Do Hong Kong permanent residents need a passport at immigration in 2026? Asterisk and R code IDs
If you hold a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card (HKPIC) issued in Hong Kong, or a Hong Kong Identity Card (HKIC) bearing the asterisk or the 'R' code, and you are aged 11 or over, you can pass through Hong Kong immigration control points on that card alone — no passport or other travel document has to be produced at a traditional counter. That is the position set out on the Immigration Department's "Immigration Clearance" page in its Frequently Asked Questions section, checked against the version current as of 8 October 2026. What follows is a general reading of those published rules rather than advice on any individual's situation, so where your status is unusual or your documents are in doubt, the officially published wording and a qualified professional's opinion should carry more weight than this article.
Can a permanent resident clear immigration on the identity card alone?
Yes, at Hong Kong control points, and the answer does not depend on whether you use a staffed counter. The published rule ties passport-free clearance to three things at once: the type of card, the markings on it, and your age. The card must be a permanent identity card issued in Hong Kong, or an identity card carrying the asterisk or 'R' code; the holder must be 11 or over; and the card must still be valid and undamaged.
The practical consequence is narrower than most people assume. The rule covers entering and leaving Hong Kong. It says nothing about the documents your airline, your destination's border officers, or the Mainland and Macao authorities will ask for, and each of those is a separate requirement that the identity card does not satisfy on its own.
Which cards qualify, and where do the asterisk and R code sit?
The Immigration Department lists permanent identity cards and cards bearing the asterisk or 'R' code together as qualifying for clearance without a travel document. For the purpose of crossing the Hong Kong border, the two markings are treated the same way: both put the card in the same category as a permanent identity card.
A third marking, '', appears in the published eligibility criteria for the mutual QR code arrangement between Hong Kong and Macao, alongside '' and 'R'. The clearance FAQ does not spell out what each symbol denotes, so the safe reading is procedural — if your card shows the asterisk or the 'R' code and you are 11 or over, it falls within the group that can travel on the card; '*' appears only in the eligibility criteria for the mutual QR code arrangement with Macao and is not part of the clearance rule.
| Document presented | Aged 11 or over | Result at a Hong Kong control point |
|---|---|---|
| HKPIC issued in Hong Kong | Yes | Card alone is acceptable; no travel document needed |
| HKIC bearing the asterisk | Yes | Card alone is acceptable; no travel document needed |
| HKIC bearing the 'R' code | Yes | Card alone is acceptable; no travel document needed |
| Valid smart identity card, non-permanent resident | Yes | For travel to the Mainland or Macao: smart card plus a Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or a valid travel document |
| Identity card that is invalidated or defaced | Any | Not accepted; a valid travel document is required |
| Acknowledgement form ROP140 / ROP140A | Any | Not accepted; a valid travel document is required |
| HKPIC held by a child under 11 | No | Valid travel document bearing the holder's photograph is required |
When is the identity card not enough?
Four situations take the card out of the passport-free group.
The card is invalidated or defaced. A damaged or cancelled card is not accepted for travel, and a valid travel document is required instead.
You are holding the acknowledgement form instead of the card. Form ROP140 or ROP140A, issued when an identity card application is in progress, is not a travel document and is not accepted. If your card has been lost and all you hold is the acknowledgement form, you must produce a valid travel document at a traditional counter — and the same applies to the e-Channel QR code, which cannot be used in that situation.
You are under 11. Children holding a permanent identity card still need a valid travel document bearing their photograph. A child included in a parent's travel document may use that document, but only when travelling with the principal holder.
You are a non-permanent resident. Published guidance for travel to the Mainland and Macao requires non-permanent residents to carry their valid smart identity card together with a Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or another valid travel document. The card is not a standalone travel document for them.
Does using an e-Channel change what you have to carry?
It changes the lane, not the documents. Most smart identity card holders may use self-service clearance at e-Channels. Hong Kong permanent residents aged 11 or above are also eligible to enrol, free of charge, for the Contactless e-Channel, which uses facial verification instead of presenting the card or scanning a fingerprint; enrolment has to be carried out by the resident personally and cannot be authorised to someone else, and mobile enrolment runs through "iAM Smart" on a phone with biometric authentication running iOS 12.0 or above, or Android 8.0 or above.
