Who issues HKSAR passports and hears passport appeals in 2026?
Two divisions of the Immigration Department (入境事務處) handle HKSAR passport matters, and they are not the same one: the Documents Division (證件科) issues HKSAR passports and other travel documents, while the Registration of Persons Division (人事登記科) handles appeals relating to permanent identity card and HKSAR passport applications. This is the split set out on the Immigration Department's official "Personal Documentation Branch (Text Version)" page, as of October 2026. What follows is general reference only — it is not advice on any individual case, and your own circumstances should be checked against the department's latest published information or a qualified professional.
Which division issues HKSAR passports in 2026?
The Documents Division issues them. It is headed by the Principal Immigration Officer (Documents), and its listed remit covers the issue of HKSAR passports and other travel documents, implementation of the Chinese Nationality Law (《中國國籍法》), and births, deaths and marriage registration.
So an application for a new passport, or for a replacement, is Documents Division work. It is also the division named at unit level for carrying out the Chinese Nationality Law, which matters because nationality and travel-document questions sit inside the same office rather than being split across the department.
Which division hears an appeal if an HKSAR passport application is refused?
The Registration of Persons Division, headed by the Principal Immigration Officer (Registration of Persons). Its listed functions include "handling appeals relating to permanent identity card and HKSAR passport applications" — the same division handles both kinds of appeal.
The consequence for a refused applicant is straightforward: the appeal does not go back to the Documents Division that dealt with the application. The issuing office and the appeal office are two separate units that report through the same branch, which is exactly why the two get confused.
Why are issuance and appeals kept in separate divisions?
The organisation chart does not set out a reason, but the effect is that the division deciding an application is not the division reviewing it. A refusal and an appeal therefore land at two different points inside the department, not two desks in the same office.
The same division that hears passport appeals is also the one processing applications relating to claims to right of abode under the Basic Law (《基本法》), and issuing identity cards. That is a structural fact from the chart, not a statement about how any particular case is decided.
How do the two divisions compare?
| Documents Division (證件科) | Registration of Persons Division (人事登記科) | |
|---|---|---|
| Post in charge | Principal Immigration Officer (Documents) | Principal Immigration Officer (Registration of Persons) |
| HKSAR passport role | Issues HKSAR passports and other travel documents | Handles appeals on HKSAR passport applications |
| Appeals | Not listed among its functions | Listed for permanent identity card and HKSAR passport applications |
| Right of abode claims | Not listed at division level | Processes claims to right of abode under the Basic Law |
| Chinese Nationality Law | Implements the Chinese Nationality Law | Not listed at division level |
| Other registration work | Births, deaths and marriage registration | Registration of persons, including the issue of identity cards |
| Parent unit | Personal Documentation Branch (個人證件部) | Personal Documentation Branch (個人證件部) |
Where do both divisions sit in the department?
Both sit under the Personal Documentation Branch (個人證件部), led by the Assistant Director (Personal Documentation). At branch level the remit covers implementing the Personal Documentation Programme covering the issue of HKSAR travel documents, processing claims to right of abode under the Basic Law, implementing the Chinese Nationality Law, compiling the provisional list of jurors, births, deaths and marriage registration and registration of persons, negotiating visa-free travel arrangements, promoting acceptance of HKSAR travel documents, and providing practical assistance to HKSAR residents in distress outside Hong Kong.
Above the branch, the Deputy Director (Control, Visa and Documents) has general oversight of the issuing of identity cards and travel documents to Hong Kong residents, within a department headed by the Director of Immigration.
What the organisation chart does not tell you
The chart maps which unit owns which function; it does not describe how an appeal is actually made. No forms, deadlines, fees or processing times appear in it, and it says nothing about how a decision is reviewed on its merits.
Those details are a matter for the department's published guidance, and internal allocations can be reorganised. Confirm the current arrangement against the latest official information before relying on any of it.
As a way of reading the rules rather than a prediction: suppose an applicant's passport is refused because their claim to right of abode is not accepted. The refusal comes from the Documents Division, the appeal goes to the Registration of Persons Division, and the right-of-abode question itself is also processed by that same division — three touchpoints, two of them in the unit that never issued the document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Documents Division handle the appeal because it issued my passport?
No. The appeal function is listed under the Registration of Persons Division, not the Documents Division. Issuing the document and reviewing a decision about it are assigned to different units.
Is a permanent identity card appeal handled by the same division as a passport appeal?
Yes. The Registration of Persons Division's listed functions cover appeals relating to both permanent identity card and HKSAR passport applications. It is the single listed entry point for both types of appeal.
Which division implements the Chinese Nationality Law?
The Documents Division is the division listed as implementing the Chinese Nationality Law, alongside issuing travel documents. The same function is also listed at branch level for the Personal Documentation Branch as a whole.
Which division processes claims to right of abode under the Basic Law?
The Registration of Persons Division processes applications relating to claims to right of abode under the Basic Law. The branch as a whole carries the same responsibility, but the division-level listing sits with Registration of Persons.
Do the two divisions report to the same branch?
Yes. Both the Documents Division and the Registration of Persons Division sit under the Personal Documentation Branch, headed by the Assistant Director (Personal Documentation). That shared parent is the main reason the two passport touchpoints get mixed up.
Does the organisation chart say how long an appeal takes or what it costs?
No. The chart lists responsibilities only and carries no processing times, fees or quotas. Timing and charges, where they apply, are a matter for the department's published guidance and should be confirmed against the latest official information.