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Hong Kong’s pet owners have been waiting for this one: the chance to bring their dogs along for a proper sit-down meal indoors – and to stop feeling guilty every time they leave their best friend at home to go out for dinner.
For decades, the city’s food premises have operated under strict rules from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), banning dogs (and most pets) inside to ensure food safety and hygiene. Only guide dogs and approved service animals have been allowed as exceptions, with hefty fines possible for violations – but a new policy is about to change that for the first time in over 30 years.
As announced in the 2025 Policy Address, the government is introducing a special permit that will let selected restaurants welcome dogs indoors. The initiative aims to support the growing pet community and boost the local ‘pet economy’ by giving businesses new ways to attract customers. In late January 2026, the secretary for environment and ecology Tse Chin-wan informed the Legislative Council that the first batch of these special permits is targeted for approval by mid-2026, with application dates yet to be confirmed.
The rollout will be limited to roughly 500 to 1,000 permits to allow for monitoring and adjustments before wider expansion. If demand exceeds the quota, permits will be allocated via a lottery system. Operators will be required to pay an application fee of $140 and must follow detailed guidelines such as displaying clear signage at entrances, prohibiting dogs from being placed on dining tables or coming in contact with food and tableware, and forbidding the cooking or preparation of dog food on the premises. Applications from certain high-risk setups like hotpot or barbecue venues will not be accepted. Pet owners will also be required to keep their dogs under control at all times with a leash no longer than 1.5 metres or secured to a fixed object.
This new scheme sits alongside several other recent pet-friendly initiatives in the city. Select bus routes now accommodate pets on weekends and certain weekdays, while the Light Rail has made its pet-carrying scheme a permanent feature on weekends and public holidays. Coming up on March 1, up to 1,200 dogs will also be allowed on MTR trains for the first time as part of the SPCA Dogathon charity event.
The first restaurant approvals remain several months away, but mid-2026 is now the clearest target date for when dog-friendly dining could begin to appear in Hong Kong, so watch this space for more updates!
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