People arriving in Hong Kong for the first time rarely get stuck on a single task. They get stuck on the order.
The bank wants proof of address. Proof of address wants a tenancy agreement. The agreement wants you to have decided where you live. Half the forms want a verification code, and the code wants a local number.
Here is the order that works.
Before you fly
Settle where you’re living first. Your home isn’t only where you sleep — it’s the address that goes on everything else. Delay it and every other task waits behind it.
Also worth doing early:
- Documents and copies — passport or travel permit, visa or landing label, offer letter from your university or employer. Scan each one to the cloud.
- A plug adapter. Hong Kong uses the British three-pin socket (BS 1363).
- Any medication you rely on. Not because you can’t buy it here, but because you won’t know where to look in week one.
Don’t order furniture or appliances before you arrive. The room is rarely the size you pictured — what’s already in the room, and what to bring goes through this properly.
The day you land
Three ways in from the airport: the Airport Express, an airport bus, or a taxi. Fares and journey times differ a lot, so pick by how much luggage you have and what time you land. For Kai Tak, most people take a taxi, or ride in and change to the MTR Tuen Ma Line.
Buy an Octopus card at the airport — convenience stores and MTR stations sell them too. Phone wallets are widely accepted now, but Octopus is still the one thing that never fails: small shops, markets, ferries all take it.
Three things in your first week
1. A local phone number
Start with a prepaid SIM. Convenience stores and telecom shops sell them, it works the same day, and you can move to a monthly plan later.
The number comes before the bank, because opening an account, filling in forms, ordering a taxi and receiving codes all need it.
2. A bank account
Requirements differ between banks and they change. Check the list on the website of the bank you’re going to use, or call and ask, before you fly. Expect to need identification, proof of address, a local contact number, and — if you’re a student — proof of enrolment.
Don’t pack your documents from a forum post written a year ago. That is the single most common wasted trip.
3. Proof of address
This is where new arrivals get stuck: plenty of processes want proof of address, and you’ve just landed, so nothing has been billed in your name yet.
What usually counts is a tenancy agreement, a utility or internet bill in your name, or a bank statement. If you’re in a monthly-lease apartment, ask the operator directly whether the tenancy paperwork and receipts can serve as proof of address, and how to request them — ask CityHome when you come to view, rather than finding out at a bank counter.
Two extra ones for students
Register with your university and collect your student card. Whether a student Octopus gets you a concession, and on which services, is set by Octopus and the MTR — ask your university how to apply.
Joining up the transport
Kai Tak, where the village is, is served by the MTR Tuen Ma Line; both Sung Wong Toi and Kai Tak stations are on it. The village runs a free shuttle bus to and from the MTR, and there are shared bikes on site.
The detail is in the Kai Tak guide; for commute times, see Kai Tak to the universities.
Four mistakes people make in month one
- Buying too much. The room comes furnished; most of what you buy won’t fit.
- Looking for a room too late. Stock moves faster than you think in peak season — see when to start looking.
- Signing from photographs. Photographs are shot wide, in the best light of the day.
- Doing everything in one week. It doesn’t have to be one week.
The order, on one line each
- Before you fly: settle the room → copy your documents
- Day 1: Octopus → move in → buy what you need tonight
- Week 1: SIM → bank account → proof of address
- Month 1: fill the gaps → sort travel concessions → walk your new neighbourhood
Only the first item can’t wait.
If the room isn’t settled, come and see one. Take the shuttle in from the MTR — half an hour tells you whether it fits, and you can ask about the proof-of-address paperwork while you’re here.