Can domestic helpers from the Philippines and Indonesia travel to Hong Kong?

Inbound travel for domestic helpers

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On 26 August the bilateral agreements of the Hong Kong government and the governments of Indonesia and the Philippines on vaccination record recognition was announced. (gia.info.gov.hk, 26 Aug)

Starting 30 August 2021, domestic helpers who were fully vaccinated may enter from Indonesia and the Philippines, provided they fulfill the following requirements:

Fully vaccinated: Received all required doses and has been 14-days since the final dose.*Unvaccinated workers are allowed to come to Hong Kong. However, they will not be eligible to get a provisional Vaccine Pass which means they will not be able to enter places that require mandatory vaccine pass checks.
Validated vaccine records (See details below for separate requirements in the Philippines and Indonesia).
A negative result proof of a rapid antigen test (RAT) conducted within 24 hours before the scheduled time of flight departure (certificate or photo for self-administered tests)
Other usual requirements: a valid Hong Kong employment entry visa; passport; a valid medical certificate;
Notarized original employment contract; a valid Philippine Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC).

Important notes:

Once the domestic helper has been fully vaccinated and “other usual requirements” have been fulfilled, the first step is to get fully vaccinated and have vaccination records verified. If the domestic helper has not yet been fully vaccinated, see below.

Limited vaccine record validation appointment slots: In the past weeks, appointment slots at the Bureau of Quarantine for the ICV vaccine record validation were very limited. Some ICVs did not include passport details. The Philippines Government is further streamlining the process and will begin to include the passport details on 20 August 2021.

Vaccine Record Verification

Hong Kong Government’s recognized vaccination records: See HERE

In the Philippines, domestic helpers need to go to the Bureau of Quarantine to get an International Certificate of Verification (ICV) or “Yellow Card”.

Link to book verification: https://icv.boq.ph/
Instructions for Vaccination Record Verification in the Philippines: HERE (gia.info.gov.hk)
- For those in MANILA only:
The BOQ has provided guidelines on how to expedite the appointment of ” Yellow Card” for domestic helpers departing within 7-10 days: You may click here for more information.

In Indonesia, domestic helpers need to go to the Pedulilindungi

Link to book verification: https://pedulilindungi.id/
Instructions for Vaccination Record Verification in Indonesia:HERE (gia.info.gov.hk)

After vaccination verification is secured, next arrange the Quarantine in Hong Kong,

Note: Starting from 12 August 2022, the arrangement of “recognised vaccination records” is no longer applicable. Relevant persons arriving at Hong Kong are only required to present vaccination record meeting the above requirements.

Arranging workers to arrive in Hong Kong

5-day Medical Surveillance Period (from 26 September, 2022)

All foreign domestic helpers coming to work in Hong Kong may choose to undergo 5 -day medical surveillance period at home or stay in any licensed hotels and guesthouses, no compulsory quarantine will be required.

Points to note:

The Government recommends all inbound persons to conduct daily RATs using self-arranged rapid antigen test (RAT) kits during the period between the day of arrival (i.e. Day 0) and Day 5 after arrival at Hong Kong. They may voluntarily report their RAT results and health status via the Electronic COVID-19 Monitoring & Surveillance System (eCMSS)
Employers may choose to arrange for their helpers to stay at licensed hotels or guesthouses that are not designated quarantine hotels to complete the 5-day medical surveillance period. Click here for the list of licensed hotels and guesthouses.

What if the domestic helper was vaccinated in a different country – not Hong Kong, Indonesia, or the Philippines?

The only vaccination records that Hong Kong recognizes are those from:

Hong Kong,
Mainland China,
Macao,
an institution recognised by Mainland or Macao authorities,
a country with bilateral vaccination record recognition agreement with Hong Kong. Now including the Philippines and Indonesia, or
a country where its national regulatory authority is designated by the World Health Organization as a stringent regulatory authority which are:
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Norway

Not yet vaccinated?

All travelers from the Philippines and Indonesia and other Group A Countries are required to be fully vaccinated and hold recognized vaccination records.

Get fully vaccinated with vaccination brands that are recognized by Hong Kong.

For domestic helpers in the Philippines, read: Can domestic helpers get vaccines in the Philippines before coming to Hong Kong? What is the COVID-19 situation there?

How about transiting to a lower-risk country to work around the flight suspension?

This is extremely risky for domestic helpers and should not be attempted. Read more: Can domestic helpers fly to different countries to work around travel and entry restrictions to Hong Kong?

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Last updated on January 3rd, 2023