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Guide for Sending SMS Messages to Hong Kong
Review the guidelines and restrictions for sending SMS messages to recipients in Hong Kong. This information is for general informational purposes only. This information doesn't and isn't intended to constitute legal advice. Consult your own independent legal counsel for guidance on use cases and applicable legal and industry requirements.
| ISO 3166 Country Code | HK |
| International Dialing Code | 852 |
| Major Carriers |
|
| Alphanumeric Code Support | Yes |
| Unicode Support | Yes |
| Maximum Message Length | 160 |
| Concatenation Support | Yes |
| Shortened URL | Yes |
| Long URLs in Message | Yes |
| Short Code | International Long Code | Local Long Code | Alphanumeric Code | |
| Supported | No | Yes, but we recommend using local long codes. | Yes | Yes |
| Two-way Support | -- | No | Yes | No |
| Provisioning Time | -- | 1 week | 3 weeks |
|
| Comments | -- | -- | -- | Requires preregistration |
SMS Code Provisioning Guidelines
With a connection rate of over 180%, Hong Kong is one of the most mobile-connected places in the Asia-Pacific region. For optimal results, use a Hong Kong long code. When you apply for a long code, estimate your monthly message volume to avoid delays.
You don’t need prior opt-in consent from the recipient to send commercial electronic messages (CEMs), which include SMS messages. However, you must follow the guidelines set by the Office of Communications Authority and the Unsolicited Electronic Message Ordinance (UEMO):
- Include your company, organization, or brand name.
- Give recipients a way to unsubscribe at no cost, such as a URL or toll-free phone number.
- Honor unsubscribe requests.
- Cleanse your distribution lists against the Do-Not-Call Registry.
- Don’t send messages with misleading titles or text.
Restricted Content
You’re responsible for complying with local rules and regulations. To ensure compliance, familiarize yourself with the legislation of the local market. You must check the Do-Not-Call Registry to make sure you don’t send messages to any phone numbers that are on this list, unless you have explicit consent. Hong Kong generally forbids content related, but not limited to, adult, spam, and gambling products and services.
Best Practices and Compliance References
Consider using different alphanumeric codes for marketing and transactional messaging. Telecommunications in Hong Kong are regulated by the Office of the Communications Authority.
