If you’re reading this, you’ve either hit 7 years of living continuously in Hong Kong and are now eligible to apply to be a permanent resident (PR), or you’re already a PR and you had a baby. Congratulations are in order either way! 🎉 After filling out endless forms and taking many trips to the immigration office in Tseung Kwan O both for myself AND for my baby, I’m here to break down every step on how to apply to become a Hong Kong permanent resident so you too can celebrate this milestone or new addition to the family.
NOTE: Since I am a foreigner living in Hong Kong, this guide is dedicated to the process for non-Chinese residents who are applying for themselves or their babies since this is based on my own experience. My understanding is that it’s basically the same process if you are Chinese or your parents are from Hong Kong, but you just need different documents and choose different options for eligibility during the application process.
Step 1: Check Eligibility & Gather Your Documents
As a foreigner, you are eligible to apply to be a permanent resident once you have been here for 7 continuous years from the start date of your employment or dependent visa. Meaning, if you arrived on a tourist visa, that time doesn’t count toward your 7 years. I learned this the hard way as my first several months in Hong Kong were on a tourist visa before my husband and I got married, and then it was another month until my dependent visa was approved.
You will need a variety of documents to prove that you’ve been residing in Hong Kong for 7 years. I recommend gathering all of your documents before your 7 year anniversary hits, that way you can confirm the dates and also have everything ready to submit once it’s time (this will minimize your waiting time for a Mainland China travel permit!).
Documents Needed to Apply for Permanent Residency as a foreigner:
- Hong Kong Identity Card
- Passport & Travel Documents including your employment visa/dependent visa (ours was officially called the “Notification Slip for Conditions of Stay”)
- Proof of employment (or your spouse’s proof of employment if you are applying as a dependent) and/or school documents if part of your residency was as a student
- Bank statement (or spouse’s bank statement) or income tax receipt from 7 years prior to application
- Marriage certificate if you are applying with a dependent visa
For babies born in Hong Kong, if at least one parent is a permanent resident, the baby is automatically eligible to be a permanent resident. That way, you can get a sticker in their passport instead of having to show their birth certificate at Hong Kong immigration, and you’ll also be able to apply for a Mainland China travel permit for visa-free entry into China for the baby.
Documents Needed to Apply for Permanent Residency for your baby:
- Baby’s Hong Kong birth certificate
- Parent’s Hong Kong Identity Card
- Baby’s passport
For all other cases, you can check out the official list of supporting documents needed here for all other cases (like if you are Chinese).
Step 2: Apply to be a Permanent Resident
You need to fill out this form online to apply for your permanent residency in Hong Kong.
It’s pretty straightforward filling in your personal information, except for a few questions. For the first question shown below, choose “no” (one way permit only applies to Chinese citizens).
After filling out basic personal information, you will need to fill out your residential status.
- If you’re a foreigner, check your official travel document/visa for the date you are permitted to remain in Hong Kong and input that date for the prompt below
- If you are submitting the form for your baby, choose “unconditional stay”
You also need to choose which criteria you match to be eligible for PR:
- If you are a foreigner, choose option 4 when you see the prompt below
- If you’re applying for your baby, choose option 5.
Next you will attach your supporting documents that you gathered and submit the form. Make sure you save a screenshot of your submission just in case you need to follow up with immigration on the status of your application. It will take 2-6 weeks for the government to process your paperwork.
Step 3: Visit the Immigration Tower in Tseung Kwan O
Look out in the mail for a letter from the immigration office. If you filled everything out correctly, it will have a barcode at the top and list the printed documents you need to bring in person to the Immigration Tower pictured above in Tseung Kwan O (note that the entrance outside actually says “Administration Tower” but it is the Immigration Tower).
The letter will have an appointment date and time. You can go online or call to change the appointment if needed (the letter will have instructions for this). Important to note that you will take your new HKID photo during this appointment so plan to do your hair and makeup accordingly!
Bring the letter along with the original/hard copies of your documents to the appointment. Go to the 3rd floor and check in at the registration desk for Right of Abode. They will then give you a number so you can wait to be called to see a case officer who will verify your documents.
Once your documents are verified, you will be sent to a self-service kiosk on the same floor to take your new HKID photo (your old HKID will be confiscated). This entire process took about 1 hour on a weekday morning, including waiting time and verification of documents. You’ll receive a paper receipt with a date to come back (typically 10 days later) to collect your new HKID. This paper will act as a temporary HKID so hold onto it! If you’re traveling during this time, you’ll need to visit the immigration counter with this paper receipt instead of using e-channels.
If you are applying for your baby, you won’t have to do the HKID process, so we were able to get in and out in less than 30 minutes. After your documents are verified, you can pay HK$350 via cash, Alipay or WeChat for an “endorsement for travel document,” which is basically a sticker that gets applied to their passport stating that they are a permanent resident (pictured below with personal data wiped out). Once you have this, you won’t need to bring your baby’s birth certificate to get through immigration at Hong Kong airport, and the entire process is complete.
For this document verification appointment, they will ask for the father to be present with his HKID by default. If the mother is doing the verification process, you need the father to write an authorization letter and bring a copy of his HKID with you. Here is a sample template for the authorization letter:
I, [Husband’s full name], holder of Hong Kong Identity Card No. [HKID Number] authorize my wife [Wife’s full name], holder of Hong Kong Identity Card No. [HKID Number] to act as my representative to sign any necessary documents on behalf of our son/daughter [son/daughter’s full name].
[Husband’s signature, date and printed name]
Step 4: Collect Your Permanent Resident HKID
After 10 days, you’ll be able to collect your permanent resident HKID. Bring the paper receipt back to the immigration office. You will insert the paper into a self-collection machine and do a fingerprint scan to collect your HKID. And that’s it! You’re officially a permanent resident of Hong Kong.
Check out my guide on where to eat in Tseung Kwan O to make the most out of your visits to the Immigration Tower.
