How to Register for Codex and Claude from Hong Kong (2026)

Codex is OpenAI’s coding agent — a terminal CLI, a VS Code extension and a desktop app that writes and edits code for you. Claude is Anthropic’s assistant and Claude Code is its coding tool. Both are hugely popular with Hong Kong developers, but both are officially “not available” here: OpenAI and Anthropic publish supported-country lists, and Hong Kong is not on either of them. That sounds final, but the reality is that thousands of Hong Kong users sign up successfully every week — the trick is knowing the four things you need: a VPN, an account created from a supported region, a phone number in a supported country, and a way to pay. This guide walks you through each step for both services.

Why Hong Kong is “not supported” — and what it actually means

OpenAI’s supported countries list and Anthropic’s supported regions page both cover well over a hundred countries and territories — and both omit Hong Kong. OpenAI is explicit that accounts accessed from outside the list “may be blocked or suspended”, and Anthropic reserves the right to decline service outside its regions. In practice, nothing blocks a Hong Kong person from using these services: you register while connected to a supported country, verify with a number from a supported country, and keep using the account consistently. The geo-blocks are about the signup, not about being a Hong Kong resident per se.

This is geo-restricted access, so it works but it is not a guaranteed right. Both companies can suspend accounts they believe come from unsupported regions. Keep your VPN on, keep your region consistent, and you are very unlikely to run into trouble.

The four things you need before you start

A reliable VPN — paid is safer than free; free VPN IPs are heavily shared and often flagged.
An email address you actually control and check (a clean Gmail/Outlook is fine).
A phone number in a supported country — OpenAI relaxed the phone step for basic ChatGPT signup in 2026, but you still need one to create an API key, to re-verify on a new device, and for Claude. See our SMS verification guide.
A payment method that works in a supported country — a foreign-issued card, or Apple/Google Play billing.

Step 1 — Connect to a supported country with your VPN

Turn on your VPN and connect to a country that is on BOTH supported lists. Good choices that are easy to reach from Hong Kong: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Germany, France. Stay on the same country for the whole signup — do not register from the US and then log in from Japan; consistency looks natural.

Some VPN servers are datacenter IPs that both companies can detect and challenge with an extra “verify it’s you” step. If signup feels stuck or you keep getting captchas, switch to a different server or provider — ideally a residential/clean IP.

Step 2 — Create the account

Use a fresh email you have not used for banned or abandoned accounts. Sign up at chatgpt.com for OpenAI and at claude.ai for Anthropic.

For Codex (OpenAI / ChatGPT)

Open chatgpt.com and tap “Sign up”.
Enter your email and password (or continue with Google / Apple).
Confirm the email verification link if asked.
Enter the phone number for SMS verification (Step 3 below) and complete it.

For Claude (Anthropic)

Open claude.ai and tap “Sign up”.
Enter your email and password (or continue with Google).
Confirm the email verification link sent to your inbox.
Verify with a phone number from a supported country if prompted, then you are in.

Step 3 — The SMS confirmation (the step that blocks everyone)

Good news first: as of 2026, OpenAI no longer requires a phone number just to create a ChatGPT account — you can usually register with an email alone. But you will still hit phone verification when you create your first OpenAI API key on platform.openai.com (needed for API-style Codex access), when you log in from a new device or unusual location, and Anthropic still asks for a supported-country number for Claude signups and re-verification. A Hong Kong (+852) number is not accepted anywhere, and free VoIP numbers — Google Voice, TextNow, TextFree, Skype — are rejected too.

When you do hit the SMS wall, the number must come from a supported country and must not be a shared/recycled number — those get flagged. We wrote a full guide on getting a cheap, stable, no-real-name number: How to get SMS verification numbers for ChatGPT & Claude.

Step 4 — Set up Codex (OpenAI)

Codex runs in three places, and they share the same login (your ChatGPT account). Choose whichever fits how you work.

Option A — Codex CLI in the terminal

Install it. Mac/Linux: run `curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh`. Windows (PowerShell): run `irm https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.ps1 | iex`.
Or install with a package manager: `npm install -g @openai/codex` (Node) or `brew install --cask codex` (Mac).
Run `codex` in your project folder and choose “Sign in with ChatGPT” when prompted.
Follow the browser login, and you are connected. Try it: “Explain this codebase”.

