Overseas HK Residents: Deadline to Replace an Expired HKID in 2026
If you live abroad and still hold an old smart Hong Kong identity card, you cannot replace it by post, through a consulate, or online from overseas. According to the Immigration Department's official FAQ page on identity cards, a person who is outside Hong Kong and has not yet changed to a new smart identity card must complete the replacement within 30 days of returning to Hong Kong, and the application itself must be made in person at a Registration of Persons Office. The same page notes that the booking system currently shows dates up to 96 working days ahead, so the appointment is worth arranging before you book flights rather than after you land.
When did old smart HKID cards stop being valid?
Old smart identity cards issued before 26 November 2018 were invalidated in two stages during 2025, based on the holder's year of birth.
| Card holders | Date the old card became invalid |
|---|---|
| Born in 1970 or after | 12 May 2025 |
| Born in 1969 or before | 12 October 2025 |
The territory-wide replacement exercise has finished. All Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres closed from 4 March 2023, so the ordinary route now is an appointment at one of the Registration of Persons Offices. The Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office also stopped serving the public from 26 October 2025, leaving the remaining offices to handle identity card applications.
Can you replace an HKID from outside Hong Kong?
No. The department's answer to overseas holders is the same one that applies to everyone: attend a Registration of Persons Office in Hong Kong in person. There is no overseas application channel described for replacing an invalidated card.
The self-service kiosks do not help in this situation either. The "Application for Personal Documents Kiosks" at the Tseung Kwan O Immigration Headquarters are open to people aged 18 or above who hold a valid locally issued smart identity card, and the department states that a card which has been declared invalid cannot be used there. An overseas resident holding an invalidated card therefore needs a booked appointment.
When does the 30-day deadline start?
It starts on your return to Hong Kong, not on the date the card was invalidated. Suppose a reader lands in Hong Kong on 1 May 2026 still holding an old card that expired in 2025: the 30 days begin with that arrival.
Being abroad is also recognised as a reason for having missed the original replacement window. The FAQ lists illness, being affected by an epidemic, and being outside Hong Kong as examples of reasonable explanations, and says applicants can give the reason when they eventually apply, with each case considered on its own facts. This article describes published rules only and is not personalised legal or immigration advice — for your own circumstances, rely on the official pages and on any qualified professional you choose to consult.
Can you still travel into Hong Kong on an invalidated card?
No. An invalidated identity card cannot be used for immigration clearance; you must use a valid travel document, such as a passport or a Re-entry Permit (回港證). If you do present an invalidated card at a control point, you have to surrender it, and an immigration officer may issue a replacement notice requiring you to apply for a new card within a specified period.
That notice changes how you apply: holders can go to any Registration of Persons Office within the stated period without an appointment, though the department warns that waiting times on the spot may be long. The application receipt you get when you submit a replacement is not a travel document either — you still clear immigration with a passport or Re-entry Permit.
Can someone else collect the new card for you?
Yes, for collection — but not for the application. You must attend in person to apply, and if you cannot collect the new card yourself, you can authorise someone to collect it for you.
The arrangement works like this: you tell the registration officer when you apply and complete Form ID678 (Authorisation for Collection of Identity Card / Travel Document). The authorised person must be at least 18, and must bring their own valid identity document (a Hong Kong identity card, passport or Re-entry Permit), your application receipt, and the completed authorisation form. The signature on the authorisation has to match the one on your identity card application.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
Two different penalties apply, depending on which rule was breached.
- Failing to replace a card within the specified replacement period without reasonable explanation is an offence under section 7B(3) of the Registration of Persons Ordinance (《人事登記條例》), carrying a fine of HK$5,000.
- Ignoring a replacement notice that orders you to apply within a set period is an offence under regulation 19(4) of the Registration of Persons Regulations (《人事登記規例》), carrying a fine of HK$25,000 and two years' imprisonment.
Keeping an old card after you have the new one is a separate matter: the old card must be handed in for cancellation when you collect the new one, and possessing more than one identity card without reasonable explanation carries a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and two years' imprisonment.
On cost, the FAQ states that no fee was charged for a new smart identity card applied for under the territory-wide replacement scheme; applications linked to loss, damage or a change of particulars are chargeable.
Does an expired HKID affect your permanent resident status?
For Chinese nationals, no. The department states that a Chinese national Hong Kong permanent resident living overseas does not lose permanent resident status merely because an old smart card was invalidated and no replacement was made in Hong Kong; if they were outside Hong Kong during the replacement window, applying within 30 days of return is enough. Declaring a foreign nationality on the application form also does not remove the "**" or "" symbol from a new card.
Non-Chinese permanent residents face a different test. If they no longer ordinarily reside in Hong Kong and are absent for a continuous period of 36 months or more, their right of abode can be affected. Even then, the department notes, the person retains the right to land in Hong Kong and may enter, leave, live, study and work in Hong Kong freely without restriction.
What to do, in order
- Check the issue date of your card and your year of birth against the two 2025 invalidation dates.
- Book an appointment online before you travel, using the 96-working-day booking window.
- Choose one of the Registration of Persons Offices and check its opening hours and scope of service.
- Fly to Hong Kong with a valid travel document rather than the invalidated card.
- Attend the office in person and apply within 30 days of arriving.
- Tell the officer at that point if someone else will collect the card, and complete Form ID678.
- Hand in the old card when the new one is issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I renew my HKID at a Chinese embassy or consulate while I live abroad?
No. Replacement has to be done in Hong Kong, and the applicant must attend a Registration of Persons Office in person. There is no overseas counter or postal route for replacing a card that has been declared invalid.
Does the 30-day period start when I book the appointment or when I land?
It starts from your return to Hong Kong. The rule for people abroad is to complete the replacement within 30 days after coming back, so the countdown is tied to arrival, not to the 2025 invalidation date.
My old card is invalid — can I still use it to enter Hong Kong?
No. Use a valid travel document such as a passport or Re-entry Permit. If you present the invalidated card at a control point you must surrender it, and an officer may require you to apply for a replacement within a set period.
Can a relative collect my new HKID if I have to fly out?
Yes. Complete Form ID678 when you apply, and have the person bring their own valid identity document, your application receipt and the completed form. The authorised person must be at least 18, and the signature must match the one on your application.
Will I be fined if I only returned to Hong Kong in 2026?
Being outside Hong Kong is given as an example of a reasonable explanation for missing the original replacement period, and you can state your reason when you apply. The separate requirement — applying within 30 days of return — still applies once you are back.
Do I lose Hong Kong permanent residence if I never came back to change the card?
Not if you are a Chinese national; the department says permanent resident status is not lost merely because an old card was invalidated and left unreplaced. Non-Chinese permanent residents who stop being ordinarily resident and stay away for 36 continuous months or more may lose the right of abode, but keep the right to land.
Is there a fee to replace an invalidated card?
The FAQ states that no fee was charged for a new smart identity card obtained under the territory-wide replacement scheme. Fees do apply where a card is replaced because it was lost, damaged or defaced, or because its particulars need changing.