Getting your Hong Kong Identity Card
Who must register, by when, what to bring, and what happens on the day.
Draft for review by the operating entity's legal adviser before publication.
Who and when
- Anyone aged 11 or above who is permitted to stay in Hong Kong for more than 180 days must register for an identity card within 30 days of arrival or of reaching that age.
- Registration is at a Registration of Persons Office; appointments are booked through the Immigration Department’s online booking system.
What to bring
- Your travel document, the visa or entry permit, and the landing slip or arrival record.
- The application form, which you can complete in advance.
On the day and afterwards
- Fingerprints and a photo are taken at the office. You receive an acknowledgement slip; the Immigration Department tells you when the card is ready for collection.
- The slip is itself an identity document in the meantime; keep it with your passport.
A note on this guide
This is general administrative information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules, fees and timelines change; the official sources listed below are authoritative. FastHK is not a government body and cannot influence any decision or appointment.