Applying for Passports in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China that issues its own type of passport. The Hong Kong Immigration Department grants this to its Chinese citizens who have Hong Kong permanent identity cards. As the country is a fusion of British and Chinese culture, holders of the Hong Kong passport also enjoy the best of many worlds.

Hong Kong SAR passport holders do not need visas when traveling to countries like the United Kingdom, some member states of the European Union, as well as Japan and Canada. They are also able to make diplomatic agreements between the People’s Republic of China and other nations.

In addition, they are also eligible to have free visas to Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan; however, it cannot be used for travel to mainland or to Macao.

Types Available

There are currently three types of Hong Kong passports: ordinary, official and diplomatic. Ordinary HKSAR passport is issued to those who will be traveling abroad as tourists, students, business people and other general usage. The official passport is only for government officials who have to travel for government matters; the diplomatic passport is for members of the diplomatic communities who have to travel for diplomatic missions.

Requirements

If you would like to apply for a Hong Kong passport, you first requirement is to be a Chinese citizen, a permanent resident in HKSAR, and you must have a valid HK permanent identity card.

You may submit your application in person or by post to the immigration office in the country. For overseas application, the requirements may be sent to the Chinese embassy or consulate located in the country you are currently residing in. Some of the documents you need include:

• Completed and signed application form
• Copy of your Hong Kong permanent identity card (the side with your details and photograph)
• One recent color photograph (with formal attire)
• Completed mailing label
• Fees

Additional Information

Hong Kong is definitely a very advanced country even with its passport. The country has an electronic version of their passport called the HKSAR e-Passport. Its inside back cover is embedded with a contactless chip that contains data such as your name in English and Chinese, your birth details, nationality, passport number, permanent identity card number, issuing authority, facial image, and more. Hong Kong is a great place to visit, there are many things to do here like in the list of Top ten things to do in Hong Kong.