Option B — Codex in VS Code (or Cursor / Windsurf)

Open VS Code and install the “ChatGPT” extension by OpenAI (id: `openai.chatgpt`) from the marketplace.
Sign in with your ChatGPT account when the extension prompts you.
Click the Codex icon in the sidebar, or open the Command Palette and run “Codex: Open Codex Sidebar”.
Ask Codex to explain open files, make edits, or debug — it works with the code you already have on screen.

Option C — Codex desktop app or web

For a full agent workspace, run `codex app` from the CLI, download the ChatGPT desktop app, or open chatgpt.com/codex. Codex works best on a paid ChatGPT plan (Plus, Pro, Business, Edu or Enterprise); the free plan includes only a small amount of Codex usage. Official install docs: openai/codex.

Step 5 — Set up Claude (Anthropic)

Claude desktop app / claude.ai

Download the Claude desktop app from claude.ai/download (macOS and Windows).
Sign in with the account you created in Step 2.
Claude Code is built into the app — open it from the app’s menu to get the coding agent in a desktop window.

Claude Code CLI

Install with `npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code` (requires Node).
Run `claude` inside a project folder and sign in with your Claude account (or an API key).

Claude Code in VS Code

Install the “Claude Code” extension from the VS Code marketplace, sign in, and you get the agent in your editor. Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max) or API credits — see the next step.

Step 6 — Pay (the other big hurdle)

Full use of Codex needs ChatGPT Plus or Pro (roughly US$20–200/month), and full use of Claude/Claude Code needs Pro or Max (roughly US$20–200/month). Both companies bill through payment systems that expect a card issued in a supported country — a Hong Kong card is often rejected at checkout.

A card issued in a supported country (US, UK, etc.) — the most direct fix.
A virtual card / prepaid card you can load yourself.
Subscribe through the Apple App Store or Google Play — this routes billing through Apple/Google and frequently accepts Hong Kong cards and even HKD top-ups from your HK plan.

Keep your billing country consistent with your VPN country where you can. Mixed signals (US VPN + UK card + HK email) are more likely to trigger a manual review.

Staying out of trouble

Keep the VPN on for the first logins, then keep using the same country.
Keep the phone number reachable for a few weeks — you may be asked to re-verify from a new device.
Do not share your verification number across many accounts — shared numbers get flagged.
Use a clean email and a consistent identity (name, country) across signup and billing.
Turn on two-factor authentication once you are in, so your account is protected by something stronger than the signup SMS.

Need a foreign number for the SMS step? →

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to register for Codex or Claude from Hong Kong using a VPN?

VPNs are legal in Hong Kong and using one is a normal way to browse. However, both OpenAI and Anthropic geo-restrict their services, and using them from an unsupported country may breach their terms and can lead to suspension. This guide is general information, not legal advice — check the services’ terms yourself.

Will my account get banned?

Both companies can suspend accounts they believe come from unsupported regions, so there is never a zero risk. Following this guide — supported region, real non-VoIP number, consistent usage — keeps the risk low, which is why most Hong Kong users never have a problem.

Can I use Codex or Claude for free?

Yes, with limits. ChatGPT’s free plan includes a small amount of Codex usage, and Claude has a free tier at claude.ai. Full coding-agent use requires a paid plan — ChatGPT Plus/Pro for Codex, Claude Pro/Max for Claude Code.

Which VPN country should I pick?

Any country on both supported lists. The most compatible and easiest to obtain numbers for are the US and UK, so a US or UK VPN server is the usual recommendation. Japan and Singapore are fast from Hong Kong and also work well.

My card was rejected. What should I do?

Use a card issued in a supported country, load a virtual/prepaid card, or subscribe through the Apple App Store or Google Play — the last option often accepts Hong Kong cards because billing goes through Apple/Google instead of the provider directly.

Guides are independent and for general information. Plan details change — always confirm current prices and terms with the provider.