US Dollar
Euro
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UAE Dirham
Australian Dollar
Singapore DollarThe currency of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
DollarHKD
The currency of Hong Kong is the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), divided into 100 cents, with banknotes issued by three banks. It is linked to the US dollar and kept in a narrow band: one Hong Kong dollar costs ₹12.97 at our selling rate right now.
- Code
- HKD
- Symbol
- HK$元
- Subunit
- 100 cents
- In use since
- 1863
What is the currency of Hong Kong?
The currency of Hong Kong is the Hong Kong dollar, code HKD, written HK$. One Hong Kong dollar is divided into 100 cents. Three banks issue the notes, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) and Bank of China (Hong Kong), while the coins come from the Government of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). The dollar dates from 1863, and since 17 October 1983 it has been linked to the US dollar under the Linked Exchange Rate System, which keeps the rate between HK$7.75 and HK$7.85 per US dollar. Against the rupee it therefore moves with the US dollar: on 5 Oct 2026, one Hong Kong dollar was worth about ₹12.97 at our selling rate. A quote in HKD currency always means this dollar and not the US dollar, which is a separate currency at a different value.
Hong Kong Dollar at a glance
- Currency
- Hong Kong dollarIn Chinese, 港元
- Code
- HKDNumeric code 344
- Symbol
- HK$Prices are written HK$; $ and 元 are also used
- Subunit
- 1 dollar = 100 centsCoins of 10, 20 and 50 cents are in use
- Issuer
- Three banksHSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) issue the notes
- Introduced
- 1863Silver dollars became the only legal tender on 9 January 1863
- Exchange rate
- Linked to the US dollarLinked since 1983; today kept between HK$7.75 and 7.85
- Used in
- Hong Kong
- Banknotes
- HK$20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000This series began in 2018, with the HK$1,000 first
- Coins
- 10, 20 and 50 cents; HK$1, 2, 5 and 10The bauhinia flower is on the coins
Hong Kong currency notes and coins
The banknotes of the 2018 series come in five values, HK$20 to HK$1,000, and the coins run from 10 cents to HK$10. Three banks issue the notes: HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) and Bank of China (Hong Kong). For the first time all three share the same subject on the back of each value. The series began with the HK$1,000 in the last quarter of 2018, and the other values followed in 2019 and 2020. Each note is shown with what it costs in rupees at our selling rate today.
- Hong KongTwenty dollarsHK$20
Twenty dollars HK$20
≈ ₹259.36 today- Colour
- Blue
- Front
- Each issuing bank designs its own front
- Back
- Dim sum and tea culture
- Hong KongFifty dollarsHK$50
Fifty dollars HK$50
≈ ₹648.39 today- Colour
- Green
- Front
- Each issuing bank designs its own front
- Back
- Butterflies
- Hong KongOne hundred dollarsHK$100
One hundred dollars HK$100
≈ ₹1,296.78 today- Colour
- Red
- Front
- Each issuing bank designs its own front
- Back
- Cantonese opera
- Hong KongFive hundred dollarsHK$500
Five hundred dollars HK$500
≈ ₹6,483.90 today- Colour
- Brown
- Front
- Each issuing bank designs its own front
- Back
- A UNESCO Global Geopark, with hexagonal rock columns
- Hong KongOne thousand dollarsHK$1000
One thousand dollars HK$1,000
≈ ₹12,967.80 today- Colour
- Gold
- Front
- Each issuing bank designs its own front
- Back
- Hong Kong as an international financial centre, with its skyline
Coins, in cents
The coins carry the bauhinia flower and the words HONG KONG, a design used since 1993. The 10 cents is brass-plated steel, the HK$1, HK$2 and HK$5 are cupronickel, and the HK$10 is bimetallic, a cupronickel ring round a brass centre. Older coins showing Queen Elizabeth II are being withdrawn gradually but are still legal tender.
