For the first time in 22 years, Hong Kong is raising the departure tax on air passengers, and the increase will see travellers paying 67 percent more starting from October 1.
Hong Kong lawmakers passed the Air Passenger Departure Tax (Amendment) Bill 2025 earlier this year in May to address the existing Air Passenger Departure Tax (APDT) charged by the Hong Kong government. It applies to all passengers aged 12 years or above who depart from the city by air, meaning travellers will soon be paying $200 per departure – that’s an $80 increase from the current rate of $120.
Some officials have expressed concerns over the amendment, criticising the tax hike as detrimental to attracting more travellers and that it could put Hong Kong behind regional competitors. Others have defended the increase as affordable and ‘reasonable’. It is expected that the APDT will generate around $1.6 billion government revenue per year.
Currently, there are some exceptions to this rule. Passengers who are in direct transit or on connecting flights who remain airside, and passengers who arrive in and depart from Hong Kong by air on the same day do not have to pay this transit tax, for example.
From October 1 onwards, the ADPT exemptions will expand to include passengers who arrive at and depart from HKIA by aircraft who have stayed no longer than 48 hours, as well as passengers who arrive in the city through means other than by air and depart the city again by aircraft on the day of arrival or the following day, not exceeding 48 hours.
Passengers who fall under these criteria will still be charged the ADPT as part of their flight ticket price, but it is reported that they will be able to manually claim the cost back from HKIA through a new online portal, which is soon to be launched.
APDT is absorbed into the cost of flight tickets, which is determined by airlines based on various factors and competitive elements in the market, so consumers may not even spot a noticeable difference when they book their next trip. Flight tickets purchased before October 1 will not be affected by the increase, so book your holiday flights now!
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