Hiring nurses in Hong Kong 2026: the two routes, eligibility, costs and process

Last updated: September 2026. The Labour Department and Immigration Department’s latest notices prevail.

The two routes at a glance

• Registered / enrolled nurses (professional posts): Hong Kong’s 2023-updated Talent List added the “medical services” sector covering 13 professions including doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and Chinese medicine practitioners — exempt from market supply testing; apply via the General Employment Policy or the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP)
• Care workers (frontline care): the special scheme for residential care homes — for homes for the elderly and disabled, via the Labour Department

Which one do you need?

In short: a nurse (RN/EN) doing professional nursing goes through the professional route and must hold recognised qualifications; a carer handling daily living assistance needs no professional nursing qualification and goes through the care-home scheme. Clinics, hospitals and medical groups usually need the former; care homes the latter.

Route 1: Talent List healthcare professionals (nurses)

Hong Kong updated its Talent List in 2023, adding the medical-services sector covering 13 professions including nurses, lowering the entry threshold via exemption from market supply testing. Applicants must be qualified healthcare professionals (credentials recognised by the Nursing Council of Hong Kong); employers file with the Immigration Department under the General Employment Policy or ASMTP. This route sits outside the labour importation schemes: no staffing-ratio caps and no Employees Retraining Levy.

Route 2: Care-worker special scheme for residential homes

For the frontline care staffing shortage in homes for the elderly and disabled, the Labour Department runs a special scheme that relaxes some general importation restrictions so homes can top up staffing. See our residential care workers page for details.

Costs and timing compared

• Nurse (professional route): outside labour importation — no retraining levy; Immigration fees apply; approval is qualification-led and generally faster
• Care worker (care-home scheme): fixed government fees about HK$9,930 (levy HK$9,600 + visa about HK$330); wages never below the comparable-post median; typically 4–6 months end to end

FAQ

Q: Can a clinic hire an imported nurse? A: Yes — via the Talent List healthcare route; the nurse must hold recognised professional qualifications.

Q: Do care workers need a nursing licence? A: No — carers provide daily living assistance, not professional nursing. For professional nursing, hire RN/EN via the professional route.

Q: How are salaries set? A: Professional-route salaries are market-negotiated by qualification; care-worker wages cannot fall below the published comparable-post median.

Q: Can we name a candidate? A: Yes on both routes; we provide matching and background checks.

How we help

We handle both — Talent List healthcare filings for clinics and medical groups, and the care-home scheme. WhatsApp for a free five-minute assessment of your route.