Questions re: Move to Hong Kong 2012

[mrssunshine]

Hi Everyone,

My Husband is in the final stages of interview for a role based in Hong Kong with an international investment bank. The role would be permanent and we currently live near London, UK. Can someone please help me with the following questions:

1. If my husband has a permanent role, what sort of visa would we be on, would be considered permanent residents?
2. We are expecting our 1st child later in the year, can anyone advise on the healthcare in Hong Kong, do the children get the same injections? Also do you get any maternity allowance or assistance?
3. What are the most popular/recommend family areas in Hong Kong to reside?
4. For a luxury 2 bedroom apartment (with outside space) what would be pay in rent?
5. To buy a property what do Hong Kong banks allow you mortgage wise, i.e. 3 times your annual salary?
6. We have two small dogs, any advice/recommendations on how to relocate them to Hong Kong with us?
7. Is there a good social scene for Mummy and Babies i.e. baby groups etc?

Thank you x

[Oldtimer]

all your answers and more can be found on the sister site: geobaby.com

[carang]

My Husband is in the final stages of interview for a role based in Hong Kong with an international investment bank. The role would be permanent and we currently live near London, UK. Can someone please help me with the following questions:

If my husband has a permanent role, what sort of visa would we be on, would be considered permanent residents?
no, you need to live here for no less than 7 continuous years in order to apply to be permanent residents. your husband would apply for a work visa, while you and the children would apply for dependent visas.

We are expecting our 1st child later in the year, can anyone advise on the healthcare in Hong Kong, do the children get the same injections? Also do you get any maternity allowance or assistance?
hk has a different vaccination schedule if you follow the gov'ts recommendations here. my kids have been vaccinated according to the hk schedule as that is where we live. you can also go to private doctors and follow the uk schedule if that is what you prefer. you won't get any maternity allowance (never heard of such a thing) from the hk govt. nor will you get any assistance (not sure to what type of assistance you are referring. you will either need private medical coverage *with maternity cover*, pay out of pocket for private care (think around $100-200 000 HKD) OR once you have your hk id card, then you can make use of the public system for next to nothing.

What are the most popular/recommend family areas in Hong Kong to reside?
families live everywhere in hk.... however, expat families tend to congregate in the following places: mid-levels, southside, pokfulam, discovery bay, sai kung, kowloon tong, west kowloon

For a luxury 2 bedroom apartment (with outside space) what would be pay in rent?
how long is a piece of string? what do you consider luxurious? what kind of outside space are you thinking? how long are you willing to commute? do you want facilities such as gym & pool? details... details... we need more information....

To buy a property what do Hong Kong banks allow you mortgage wise, i.e. 3 times your annual salary?no idea.... i would never buy a property in hk without having lived here for at least a few years... you have no idea where it is you really want to live yet... and you're thinking about buying property?

We have two small dogs, any advice/recommendations on how to relocate them to Hong Kong with us?contact a pet relocation company

Is there a good social scene for Mummy and Babies i.e. baby groups etc?very easy to meet other mums...but check out geobaby.com
Thank you x

[MandM!]

Here is my 2 cents....


Hi Everyone,

My Husband is in the final stages of interview for a role based in Hong Kong with an international investment bank. The role would be permanent and we currently live near London, UK. Can someone please help me with the following questions:

If my husband has a permanent role, what sort of visa would we be on, would be considered permanent residents?

Your husband would be on a work visa, and everyone else on a dependent visa. You can apply for permanent residence after 7 consecutive years. FYI: Some countries, e.g. Singapore, offer immediate permanent residence under some schemes, but Hong Kong does not.

We are expecting our 1st child later in the year, can anyone advise on the healthcare in Hong Kong, do the children get the same injections?

The public healthcare is cheap and gets the job done, but it is not the same as western care. I would be more cautious here when trusting someones advice/opinion.

Also do you get any maternity allowance or assistance?

not sure negotiate it

What are the most popular/recommend family areas in Hong Kong to reside?

For foreigners, many choose to live in Discovery Bay, which is accessible by 30 minutes boat to Central. Others choose to live in Sai Kung. Also, there is Central and MidLevels.

For a luxury 2 bedroom apartment (with outside space) what would be pay in rent?

Depends on the location and how much space. The problem is, most 2 bedroom flats here are 600 square feet, and then 3 bedrooms are 800 square feet, and 4 bedrooms are 1000 square feet. So the rooms usually remain small. It is difficult to find 1000 square feet with 2 bedrooms, and there is a lack of supply when you increase the square footage. This isn't concrete advice, just giving an example of what I observe. Also, do you want to live in a village house, or an apartment. Usually, a village house will offer outdoor space if you have the top floor or entire villa. For a flat, you can have a roof, but usually accessible only by staircase, and you must be on the top floor. I can give you an example, a newer building with nice facilities near MTR, you can get around 900-1200 square feet for around 16,0000hkd to 20,0000hkd per month in Tai Wai, or TKO, but these are not hot expat spots.

To buy a property what do Hong Kong banks allow you mortgage wise, i.e. 3 times your annual salary?

Interest rates are around 2.1 - 2.5%, and minimum down payment of 10%. Your monthly payment can be up to half your salary. You need an additional 3% stamp duty, 1% agent fee, and probably some fee for attorney review and what not. Also, there is a 3-4% insurance fee which can be incorporated in the mortgage. This is when your loan is greater than 70% LTV. Also, another problem is the banks will value the flat less than the selling price, and you need to bring up the additional cash, which can often be another 5-10% or more! For a 10% down mortgage, you must have a local job, HKID card, visa, and proof of income for 3+ months. The building should be newer and your age should be younger for the best terms. There is a 15% penalty (tax) if you sell the house within 2 years, this is a HK government rule.

We have two small dogs, any advice/recommendations on how to relocate them to Hong Kong with us?

Some breeds are not allowed, there is probably a quarantine. Many buildings are not pet friendly. Good luck.

Is there a good social scene for Mummy and Babies i.e. baby groups etc?

I'm not a mommy, but I would say no. HK is very busy, parents literally dragging their kids running everywhere, and there are playgroup classes but usually the parents send the maids to be with the kids and the parents are no where to be seen. I do not live in an expat area so my opinion will be different than someone who lives in expat town, but I'm not even sure.

Thank you x

[Proplus]

For pet relocation, I'm currently dealing with: PBS Pet Transport and Pet Shipping Can't fault them so far, really friendly and hassles free........eventhough I'm doing everything myself to save costs and only using them to book the manifest cargo ticket.


Being born in HK, I found out in my teens that I didn't need the dreaded BCG jab everyone seemed to need (remember teachers warning kiddies not to punch each other on the upper arm?), apparently I had received mine in HK before I could remember.

[carang]

BCG is always given in the public hospitals because TB is quite common here and in china. as i live in hk, i have had my kids get this jab.

it wouldn't be necessary if we lived in canada... but as i said, we aren't in canada, we are in hk.

[Tung Chung mum]

My friend takes her baby to a paediatrician. They have worked out an immunisation schedule combining Hong Kong and Australian recommendations. My own children are now teenagers and never got the BCG in Australia so we have had them done here in Hong Kong.

[mrssunshine]

Perfect thank you! x