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Who can apply for a HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes in 2026?

Three groups of Hong Kong residents can be issued a HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (Doc/I), according to the Hong Kong Immigration Department's Travel Documents frequently asked questions page as of October 2026. Residents on a limit of stay, residents on unconditional stay without the right of abode, and non-Chinese nationals who hold the right of abode and a Hong Kong permanent identity card can all apply — but every group carries the same condition: the applicant must be unable to obtain a national passport or a travel document of any other country or territory.

Who can be issued a HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes?

The Department lists three categories. What they share is not status in Hong Kong but the inability to obtain any other travel document.

Your status in Hong Kong Right of abode The condition that applies to all three
On a limit of stay Not required Unable to obtain a national passport or a travel document of any other country or territory
On unconditional stay Does not have the right of abode Unable to obtain a national passport or a travel document of any other country or territory
Not of Chinese nationality Has the right of abode and holds a Hong Kong permanent identity card Unable to obtain a national passport or a travel document of any other country or territory

Take a hypothetical applicant: a Hong Kong permanent resident who is not a Chinese national, holds a Hong Kong permanent identity card, and cannot obtain a passport from any country. They fall into the third group. If the same person could obtain a national passport, the Doc/I route would not apply to them.

"Unconditional stay" means the holder may remain in Hong Kong without any limit of stay; "limit of stay" means permission to remain that is subject to conditions or a time limit. This article sets out the published categories in general terms and is not legal advice on an individual case — where nationality or stay status is contested, the official pages as currently published and a qualified professional are the reference points.

How is a Doc/I different from a HKSAR passport or a Re-entry Permit?

A HKSAR passport goes to Chinese citizens who have the right of abode in Hong Kong and hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card. A Doc/I goes to residents who cannot obtain any national passport or other travel document, and it is also available to people who are not Chinese nationals. The two documents sit on different tests: citizenship and right of abode on one side, inability to obtain another travel document on the other.

A HKSAR Re-entry Permit covers a narrower purpose. It is issued for travel to the Mainland and the Macao SAR to Chinese citizens who have either acquired the right of abode or been granted unconditional stay, and to persons not of Chinese nationality who have been granted unconditional stay but cannot obtain national passports or travel documents of any other countries or regions.

What formats does a Doc/I come in, and how long does it stay valid?

There are two types, and both are valid for seven years:

The Department's page lists the two formats and the seven-year validity without setting out a rule for choosing between them; page count is the stated difference. Frequent travellers who need room for visas and entry stamps are the ones for whom the distinction tends to matter, but the choice itself is left to the applicant.

How long does a local Doc/I application take?

The Immigration Department pledges to complete the processing of local applications in five working days, provided that all necessary documents, the fee and the photograph are received. Working days mean Monday to Friday, excluding general holidays. In general, an applicant can obtain the new Doc/I on the next working day after the Department completes processing.

Applications submitted by post or via a drop-in box need an extra two to three working days for handling formalities. Where a previous Doc/I has been lost, damaged, defaced or is not available, the Department says processing time may be longer.

Collecting through a Chinese diplomatic and consular mission or an Immigration Division of the Mainland Offices adds a separate leg. The time for dispatching the prepared Doc/I is excluded from the five working days, and delivery is handled by Hongkong Post; actual delivery time depends on aviation security checks, air freight capacity and customs clearance at the destination, and remote destinations may need extra time.

What do you need to submit, and where does the application go?

Applications are submitted to the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or one of the Immigration Branch Offices. Appointments can be made through the 24-hour telephone booking system at (852) 2598 0888, through the online travel-document booking service, or through the Immigration Department Mobile Application. No appointment is needed to collect a new Doc/I: the Collection Notice states the office and the period, and the applicant collects the document at that office directly.

Can new arrivals apply when they register for a Hong Kong identity card?

Yes, for new arrivals aged 11 or above holding a One-way Chinese Exit Permit to Hong Kong. They can submit a Doc/I application in person at the Registration of Persons – Kowloon Office at the time of first registration of a Hong Kong identity card, bringing the required supporting documents. Children under 11 can be brought along to submit their applications during the same visit.

