According to the laws and regulations of the Mainland, a Hong Kong resident of Chinese nationality, as long as he has not declared to the nationality authority his identity as a foreigner, can apply for the Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entry and Exit Permit (Home Visit Permit) to the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department through the China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited (CTS), irrespective of whether he is holding a foreign passport or travel documents, and enter and exit the Mainland with his Home Visit Permit. For details, please refer to China Travel Service in Hong Kong and make telephone inquiry on (852) 2853 3888.
For Hong Kong residents who enter the Mainland with their Home Visit Permit and plan to leave the Mainland and travel abroad, they need to use a valid Home Visit Permit to leave the Mainland and a valid travel document to travel abroad.
Regarding the eligibility and procedures to apply for HKSAR passport, Document of Identity for Visa Purposes and Re-entry Permit, please refer to the followings:
The HKSAR passport is valid for travel to all countries in the world. 168 countries and territories have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR Passport holders. The final consent to enter the countries concerned is, nonetheless, up to the relevant immigration authorities.
Please visit the following link for countries granting visa-free access to HKSAR passport holders:
For detailed information, please refer to the following website:
GovHK - Visa-free access for HKSAR Passports
If your destination is not among the countries or territories above, you should contact the relevant consulates to ascertain the visa requirements for your visit.
For detailed information on HKSAR passport application, please refer to the following website:
GovHK - HKSAR Passports
Hong Kong residents who are not eligible for an HKSAR passport may apply for the HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (Doc/I), which can serve as your travel document.
For detailed information on Doc/I application, please refer to the following website:
GovHK - HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes
The HKSAR Re-entry Permits are issued to Hong Kong residents for travel to the Mainland and Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR).
There are two types of HKSAR Re-entry Permits:
the single HKSAR Re-entry Permit, which is good for a single journey and valid for 6 months; and
the multiple HKSAR Re-entry Permit, which is good for multiple journeys and valid for 5 years.
For detailed information on HKSAR Re-entry Permit application, please refer to the following website:
GovHK - HKSAR Re-entry Permit
168 countries and territories have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR Passport holders. The final consent to enter these countries is, nonetheless, up to the local immigration authorities.
Please visit the link below for information on the list of countries granting visa-free access to HKSAR Passport holders:
http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/traveldoc/hksarpassport/visafreeaccess.htm
If your destination is not among the countries or territories above, you should contact the relevant consulates to ascertain the visa requirements for your visit.
Eligible Hong Kong permanent residents may submit their applications to the Immigration Department (ImmD) in person, by post, drop-in, through the Internet or ImmD mobile application, or through the Immigration Divisions of the Mainland Offices. Applicants may choose to collect the passports in the Immigration Divisions of the Mainland Offices.
For application of replacement of passport which has been lost/defaced/is not available or amendment of personal particulars in a passport, the applicant is required to submit the application in person at ImmD or the Immigration Division of the Mainland Offices.
If you lose or damage your HKSAR Passport in the Mainland, you should report the loss to the Immigration Department after your return to Hong Kong. You will be required to complete an application form and submit your replacement application in person at any of the Immigration Offices that handles travel document applications.
On the other hand, eligible applicants with a valid HKSAR permanent identity card may submit their replacement applications for HKSAR passport in person at Immigration Divisions of the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong.
For detailed information on provision of HKSAR passport replacement service in the Mainland,please refer to the following website：
http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/service/travel_document/mainlandservice.html
An applicant may submit his application in person to any of the Immigration Branch Offices in Hong Kong, except for Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section. A child aged under 16 must be accompanied by his parent or legal guardian when submitting his application. If the applicant is an unmarried person aged 16 or 17, he can apply on his own after obtaining the consent of his parent or legal guardian who has signed for his application.
To save your time, you can make an appointment through the Internet or by calling (852) 2598 0888.