- 1010 cents
≈ ₹1.30 - 2020 cents
≈ ₹2.59 - 5050 cents
≈ ₹6.48 - 11 dollar
≈ ₹12.97 - 22 dollars
≈ ₹25.94 - 55 dollars
≈ ₹64.84 - 1010 dollars
≈ ₹129.68
Sources: HKMA, design and security features of currency notes; Wikipedia, "Hong Kong dollar". Rupee values at our selling rate, 10:25 AM IST, 5 Oct 2026.
Black Saturday
Fixed 23 days later
The rate is kept inside it
A record low, then a fixed rate
On Saturday 24 September 1983 the Hong Kong dollar fell to HK$9.6 per US dollar, a record low now called Black Saturday. 23 days later, on 17 October, the Linked Exchange Rate System fixed it at HK$7.80, and that link is why its price stays close to the US dollar today.
Confidence fades
Talks on Hong Kong's future start to weigh on confidence in the currency.
Black Saturday
The Hong Kong dollar falls to a record low of HK$9.6 per US dollar.
The link begins
The Linked Exchange Rate System starts at HK$7.80 per US dollar, 23 days after the record low. It is a currency board.
A band, not a point
The rate is kept between HK$7.75 and HK$7.85 per US dollar, so a Hong Kong dollar in rupees follows the US dollar in rupees.
Sources: Wikipedia, "Black Saturday (1983)" and "Hong Kong dollar"; Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Linked Exchange Rate System page; Global Capitalism history pages at the University of Oxford and the South China Morning Post, on the 1983 crisis.
A dollar that follows the US dollar
The Hong Kong dollar does not float freely. It is linked to the US dollar, so its price in rupees follows the US dollar's and can change from one day to the next.
A narrow band
Under the Linked Exchange Rate System the rate is kept between HK$7.75 and HK$7.85 per US dollar, so it cannot drift far from the US dollar.
A currency board since 1983
The link began on 17 October 1983 at HK$7.80 per US dollar. It followed a record low of HK$9.6 on 24 September 1983, a day known as Black Saturday.
The rupee still moves
The Hong Kong dollar follows the US dollar, so its price in rupees follows the US dollar's price in rupees. It still changes from one day to the next.
One unit in rupees · our selling rate, 5 Oct 2026
The Hong Kong dollar since 1863
The Hong Kong dollar dates from 1863, and its money has changed a great deal since, from silver dollars to a link with the US dollar and notes from three banks. What changed along the way, in eight entries.
- EntryHong Kong
Foreign coins, rupees included
From 1841 foreign money circulates in the new colony instead of sterling coin. It includes Indian rupees, Spanish or Mexican 8-real dollars and Chinese cash.
- EntryHong Kong
Silver dollars become the only legal tender
On 9 January an Order in Council makes Mexican or equivalent silver dollars the only legal tender. The Royal Mint issues subsidiary coins for a Hong Kong dollar system the same year.
Launch - EntryHong Kong
A first link to the US dollar
Hong Kong links its dollar to the US dollar at HK$5.65. It does not last: the dollar floats from November 1974, until the link of 1983.
- EntryHong Kong
Black Saturday
On 24 September the Hong Kong dollar falls to a record low of HK$9.6 per US dollar, as talks on Hong Kong's future weigh on confidence.
Record low - EntryHong Kong
The link begins
On 17 October the Linked Exchange Rate System starts at HK$7.80 per US dollar. It is a currency board, and the link has held ever since.
Link starts - EntryHong Kong
The bauhinia coins
A new coin series begins, showing the bauhinia flower and the words HONG KONG. Coins with Queen Elizabeth II are withdrawn gradually, but they stay legal tender.
- EntryHong Kong
A third issuing bank
Bank of China (Hong Kong) becomes the third bank to issue Hong Kong's banknotes, beside HSBC and Standard Chartered.
- EntryHong Kong
The new notes begin
A new note series starts, with the HK$1,000 first. For the first time all three issuing banks share the same subjects on the back: dim sum and tea culture, butterflies, Cantonese opera, a geopark and the skyline.
