Documents Hong Kong residents must carry when leaving Hong Kong in 2026
If you are a Hong Kong resident leaving the city in 2026, the documents you need depend on your residency status, your age and where you are going. As of the Immigration Department's "Immigration Clearance" Frequently Asked Questions page (October 2026), most residents clear immigration with a Hong Kong identity card or a valid travel document; non-permanent residents must carry one extra document, and no Hong Kong resident has to fill in an arrival or departure card. This article is general information, not advice on any individual case — for your own trip, check the requirements published by the authorities and your destination.
What documents does the Immigration Department say residents should carry?
Before you set off, the department's guidance is to bring your valid Hong Kong Identity Card or travel documents, and to check both the documentation requirements of your destination and the validity of the documents themselves.
For travel to the Mainland or Macao, bring your valid Hong Kong Identity Card or Hong Kong Re-entry Permit, plus the valid travel documents required for that destination. If you use a Home Visit Permit, check its validity — particularly for anyone under 18, whose Home Visit Permit is valid for five years from the date of issue.
Do you need a travel document if you hold a Hong Kong identity card?
Not always. Holders of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards issued in Hong Kong, or identity cards bearing the "*" or "R" code, who are aged 11 or over, can use their identity cards to travel in and out of Hong Kong without presenting travel documents.
There are exceptions. An invalidated or defaced identity card is not acceptable for travel, and neither is the acknowledgement form of application for an identity card (form no. ROP140 or ROP140A). Holders in those situations must produce valid travel documents at Hong Kong immigration control points — including if the card was lost and only the acknowledgement form remains.
What changes if you are a non-permanent resident?
Non-permanent residents must bring their valid smart identity card and either a Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or valid travel documents. The identity card alone does not cover the departure, so this is the one requirement that most often catches people out.
Suppose a non-permanent resident holds a valid smart identity card but has let their Document of Identity for Visa Purposes lapse: under the department's guidance, they would need to travel on valid travel documents instead.
What do children under 11 need to carry?
Children under 11 who hold a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card must produce valid travel documents bearing their photographs. A child included in a parent's travel document may use that document only when travelling with the principal holder, so a child travelling with another relative or on their own cannot rely on it.
What do you need for the Mainland or Macao specifically?
Crossing to the Mainland or Macao is treated separately from international travel. Bring a valid Hong Kong Identity Card or Hong Kong Re-entry Permit along with the travel documents required for that destination, and check Home Visit Permit validity before you go.
One detail often missed: the Hong Kong SAR passport is for international travel, and it is acceptable for travelling to Macao only if the holder is in transit to other countries.
Do you still need to fill in a departure card?
No. All Hong Kong residents are not required to complete and furnish an arrival or departure card for immigration examination in Hong Kong.
Does using e-Channels, Contactless e-Channel or Face Scan change what you carry?
No. Most smart identity card holders may use self-service immigration clearance at e-Channels, but enrolment does not remove the duty to carry documents. Under the Terms of Use for the "Contactless e-Channel" service, an enrolled resident must still carry a valid Hong Kong identity card and a valid travel document where applicable.
The same principle applies to "Face Scan" Clearance, which is built on the "Collaborative Inspection" Automated Channel: users must carry a valid Hong Kong identity card where applicable and the travel documents required under the prevailing clearance requirements of both Hong Kong and the Mainland, for inspection by the immigration authorities of both sides.
What should you check before you travel?
Run through these points the day before departure:
- Confirm your destination's documentation requirements and the validity of every document you plan to use.
- Confirm your identity card is not invalidated or defaced, and that it is not the ROP140 or ROP140A acknowledgement form.
- If you are a non-permanent resident, confirm your Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or other travel documents are still valid.
- If you use a Home Visit Permit, check its expiry — especially for under-18s, where the permit runs five years from the date of issue.
- If you are going to Macao on a Hong Kong SAR passport, confirm you are in transit to another country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my passport if I have a Hong Kong permanent identity card?
If your card was issued in Hong Kong or bears the "*" or "R" code, and you are aged 11 or over, you may use the card to travel in and out of Hong Kong without presenting travel documents. You still need valid travel documents for your destination, so your passport usually travels with you anyway. The concession applies to Hong Kong immigration clearance, not to the entry rules of another country.
I am a non-permanent resident. Do I need a Document of Identity for Visa Purposes every time I leave?
You need a valid Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or valid travel documents, in addition to your valid smart identity card. The identity card alone is not enough for a non-permanent resident. If the Document of Identity has expired, you must travel on other valid travel documents.
Can my child travel on my travel document?
A child included in a parent's travel document may use it only when travelling with the principal holder. Otherwise, children under 11 holding a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card must produce their own valid travel documents bearing their photographs. Check this before any trip where the child is not accompanied by that document's holder.
Can I use my Hong Kong SAR passport to enter Macao?
The Hong Kong SAR passport is intended for international travel. It is acceptable for travelling to Macao only if you are in transit to other countries. For a Macao trip that is not a transit, use the documents required for travel to Macao.
Do I have to complete a departure card when leaving Hong Kong?
No. All Hong Kong residents are not required to complete and furnish an arrival or departure card for immigration examination in Hong Kong. This applies to residents; visitors are also exempt.
If I enrol for Contactless e-Channel or Face Scan, can I leave my travel document at home?
No. Enrolled residents must carry a valid Hong Kong identity card and any applicable valid travel document when using Contactless e-Channel, and Face Scan users must carry the documents required under the prevailing clearance requirements of both Hong Kong and the Mainland. Enrolment changes how you are verified, not what you must hold.
My identity card is lost and I only have the ROP140 acknowledgement form. Can I still travel?
The acknowledgement form is not acceptable for travel, so you must produce a valid travel document and clear immigration at traditional counters. Once you collect the replacement identity card, you may resume using automated channels.