Eligible applicants in the Mainland may also submit a replacement application for a Re-entry Permit in person through the Immigration Division of Mainland Offices. The applicant shall authorize a Hong Kong referee to pay the fee and collect the Re-entry Permit at the selected Immigration Branch Office on his behalf.
A6: For replacement of DOC/I which has been expired, eligible applicants in the Mainland may submit a replacement application by post directly to the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or apply in person at the Immigration Division of the Mainland Offices. In both cases, applicants may subsequently choose to collect the Document of Identity for Visa Purposes at the Immigration Division of the Mainland Offices.
For replacement of DOC/I which has been lost, the application must be submitted in person at the Hong Kong Immigration Department or the Immigration Division of the Mainland Offices.
From 10 October 2020, Hong Kong and Macao residents may apply for renewal or reissue of the (Home Visit Permit) in mainland by submitting their applications to the Exit-Entry Administration of any county-level’s Public Security Bureau. For details of application, please refer to the following link:
An applicant may also visit any of the travel document service centres of the China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited (CTS) in Hong Kong to apply for renewal. For details, please refer toCTS's websiteand make telephone inquiry on (852) 2853 3888.
You need to use a valid Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entry and Exit Permit (Home Visit Permit) to leave the Mainland and a valid travel document to travel abroad.
According to the laws and regulations of the Mainland, for a Hong Kong resident of Chinese nationality, as long as he has not declared to the nationality authority his identity as a foreigner, he can still apply for the Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entry and Exit Permit (Home Visit Permit) to the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department through the China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited (CTS), irrespective of whether he is holding a foreign passport or travel documents, and enter and exit the Mainland with his Home Visit Permit. For details, please refer to CTS's websiteand make telephone inquiry on (852) 2853 3888.
You should use the Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entry and Exit Permit (Home Visit Permit) to enter and exit the Mainland.
If your child is born in Hong Kong, please register the birth of your baby within 42 days of birth. All parents applying for birth registration of their newborn babies should make prior appointment booking through the Internet or by telephone. Birth registration is free of charge within 42 days of birth. Parents can apply for birth registration through the appointment services after the newborn baby's birth return has been electronically transmitted from the hospital to the births registry.
The following website outlines the procedures for registering your child's birth and addition / alteration of your child's name as well as how to search for birth records or get a certified copy of them:
GovHK - Births Registration
If your child is born in the Mainland, the medical certificate of birth will be issued by the medical institution where the baby was delivered before the baby is discharged.
If your child claims to be a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region permanent resident under paragraph 2(c) of Schedule 1 of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115), you can apply for the Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the child.
For detailed information on how you can apply for a Certificate of Entitlement in the Mainland, please visit the following website or contact the Immigration Division, BJO:
GovHK - Applications made in the Mainland for Certificate of Entitlement
The Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China (CNL) has been applied in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) since 1 July 1997 pursuant to Article 18 of and Annex III to the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the People's Republic of China, and interpreted in accordance with the "Explanations of Some Questions by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress concerning the implementation of the CNL in the HKSAR".
A "Chinese citizen" is a person of Chinese nationality under the CNL. Hong Kong residents who are of Chinese descent and were born in the Chinese territories 34 (including Hong Kong), or persons who satisfy the criteria laid down in the CNL as having Chinese nationality, are Chinese nationals.
The following website provides links to detailed information on the legal framework of Chinese nationality in Hong Kong, the types of changes you can make in relation to Chinese nationality, where to submit applications or obtain further information, and the fees for various applications.
GovHK - General information on Chinese nationality
According to existing policies, children born in the Mainland who wish to enter Hong Kong for settlement have to apply for a Certificate of Entitlement from the Hong Kong Immigration Department via offices of the Public Security Bureau in the Mainland.
Eligible persons who live in the Mainland could obtain an application form from the office of the Exit-Entry Administration of the Public Security Bureau where their household registration is kept. After filling out the form truthfully, the application should be submitted to the office of the Public Security Bureau. The office of the Exit-Entry Administration of the Public Security Bureau will verify the relevant information and refer the case to the Hong Kong Immigration Department for verification. After reviewing the application, the Immigration Department will issue a Certificate of Entitlement if the person is eligible for the right of abode. The Certificate will be sent to the office of the Exit-Entry Administration of the Public Security Bureau to be passed on to the applicant.