New notes
Sources: Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Linked Exchange Rate System page and the pages on the 2018 banknotes; HKMA monetary history reference materials; Global Capitalism history pages at the University of Oxford and the South China Morning Post, on 1983; Wikipedia, "Hong Kong dollar" and "Black Saturday (1983)".
Dollars and rupees side by side
Worked out at our selling rate at 10:25 AM IST on 5 Oct 2026. For the live rate on any amount, use the HKD to INR or INR to HKD converter.
| You pay | You get |
|---|---|
| ₹5,000 | HK$ 385.57 |
| ₹10,000 | HK$ 771.14 |
| ₹25,000 | HK$ 1,927.85 |
| ₹50,000 | HK$ 3,855.70 |
| ₹1,00,000 | HK$ 7,711.41 |
| ₹2,00,000 | HK$ 15,422.82 |
| You buy | It costs |
|---|---|
| HK$ 100 | ₹1,296.78 |
| HK$ 500 | ₹6,483.90 |
| HK$ 1,000 | ₹12,967.80 |
| HK$ 2,000 | ₹25,935.60 |
| HK$ 5,000 | ₹64,839.00 |
| HK$ 10,000 | ₹1,29,678.00 |
Spending Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong
Three things to know about the Octopus card before you land.
Octopus runs the daily round
The Octopus card works on the MTR, buses, trams, ferries and minibuses, and in shops and restaurants that show the Octopus sign.
MTR · buses · trams · ferriesA tourist card, a loan card or your phone
Visitors can buy a Tourist Octopus, which may come without stored value, or an On-Loan Octopus with HK$20 to HK$100 of stored value, about ₹259.36 to ₹1,296.78. Octopus is also on an iPhone or Apple Watch, and in Huawei Wallet.
Tourist · On-Loan · iPhone · HuaweiTop up with cash or a card
Cash tops up an Octopus by up to HK$3,000, about ₹38,903.40, a transaction. Octopus on an iPhone or Apple Watch can be topped up with a non-Hong Kong Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa card.
Cash up to HK$3,000 · ₹38,903.40Taking Hong Kong dollars from India
The Reserve Bank of India's rules apply to every currency, and the Hong Kong dollar is no exception.
Up to the equivalent of USD 3,000 per trip can leave India as Hong Kong dollar notes. The rest goes on a forex card or as a bank transfer.
Every resident can send up to USD 250,000 abroad each financial year under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, travel included.
Tax collected at source applies once your foreign-exchange purchases in a financial year cross ₹10 lakh: nil when an education loan pays, 2% for self-funded education and medical treatment, and 20% for travel and everything else. It is credited against your income tax when you file.
Hong Kong dollars are on our booking form. Send your amount and the desk confirms your exact rate before anything is booked.
Book Hong Kong Dollars→Hong Kong dollar questions
The questions people type about the Hong Kong dollar, answered in full, in three groups.
The basics
8 questionsWhat is the currency of Hong Kong?
The currency of Hong Kong is the Hong Kong dollar, code HKD, divided into 100 cents. Its notes are issued by three banks, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) and Bank of China (Hong Kong), and it has been linked to the US dollar since 1983.
What is the full form of HKD in currency?
HKD stands for Hong Kong Dollar: HK is Hong Kong's two-letter country code and D is for dollar, following the ISO 4217 standard, and its numeric code is 344. That is the HKD full form, whether you see it in a price list, on a forex card or in a rate table.
What is the Hong Kong dollar symbol?
The Hong Kong dollar symbol, also called the HKD symbol, is HK$, written before the amount, as in HK$100. It is the Hong Kong currency symbol the HKMA and Octopus use for prices, from the HK$20 note to the HK$1,000 note. A plain $ and the character 元 are also used, and the letters HKD are the code, not a sign.
Hong Kong ki currency kya hai?
