises, business development support, and a series of tailor-made training programmes and networking sessions with industrial organizations, academic institutes, professional bodies, and potential business partners. Applicants from the design disciplines of fashion, branding/packaging, product, jewelry, visual/spacial arts, media and communication, and interior/architecture are welcomed to apply. Office rental for the first 12 months is free and the total financial assistance is HK$260,000. The admission criteria for local applicants onto this programme is to be a permanent Hong Kong resident, already with a startup HK incorporated company (incorporated no more than 3 years before the application date), and be in early stages of development, so that financial and professional support is needed. Overseas applicants must have an overseas incorporated company operating at their respective country of domicile, that hasn’t been incorporated for more than 5 years at the date of application. If the application is improved, a Hong Kong incorporated company must be set up immediately. Other admission criteria is that a shareholder or partner of the application-company must not be a shareholder or partner of a current incubatee or graduated company in the DIP, or other incubation programmes funded by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and that for overseas applications, the application-company must have at least two full-time staff, including at least one representative from his /her country of domicile, working for the Hong Kong-incorporated company before the commencement of the programme. The total processing time is around 11 weeks upon receipt of a completed application.
For this programme the applicant must first set up a Hong Kong Limited Company with a registered office address in HK. If you currently don’t have an incorporated company, we provide this service as well. Please email for more details on either incorporation or the HK Investment Visa application.