How to get a certified Hong Kong birth certificate in 2026: HK$140 local, HK$275 overseas

A certified copy of a Hong Kong birth entry costs HK$140 for a local application and HK$275 for an overseas application, according to the Immigration Department's page for form BDR 87, "Application for a Certified Copy of an Entry in the Births Register", as of the October 2026 version of that page. For anyone applying from abroad, the same page sets out three things that shape the whole exercise: payment is by crossed cheque or cashier order in Hong Kong dollars, cash is not accepted, and airmail delivery adds an amount equal to airmail postage at the normal rate.

What do the 2026 fees cover?

Item	Fee	Form
Certified copy of a birth entry, local application	HK$140	BDR 87
Certified copy of a birth entry, overseas application	HK$275	BDR 87
Certified copy of a death entry, local application	HK$140	BDR 62
Certified copy of a death entry, overseas application	HK$275	BDR 62
Airmail postage	An amount equal to airmail postage at the normal rate, charged on top of the copy fee	BDR 87, BDR 62

The two rates are printed as "local application" and "overseas application" on both form pages, which do not spell out how an application is classified as one or the other. The BDR 87 and BDR 62 pages carry supplementary notes dated 11 December 2024.

How do you pay when you apply from overseas?

Payment for a postal application is made by crossed cheque or cashier order in Hong Kong currency, payable to "The Government of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". Post-dated cheques are not accepted. Cash is not accepted.

Postal applications can also be paid online. If you choose that route, the same payment method has to settle every payment for that application, and the Immigration Department contacts the applicant about the payment arrangement after receiving the application.

Airmail is charged separately from the copy fee. The pages state the extra amount in words — an amount equal to airmail postage at the normal rate — and publish no fixed figure, so the total on your cheque depends on the fee plus whatever that postage amount is when your application is handled.

These figures are general information about published government fees and forms, not legal advice or a substitute for advice on your own circumstances, and government fees should be confirmed against the latest official publication before you send money.

How do you send the application?

Download form BDR 87 from the Immigration Department's forms page.
Complete the form, which is issued in Chinese and English.
Get a crossed cheque or cashier order in Hong Kong dollars, payable to "The Government of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region".
Post the form and the payment to the Births and Deaths General Register Office, 3/F, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.

Fax is not accepted for these applications. The form pages publish a telephone enquiry number, (852) 2824 6111, and an enquiry email address, enquiry@immd.gov.hk.

Where can the application be made in person?

Office	Address	Telephone
Births and Deaths General Register Office	3/F, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong	(852) 2867 2785
Kowloon Births Registry	Lower Ground Floor, 28 Kimberley Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon	(852) 2359 4485
Sha Tin District Births Registry	3/F, Sha Tin Government Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin, New Territories	(852) 2695 1175
Tseung Kwan O Births Registry	2/F, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories	(852) 3861 8203
Tuen Mun District Births Registry	G/F, Tuen Mun Siu Lun Government Complex, 19 Siu Lun Street, Tuen Mun, New Territories	(852) 2618 3789

Does the same fee apply to a death entry?

Yes. Form BDR 62, "Application for a Certified Copy of an Entry in the Deaths Register", states the same HK$140 local and HK$275 overseas fees and the same payment conditions for postal applications: crossed cheque or cashier order in Hong Kong currency, no post-dated cheques, no cash, online payment available for postal applications, and airmail postage at the normal rate if the copy is sent by air.

The in-person list for death entries differs from the birth list. It covers the Births and Deaths General Register Office, the Hong Kong Island Deaths Registry at 18/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai (tel: (852) 2961 8841), and the Kowloon Deaths Registry at 1/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon (tel: (852) 2368 4706), alongside the Sha Tin, Tseung Kwan O and Tuen Mun offices.

What if you need to find the record before ordering a copy?

Two separate forms deal with searching the records. Form BDR 40, "Application for Search of Record of Birth in Hong Kong", and form BDR 41, "Application for Search of Record of Death in Hong Kong", both state that postal payment is made by crossed cheque(s) or cashier order(s), one for each amount, in Hong Kong currency, that post-dated cheques and cash are not accepted, and that postal applications can also be paid online under the same single-method condition.

The payee name is printed slightly differently across the forms. BDR 87 and BDR 62 use "The Government of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region", BDR 40 uses "The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region", and BDR 41 uses "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". Copy the wording from the form you are actually using.

The fee leaflet BDR 100, "Fee Leaflet for Fees Charged for the Births and Deaths Registration Services", lists the fees collected for commonly used services such as the search of birth records and the issue of birth certificates; its page carries supplementary notes dated 10 December 2019, so the amounts quoted in this article come from the BDR 87 and BDR 62 pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the HK$275 fee the total I will pay from overseas?

HK$275 is the published overseas application fee for one certified copy of a birth entry. If you ask for the copy to be sent by airmail, an additional amount equal to airmail postage at the normal rate is charged on top, and the pages publish no figure for that postage.

Can I pay in cash or with a post-dated cheque?

No. The BDR 87 and BDR 62 pages state that payment in cash is not accepted and that post-dated cheques will not be accepted. Postal applications are paid by crossed cheque or cashier order in Hong Kong currency, or online if you choose that option.

Can I pay by credit card or bank transfer?

The pages describe two methods for postal applications: crossed cheque or cashier order in Hong Kong currency, and online payment. If you opt for online payment, the same method must settle all payments for that application, and the department contacts you about the arrangement after receiving the application.

How do I know whether I count as a local or an overseas applicant?

The form pages print the two fees as "local application" and "overseas application" without setting out the test used to distinguish them. Because government fees can change, the amount that applies to you should be checked against the latest official publication of the BDR 87 or BDR 62 page.

Is a certified copy of a death entry the same price?

Yes. Form BDR 62 states HK$140 for a local application and HK$275 for an overseas application, with the same postal payment rules and the same airmail postage charge. Only the in-person offices differ from the birth list.

Where is a postal application sent?

It goes to the Births and Deaths General Register Office, 3/F, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong. Fax submissions are not accepted for these forms.

What form do I use if I only want to search the records?

Use form BDR 40 for a birth record search and form BDR 41 for a death record search. Both accept crossed cheque(s) or cashier order(s), one for each amount, in Hong Kong currency for postal applications, and both also allow online payment for postal applications.