Guidance

Hong Kong: Knowledge Base profile

Published 19 April 2024

Version 3.0

About: Hong Kong

This document contains useful information about Hong Kong which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 16 April 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Hong Kong: names

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about names in Hong Kong.

Names in Hong Kong consist of a:

• forename
• surname

The order of names on documents is surname first and then forename. Some customers may add a western name (for example, Michael).

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong authorities do not consider adding a western name (for example, Michael) as a change of name.

Married women do not always change their name.

A Hong Kong citizen can change their name when they change their gender.

Hong Kong: nationality

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about nationality in Hong Kong.

China does not recognise dual nationality.

The Chinese authorities in Hong Kong are aware that some Hong Kong citizens hold both a British passport and a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport. The Chinese authorities will only class these citizens as foreign nationals if they renounce their Chinese citizenship. A person can regain their Chinese citizenship if they renounce their British nationality.

Hong Kong: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Hong Kong.

Legitimacy

Hong Kong recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

• legitimate if the parents:
  • are married at the time of the birth
  • marry after the date of birth
• illegitimate if the child is born to unmarried parents

Parental responsibility

Both parents have parental responsibility if they are married.

If parents are unmarried mothers hold parental responsibility. Unmarried fathers do not have automatic parental responsibility unless granted by order of the court.

Hong Kong: adoption

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about adoption in Hong Kong.

Adoption is legal in Hong Kong.

Foreign nationals are allowed to adopt in Hong Kong. They have to be living in Hong Kong for at least 12 months.

Hong Kong: surrogacy

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about surrogacy in Hong Kong.

Surrogacy is legal in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong: gender recognition

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about gender recognition in Hong Kong.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Hong Kong. Citizens can change their name when they have changed their gender.

Hong Kong: documents

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about documents in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department holds the central register for all documents.

The Hong Kong authorities do not laminate documents.

Birth certificates

Hospital notification records exist in Hong Kong, and they show both parents names.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department has birth records dating back to 1872.

There is no time limit on registering a child’s birth.

There are 2 types of birth certificate, a:

• landscape handwritten birth certificate issued before 6 November 1995
• A4 portrait printing birth certificate issued from 6 November 1995

From 2 January 1980, the birth certificate number is the same number on the customer’s Hong Kong Identity card.

The Hong Kong authorities will:

• issue birth certificates to everyone and copies can be obtained
• issue a new birth certificate if there is an administrative error on the original
• amend the original birth certificate if the customer needs to change the details on a birth certificate, for example:
  • adding the father’s name
  • changing a child’s name if they are 11 years or younger

Marriage certificates

Customers must register their marriage. There is no time limit for registering a marriage.

The customer receives a marriage certificate when they marry, there are different certificates in circulation, these are:

• handwritten (landscape) marriage certificates issued before 20 November 1995
• A4 computerise (portrait) marriage certificates issued from the end of 1995

Death certificates

Death certificates are issued in Hong Kong. The death must be registered within 24 hours.

Identity documents

The Hong Kong Immigration Department issue Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passports, Hong Kong Identity cards (HKID) and Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards (HKPIC). Identity cards:

• must always be carried by anyone 15 years and older
• for children, aged under 11 years old, do not have a photograph.

Customers who have a youth HKID, must apply for an adult HKID no more than 30 days after their 18th birthday. The youth HKID cannot be used as a re-entry travel document 30 days after their 18th birthday.

Customers can change the details on their identity card. This is done in person in Hong Kong with the Registration of Persons Office.