Hong Kong ki currency Hong Kong dollar (HKD) hai. Ek dollar mein 100 cent hote hain, aur 5 Oct 2026 ko ek Hong Kong dollar lagbhag ₹12.97 ka tha, hamare selling rate par. Iska symbol HK$ hai, aur yeh US dollar se linked hai.
What is the Hong Kong currency name?
The Hong Kong currency name is the Hong Kong dollar, written 港元 in formal Chinese and called 蚊 in everyday Cantonese. It is also searched as HK dollar, Hongkong dollar or Hong Kong money, and all of these mean the same dollar. Only the word dollar is shared with other countries: the US, Canadian and Australian dollars are separate currencies.
How many cents make one Hong Kong dollar?
One Hong Kong dollar is 100 cents. The cent coins are 10, 20 and 50 cents, and the dollar coins are HK$1, HK$2, HK$5 and HK$10.
Who issues Hong Kong banknotes?
Three banks issue them: HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) and Bank of China (Hong Kong). The coins come from the Government of Hong Kong and the HKMA. In the 2018 series all three banks use the same subject on the back of each value for the first time.
Which Hong Kong banknotes are there, and what is on them?
The 2018 series has five values: HK$20 (dim sum and tea culture), HK$50 (butterflies), HK$100 (Cantonese opera), HK$500 (a UNESCO Global Geopark) and HK$1,000 (the Hong Kong skyline). These are the backs, shared by all three banks, while each bank designs its own front. The HK$1,000 came first, in late 2018.
Value and history
6 questionsHow does the Linked Exchange Rate System work?
The Linked Exchange Rate System is a currency board that ties the Hong Kong dollar to the US dollar. It began on 17 October 1983 at HK$7.80 per US dollar, and the rate is now kept between HK$7.75 and HK$7.85. For you, that means the Hong Kong dollar's price in rupees follows the US dollar's.
What was Black Saturday in 1983?
On Saturday 24 September 1983 the Hong Kong dollar fell to a record low of HK$9.6 per US dollar, a day now called Black Saturday. Talks on Hong Kong's future had been weighing on confidence, and 23 days later, on 17 October, the link to the US dollar began at HK$7.80.
When did Hong Kong start using the dollar?
The Hong Kong dollar dates from 1863. On 9 January that year an Order in Council made Mexican or equivalent silver dollars the only legal tender, and the Royal Mint issued subsidiary coins for a Hong Kong dollar system.
Is there an India link to the Hong Kong dollar?
An old one. From 1841 foreign money circulated in the new colony instead of sterling coin, and Indian rupees were among the coins in use, beside Spanish or Mexican 8-real dollars and Chinese cash.
Which Hong Kong coins are there?
The coins are 10, 20 and 50 cents and HK$1, HK$2, HK$5 and HK$10. They carry the bauhinia flower and the words HONG KONG, and the HK$10 is bimetallic, a cupronickel ring round a brass centre.
Are old Hong Kong coins still valid?
Yes. Coins showing Queen Elizabeth II are being withdrawn gradually but are still legal tender. The bauhinia coins, with the flower and the words HONG KONG, have been made since 1993.
Buying from India
3 questionsHow much Hong Kong currency can I take out of India?
Up to the equivalent of USD 3,000 per trip in currency notes. Anything above that goes on a forex card or as a bank transfer, all within the USD 250,000 a year Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit.
How do I get Hong Kong dollars before a trip to Hong Kong?
Order them before you fly. Matrix Forex, an RBI-authorised Category-II dealer, has Hong Kong dollars on its booking form: send your amount through the booking bar at the top of this page and the desk confirms your exact rate before anything is booked. For the live rate on any amount, see the HKD to INR converter.
Can a visitor use an Octopus card in Hong Kong?
Yes. Octopus works on the MTR, buses, trams, ferries and minibuses, and in shops and restaurants that show the sign. Visitors can buy a Tourist Octopus, which may come without stored value, or use Octopus on an iPhone or Apple Watch, and cash top-ups go up to HK$3,000 a transaction.