Hong Kong Residents Abroad: The 1868 Assistance Hotline (2026)
If you are a Hong Kong resident outside Hong Kong and need assistance, the number to call is (852) 1868. It is a 24-hour hotline listed on the Immigration Department's "Contact Us" page and on its "Immigration Department Headquarters Offices" page under the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit (協助在外香港居民小組). That unit sits within the International Co-operation Division (國際協作組). The same listing gives two backup channels: fax (852) 2519 3536 and email enquiry@immd.gov.hk.
Who actually answers 1868?
The hotline belongs to a specific unit, not to a general call centre. The Immigration Department's headquarters offices page places the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit on 9/F, Administration Building, Immigration Department Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories.
That matters for expectations. The unit's counter office hours follow the standard headquarters pattern: 8:45am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday, closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The hotline itself is separately described as a 24-hour line, so the round-the-clock element applies to the telephone channel rather than to the office.
Is 1868 the same as the general enquiry hotline?
No. The two numbers are listed for different purposes, and confusing them can cost time.
| Channel | Listed number or address | Availability as published |
|---|---|---|
| Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit hotline | (852) 1868 | 24-hour hotline |
| General enquiry hotline | (852) 2824 6111 | Staff available Mon–Fri 8:45am–5:15pm, Sat 9:00am–12:00 noon; closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Fax, Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit | (852) 2519 3536 | Listed with the unit's contact details |
| Fax, general enquiries | (852) 2877 7711 | Listed under written enquiries |
| enquiry@immd.gov.hk | Listed for both the unit and general enquiries |
The general enquiry line is the number that carries routine questions about applications, forms and office services. The 1868 line is the one published specifically under the unit that handles Hong Kong residents outside Hong Kong. Using the correct number first avoids a transfer at exactly the moment you least want one.
What if you cannot get through by phone?
Two written channels appear alongside the hotline in the same official listing:
- Fax: (852) 2519 3536 — this number is attached to the unit itself, not to general enquiries.
- Email: enquiry@immd.gov.hk — the address the Immigration Department publishes across its headquarters offices.
Written channels carry an obvious trade-off. A 24-hour line can reach someone at 3am; a fax or an email is only read when staff are working, and the unit's listed office hours are weekdays between 8:45am and 5:00pm Hong Kong time. In practice, the phone line is the primary route and the written channels are the fallback when a call cannot connect, when you need to send documents, or when you want a record of what you sent.
The (852) prefix in the official listing is the Hong Kong country/area code, which is the part that matters when dialling from a mobile network outside Hong Kong.
Can you visit the unit in person?
The published address is 9/F, Administration Building, Immigration Department Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories. Office hours are 8:45am to 5:00pm on weekdays, with weekends and public holidays off.
For a resident already abroad this address is mostly relevant to family members in Hong Kong, or to follow-up after a case has been opened by phone. It is not a substitute for the hotline.
Does bad weather or a public holiday cut you off?
The Immigration Department's "Contact Us" page sets out what happens when tropical cyclone warning signal No. 8 or above, "extreme conditions" or the black rainstorm warning is issued outside office hours: headquarters offices providing public services, self-service stations, branch offices, births, deaths and marriages registries and registration of persons offices suspend service while the signal is in force — if the signal is issued during office hours, offices continue serving everyone already there — with services normally resuming within two hours of cancellation, except that no service is provided that day if the signal is cancelled within the last two hours before closing. Those published arrangements describe office services. The 1868 line is separately listed as a 24-hour hotline, and the page does not attach those weather rules to it.
Public holidays in Hong Kong close the unit's office but are not listed as closing the hotline. Hong Kong's own holiday calendar is therefore worth checking before you rely on the fax or email rather than the phone.
What the official pages do and do not tell you
The published listings cover contact details: the 24-hour hotline number, the fax line, the email address, the office address and the office hours. They do not set out what assistance will be provided in a given case, how quickly it will be arranged, or what it may cost. Any expectation about outcome, timing or fees goes beyond what these pages state, and the official pages should be treated as the current source since numbers and hours can be revised.
This article is general reference material drawn from those pages and is not advice tailored to an individual situation. For a specific case, rely on the official information in force at the time or on a qualified professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 1868 hotline really available 24 hours a day?
The Immigration Department lists (852) 1868 as the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit. The 24-hour description applies to the telephone channel; the unit's office hours are separately listed as weekdays 8:45am to 5:00pm.
Which unit is responsible for the 1868 line?
It is the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit (協助在外香港居民小組) under the International Co-operation Division (國際協作組). Its listed address is 9/F, Administration Building, Immigration Department Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O.
What is the fax number for this unit?
The fax number listed with the unit is (852) 2519 3536. This is separate from the general enquiry fax, (852) 2877 7711.
Can I use email instead of calling?
The email address published alongside the unit's details is enquiry@immd.gov.hk. Because the unit's office hours are weekdays 8:45am to 5:00pm, an email is unlikely to be read as quickly as a call to the 24-hour line.
How is 1868 different from (852) 2824 6111?
(852) 2824 6111 is the general enquiry hotline, with staff available Monday to Friday 8:45am to 5:15pm and Saturday 9:00am to 12:00 noon. (852) 1868 is the line published specifically for Hong Kong residents outside Hong Kong and is listed as 24-hour.
Where can I find the government page for this hotline?
The Immigration Department's "Contact Us" page links the 1868 hotline to the GovHK page 24-hour Hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Outside Hong Kong Unit.