How long does a HKSAR passport take in 2026, and what does it cost?
Five working days is the Immigration Department's pledge for processing a HKSAR passport application, and ten working days for a child under 11 who does not hold a Hong Kong permanent identity card; the fee depends on validity and page count — HK$430 for a 10-year 32-page passport, HK$520 for the 48-page version, and HK$215 (32 pages) or HK$260 (48 pages) for a 5-year passport, the validity normally issued to children under 16. These figures come from the Immigration Department's Travel Documents Frequently Asked Questions page.
What does the five-working-day pledge actually cover?
The clock starts once the Department has received all necessary documents, the application fee and the photograph — a form submitted online or through the Immigration Department Mobile Application is not an approval, and the Department may still ask for another photograph or additional documents. "Working days" means Monday to Friday, excluding General Holidays.
Once processing is completed, applicants can generally collect the new passport on the next working day. The Department states that meeting the pledge also depends on the circumstances of the individual application and on how many applications are received at a given time, and it advises anyone with travel plans to apply early.
Why do children under 11 without a permanent identity card wait ten working days?
The longer pledge applies specifically to children aged under 11 who are not holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card. For those children, the permanent identity card application must be submitted together with the passport application, the form must be signed by a parent or legal guardian, and the card is issued together with the passport — so the Department is handling two documents, not one.
Children of any age need their own passport; a child cannot be included in a parent's passport. A passport issued to a child under 16 is normally valid for five years, while a passport issued to anyone else is normally valid for ten years from the date of issue, unless otherwise specified.
How much does a HKSAR passport cost?
The amounts below are the passport fees listed on the Immigration Department's Travel Documents Frequently Asked Questions page.
| Validity | 32 pages | 48 pages |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years | HK$430 | HK$520 |
| 5 years (normally under 16) | HK$215 | HK$260 |
Two related fees appear on the same page: HK$110 for an application to amend personal particulars in an existing passport, and HK$200 for an application to cross-link an old and a new passport (Form ID 879) so that a visa still in force in the previous passport is endorsed across both. These amounts are general reference only and not advice on an individual case, since what an applicant pays depends on the validity and format the Department issues — treat the officially published schedule as final.
What else adds time on top of the pledge?
Three things commonly push a passport past the five or ten working days:
- Submitting without attending in person. Applications not submitted in person, such as those placed in a drop-in box, may need an extra two to three working days for handling formalities.
- Loss, damage or an amendment. The Department states that processing may be longer for applications involving loss, damage or amendment of personal particulars.
- Overseas collection. If you choose to collect the passport through a Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Mission or an Immigration Division of the Mainland Offices, the time for dispatching the prepared passport is excluded from the processing time. Delivery is handled by Hongkong Post, and actual delivery depends on aviation security checks, air freight capacity and customs clearance at the destination, with more time needed for remote destinations. Updated airmail information is published on the Hongkong Post website.
Put simply, the pledge covers the Department's own processing, not the post.
Do you need an appointment to collect the passport?
No. Appointment booking for collection is not required — after receiving the Collection Notice, which states the period and office, you go to the selected office directly, unless the Department sends a further notice.
Eligible applicants can also collect at a Passport Collection Kiosk / Personal Documentation Collection Kiosk, installed at the Immigration Headquarters, the Hong Kong Island Travel Documents Issuing Office, the West Kowloon Office and the Tuen Mun Office. The collection arrangement is sent by SMS before the collection period, so the Department advises providing a mobile number that can receive SMS; depending on the circumstances, an applicant may still be asked to collect at a counter.
What if the passport was lost or damaged?
A replacement application for a lost passport uses Form ID 645 and is submitted in person at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or an Immigration Branch Office. Eligible applicants aged 18 or above may instead use the Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, without an appointment, for a passport that has been lost, damaged, defaced or is not available.
Photo taking at the Travel Document Submission Kiosk / Personal Documentation Submission Kiosk is free of charge. For a passport lost while travelling abroad, the Department's guidance is to report the loss to the local police and obtain a copy of the police report, then approach the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission in that country; it also operates a 24-hour hotline, (852) 1868, through its Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit.
How can you check where an application stands?
After a successful submission, you can enquire about the application status online through the government's Online Travel Document Application Status Enquiry page, using the application reference number together with your day and year of birth. If the details match the Department's records, the status is shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the five-working-day passport pledge guaranteed?
No — the Department describes it as a pledge that starts once all necessary documents, the fee and the photograph are received, and says it also depends on the circumstances of the individual application and the number of applications received at that time. Working days exclude General Holidays. Collection usually follows on the next working day after processing is completed.
How long does a child under 11 without a permanent identity card take?
Ten working days. That pledge covers children aged under 11 who do not hold a Hong Kong permanent identity card, whose identity card application must be submitted together with the passport application and is issued together with the passport.
Does the fee depend on the applicant's age?
Indirectly, through validity. A passport is normally valid for ten years, but for children under 16 it is normally valid for five years, and the fee is set by validity and page count: HK$430 or HK$520 for ten years (32 or 48 pages) and HK$215 or HK$260 for five years.
Is mailing time included if I collect overseas?
No. If you collect through a Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Mission or an Immigration Division of the Mainland Offices, the time for dispatching the prepared passport is excluded from the processing time, and Hongkong Post delivery depends on aviation security checks, air freight capacity and customs clearance, with more time for remote destinations.
Do I need to book an appointment to collect a new passport?
No, collection does not require an appointment. You collect at the office named on the Collection Notice during the stated period, unless the Department issues a further notice. Kiosk collection is available at the Immigration Headquarters and three branch offices, with an SMS sent before the collection period.
Can I keep my old passport if it still holds a valid visa?
You must produce the existing passport for cancellation when collecting the new one, and it is returned to you cancelled. If you need the visa in it, you can apply to cross-link the two passports using Form ID 879 for a fee of HK$200, provided the existing passport is still valid on the endorsement date, contains a valid visa, residence permit or entry permit, and has a blank page for the endorsement.