What photo does the application need?

One recent colour photograph with a white background. An application with a substandard photograph will not be processed and will be returned to the applicant. Self-service photographic kiosks are provided at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section and all Immigration Branch Offices.

How is the fee paid?

For applications submitted in person, the fee can be paid by EPS, Octopus, FPS, Mainland e-wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only), cash, or a crossed cheque payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". Applications submitted by post or drop-in must enclose a crossed cheque; post-dated cheques are not accepted. Applicants who apply through the Immigration Divisions of the Mainland Offices can also pay afterwards through PPS, FPS, the same Mainland e-wallets, or credit card (VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB only), using a payment link sent by email once the Department receives the documents and photograph forwarded from the Mainland Offices.

The Travel Documents page does not print a fee amount for the Doc/I; the current fee is published on the Immigration Department's fee tables page.

What happens if a Doc/I is lost, damaged or defaced?

The Department's stated procedure for a lost Doc/I is to report the loss to the Immigration Department, complete Form ID 645, and submit the replacement application in person at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or an Immigration Branch Office. An appointment can be booked by phone at (852) 2598 0888, through the online travel-document booking service, or through the Immigration Department Mobile Application.

For a Doc/I lost while travelling abroad, the Department's page states that the traveller should report the loss to the local police and request a copy of the police report; with that documentary proof, a replacement travel document may be requested from the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission in that country. The Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit hotline at (852) 1868 is also listed as a channel for information and assistance.

Who can sign a Doc/I application for a child?

Under section 3(1)(b) of the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance (Cap. 13), a mother has the same rights and authority as the law allows to a father, and those rights are equal and exercisable by either parent without the other. For an illegitimate child, section 3(1)(c) gives the mother the same rights as she would have if the minor were legitimate, while a father has only such rights as a court may have ordered on an application under section 3(1)(d).

Where parents are in the process of a divorce, both legitimate parents keep the same rights unless a court order says otherwise. Without a court order, the Immigration Department cannot act on a unilateral request from one parent to stop the other from applying for, or consenting to, a child's travel document.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a Doc/I if I already hold a foreign passport?

No. Each of the three eligible categories requires that the applicant is unable to obtain a national passport or a travel document of any other country or territory. Holding a valid passport from any country or territory removes the basis for a Doc/I.

How many pages does a HKSAR Doc/I have?

Two formats are issued: a standard size of 44 pages and a jumbo size of 92 pages. Both are valid for seven years.

Is the five-working-day processing time guaranteed?

The Department describes it as a pledge for local applications, conditional on receiving all necessary documents, the fee and the photograph. Applications by post or drop-in box need an extra two to three working days, and cases involving loss or damage may take longer.

Do I need an appointment to collect a new Doc/I?

No. No appointment booking is required for collection. Once the Collection Notice is received, the applicant goes to the office named on it during the stated period, unless the Department sends a further notice.

What photograph does a Doc/I application require?

One recent colour photograph with a white background. Applications with a substandard photograph are not processed and are returned to the applicant. Self-service photographic kiosks are available at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section and all Immigration Branch Offices.

What should I do if my Doc/I is lost in Hong Kong?

Report the loss to the Immigration Department, complete Form ID 645, and submit the replacement application in person at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or an Immigration Branch Office. The Department notes that processing may take longer than the standard pledge in these cases.

Can one parent block the other from applying for a child's Doc/I?

Not without a court order. Under the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance, both legitimate parents have equal rights that either can exercise alone, and the Immigration Department cannot act on one parent's unilateral request to prohibit the other.

Is there a fee, and how is it paid?

The fee is set out on the Immigration Department's fee tables page rather than on the Travel Documents page. In person, payment is accepted by EPS, Octopus, FPS, designated Mainland e-wallets, cash or crossed cheque; postal and drop-in applications must enclose a crossed cheque, and post-dated cheques are not accepted.

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