To ensure that children born to Hong Kong permanent residents in the Mainland who are of Chinese nationality and have the right of abode settle in Hong Kong in a lawful and orderly manner, the One-Way Permit issued by the office of the Exit-Entry Administration of the Public Security Bureau and the Certificate of Entitlement issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department will be issued at the same time. In practice, the Certificate of Entitlement will be affixed to the One-Way Permit. When the permit holder leaves the Mainland, both documents will have to be produced for inspection by inspection officers at the immigration control points of the Mainland before the permit holder is allowed to cross the border.
For enquiries, please contact the Immigration Division of BJO at (86 10) 6657 2880 Ext. 311 during office hours(8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, except on Mainland public holidays).
At the time the child is born in the Mainland, if both of his parents are Hong Kong permanent residents and the child has not obtained any travel documents, the parents of the child can make an inquiry in writing via BJO, SHETO or directly to the Other Visas and Permits Section of the Hong Kong Immigration Department with regard to the application for documents for the child to come to Hong Kong.
After the inquiry is received, BJO, SHETO or the Hong Kong Immigration Department will contact the parents of the child to follow up the case.
For enquiries, please contact the Immigration Division of BJO at (86 10) 6657 2880 Ext. 311 during office hours(8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m Monday to Friday, except on Mainland public holidays).
The minimum legal age for marriage in Hong Kong is 16 years of age (Gregorian reckoning). You can choose to register for marriage in Hong Kong regardless of where you live or what your nationality is.
The following website provides information on marriage registration, including giving the notice of intended marriage on the prescribed form in Hong Kong or from places outside Hong Kong, celebrating your marriage in different venues as well as post-registration of marriage taken place before 7 October 1971:
GovHK - Marriage Registration
If you plan to get married with your partner in the Mainland, you have to go through marriage registration procedures in accordance with Mainland laws and regulations. Marriage registration in the Mainland is the duty of the home affairs offices of the governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, or the authorities designated by the home affairs offices.
You may refer to the website of the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau ( http://ggfw.mzj.beijing.gov.cn/jhyy/marryout/marry/index.html)for a guide to marriage registration for Beijing and Hong Kong residents, policy papers and information about the institutions responsible for the registration. For information on the required procedures and documents for marriage registration by governments of other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, please contact the relevant marriage registration authorities.
Under the Laws of Hong Kong, you will have to go through the following procedures to solemnize a marriage in Hong Kong:
Either one of you has to give a Notice of Intended Marriage (the notice) to the Registrar of Marriages (the Registrar) in the prescribed form either directly or through a civil celebrant of marriages.
The Registrar shall exhibit the relevant part of the notice in his office until the issue of a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages or the expiry of the 3-month period.
The Registrar may, at least 15 days after the giving of a notice, issue a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages to enable you to celebrate your marriage within three months from the date of notice giving if all the statutory requirements are met.
A marriage has to take place at a marriage registry by a Registrar; or in a licensed place of worship by a competent minister or at any other place in Hong Kong by a civil celebrant of marriages.
If the marriage does not take place within three months after the giving of the notice, the notice and all proceedings thereupon shall be void. You have to give another notice before getting married.
For information on the registration of a marriage, please click on the following link:
http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/bdmreg/marriage/marreg/
To apply for a certificate of absence of marriage record, you have to complete an application form and pay the prescribed fee for a search of marriage record.
If the search result shows that you have no marriage record in Hong Kong, you will be issued a certificate of absence of marriage record on payment of the prescribed fee. Otherwise, you will only be issued a letter of marriage record on which the date(s) of your previous marriage(s) will be indicated.
You can send your application in person, through an authorised representative or by post.