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Do I need a Re-entry Permit to travel to mainland China or Macao in 2026?

No — most Hong Kong residents travelling to mainland China or the Macao SAR do not need one. A Hong Kong resident passing through Hong Kong immigration control points to or from the Mainland or Macao is exempt from holding an HKSAR Re-entry Permit if they can produce the documents listed below. This comes from the Hong Kong Immigration Department's "Travel Documents" Frequently Asked Questions page. What the Hong Kong side accepts is only half the picture: mainland and Macao authorities set their own entry requirements, and those still apply.

Which documents replace the Re-entry Permit at Hong Kong control points?

The exemption is written by age, and the two rules are not the same.

Traveller Documents accepted instead of a Re-entry Permit
Aged 11 or above A valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card issued locally, or a Hong Kong Identity Card bearing the *, *** or R symbol
Aged below 11 A valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card issued locally and a valid HKSAR passport

The wording matters. For adults, either document on its own is enough; for children under 11, the permanent identity card and the HKSAR passport are both required. A child who holds a permanent identity card but no HKSAR passport falls outside the exemption.

The rule covers the act of passing through Hong Kong immigration control points. It says nothing about what the mainland or Macao officer on the other side will ask to see.

Who is the Re-entry Permit actually issued to?

The Immigration Department issues HKSAR Re-entry Permits to two groups of Hong Kong residents for travel to the Mainland and the Macao SAR:

Two types exist. A single Re-entry Permit is valid for six months and covers one journey; a multiple Re-entry Permit is valid for five years and covers multiple journeys.

Do mainland China and Macao require their own documents?

Yes, and this is where travellers most often get caught out. For entering or departing the Mainland, the traveller is told to observe the documentation requirements of the mainland authorities — the Home Visit Permit is given as an example. For entering or departing Macao, a Hong Kong permanent resident aged below 11 who does not hold a valid HKSAR Re-entry Permit has to produce a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card and a valid HKSAR passport for identification.

For Macao, the published note addresses travellers under 11 only; it does not set out what Macao asks of older travellers, and those requirements can change independently of Hong Kong's rules. This article describes published document requirements as general information, not advice on your own situation — rely on the official position or a qualified professional before you book a trip that depends on a particular document.

When does a Re-entry Permit still matter?

The permit matters for residents who do not hold any of the documents in the exemption table. If you are 11 or above and your card is neither a locally issued Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card nor a Hong Kong Identity Card bearing the *, *** or R symbol, the exemption does not cover you, and the permit is the document the Immigration Department issues for mainland and Macao travel.

It is also worth separating two questions people tend to merge: whether Hong Kong lets you leave and return without the permit, and whether the mainland or Macao lets you in. Holding a Re-entry Permit answers the first. It does not describe the mainland's or Macao's own conditions.

How long does an application take?

Applications can be submitted in Hong Kong or in the Mainland, and the timelines differ sharply.

In Hong Kong, if all supporting documents are provided at submission, an in-person application can normally be processed and issued on the same day. Postal and drop-in applications may need an extra two to three working days, and the time spent mailing the application in is excluded. In general, the new permit can be collected on the next working day after processing is completed. If a previous permit was lost, damaged, defaced or is not available, the applicant has to complete Form ID 645 and the processing time may be longer.

In the Mainland, a replacement application normally takes four to six weeks from receipt of all necessary documents and photograph, with forwarding time excluded.

What does an application involve?

One recent photograph is required. It must be full face and without a hat, smaller than 55 × 45 mm and larger than 50 × 40 mm, against a plain light-coloured background. Self-service photographic kiosks are provided at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section and at all Immigration Branch Offices.

For a child under 11, the Form for Countersignature (Form ID 641) is only required if you cannot produce the latest school document bearing the child's photograph authenticated by the school — a student's handbook or school record card showing the child's name, date of birth and photograph, for example — or other proof of identity. A counter-signatory can be anyone aged 18 or above who knows the child, other than the child's parent or guardian. That person does not need to attend in person, but a completed Form ID 641 must come with a photocopy of their Hong Kong identity card or valid travel document bearing their signature.

The application fee is collected when the travel document is collected, and payment can be made 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". Post-dated cheques are not accepted, and no cash or cheque should be sent with postal or drop-in applications. The current fee amount is set out in the Immigration Department's published fee tables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Re-entry Permit for a day trip to Shenzhen if I have a Hong Kong permanent identity card?

If you are 11 or above and hold a valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card issued locally, no Re-entry Permit is needed to pass through Hong Kong immigration control points in either direction. The mainland side still applies its own documentation requirements, which is a separate matter from the Hong Kong exemption. The Immigration Department's own guidance cites the Home Visit Permit as an example of what mainland authorities may require.

My child is eight, has a permanent identity card, but has no HKSAR passport. Can we travel to Macao?

Under the exemption, a traveller below 11 needs both a valid locally issued Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card and a valid HKSAR passport. Without the passport, the child is not covered by that exemption. For Macao specifically, a Hong Kong permanent resident below 11 who holds no valid HKSAR Re-entry Permit must produce a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card and a valid HKSAR passport for identification.

How do I know whether my identity card carries the *, *** or R symbol?

The exemption is written in terms of the symbols printed on the card itself, so the check is a physical one: look at the card you hold. A locally issued Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card qualifies on its own regardless of these symbols. If your card has none of the symbols and is not a locally issued permanent identity card, the exemption does not apply to you.

Can a Re-entry Permit be used instead of a Home Visit Permit?

The two sit in different places. The Re-entry Permit question concerns what Hong Kong immigration control points accept, while the Home Visit Permit is cited as an example of documentation the mainland authorities may require. Nothing in the Immigration Department's guidance presents a Re-entry Permit as a substitute for mainland documentation requirements.

How long does a multiple Re-entry Permit last?

A multiple Re-entry Permit is valid for five years and covers multiple journeys. The other option is a single Re-entry Permit, valid for six months for one journey.

I lost my Re-entry Permit. Am I stuck until a replacement arrives?

If you hold one of the documents in the exemption table, the exemption applies whether or not you have a permit, because it turns on the identity card or passport you can produce. Replacing a lost, damaged or defaced permit requires Form ID 645, and the processing time may be longer than a standard application.

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