Enrolling does not remove the obligation to hold the documents. Under the Terms of Use for the Contactless e-Channel, an enrolled resident must carry a valid Hong Kong identity card and a valid travel document where one is applicable. The same principle appears in the "Face Scan" Clearance service built on the Collaborative Inspection Automated Channel: users must carry a valid Hong Kong identity card where applicable and the travel documents required by the prevailing clearance requirements of both Hong Kong and the Mainland, for inspection by either side. That service is not available to minors aged 7 to 13; for those aged 14 to 17, a parent or legal guardian may enrol on their behalf.
One useful point for frequent travellers between Hong Kong and Macao: the mutual QR code arrangement requires the holder to be 11 or over, to hold a valid permanent identity card or an identity card containing '', '**' or 'R', to be enrolled for automated immigration clearance in Macao, and to use the "Hong Kong e-Channel" mobile application. After the first activation, generating the encrypted QR code does not need a mobile network.
What changes when the trip involves the Mainland, Macao, or an international flight?
Hong Kong's clearance rule and the destination's document requirement are separate questions, and the second one usually reintroduces the passport.
For travel to the Mainland or Macao, published guidance asks travellers to carry a valid Hong Kong Identity Card or Hong Kong Re-entry Permit together with the valid travel documents required for that destination, and to check the validity of Home Visit Permits — in particular those of residents under 18, whose Home Visit Permits run for five years from the date of issue.
A Hong Kong SAR passport is issued for international travel. It is acceptable for travel to Macao only where the holder is in transit to another country, which is a narrower condition than most people expect when they think of "using the passport for Macao".
For destinations generally, travellers are asked to carry a valid identity card or travel document and to observe the documentation requirements of the destination, including the validity of the documents. An identity card that clears you out of Hong Kong will not get you through a foreign border.
No arrival or departure card is required from Hong Kong residents, and none is required from visitors either.
A short checklist before you reach the control point
Check that your card is valid and undamaged.
Confirm the card bears the asterisk or 'R' code, or is a permanent identity card issued in Hong Kong.
Confirm the traveller is 11 or over.
Carry a valid travel document with you anyway, in case a defaced card, a lost card, or a Mainland or Macao crossing brings the document requirement back.
Check the expiry of any Home Visit Permit or re-entry permit held by a person under 18.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a passport if my identity card has an asterisk?
No, not for clearing Hong Kong immigration. A card bearing the asterisk works on its own at a Hong Kong control point if you are 11 or over and the card is valid. You will still need a travel document for the destination itself.
My permanent identity card is defaced. Can I still travel on it?
No. An invalidated or defaced identity card is not accepted for travel, and the holder must produce a valid travel document at the control point. The same applies if you only hold the ROP140 or ROP140A acknowledgement form.
I am 10 and hold a permanent identity card. Is the card enough?
No. Children under 11 holding a permanent identity card must produce a valid travel document bearing their photograph. A child named in a parent's travel document may use it, but only when travelling with that principal holder.
Can I rely on the e-Channel QR code and leave my card at home?
No. The Terms of Use for the Contactless e-Channel require an enrolled resident to carry a valid Hong Kong identity card and a valid travel document where applicable. If the card has been lost and only the acknowledgement form remains, the QR code cannot be used at all and a valid travel document is needed at a traditional counter.
I am a non-permanent resident with a smart identity card. Is that enough?
Not on its own. Published guidance requires non-permanent residents to carry a valid smart identity card together with a Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or another valid travel document, particularly for travel to the Mainland or Macao.
Can I use my Hong Kong SAR passport to enter Macao?
Only if you are in transit to another country. The Hong Kong SAR passport is intended for international travel, and its acceptance for Macao is limited to the transit case described in the Immigration Department's guidance.
Do Hong Kong residents still fill in arrival or departure cards?
No. All Hong Kong residents are exempt from completing and furnishing an arrival or departure card for immigration examination in Hong Kong, and visitors are exempt as well.