Does Hong Kong Have Hukou? Permanent vs Non-permanent ID

Hong Kong’s ordinances and the Immigration Department’s website contain no reference to a mainland-style household registration (hukou) system; the current resident registration system is known as the “Registration of Persons”. A resident’s status is evidenced by an Identity Card, and the core of the rights involved is the right of abode. As of 7 October 2026, both Hong Kong’s ordinances and the Immigration Department’s website use the terms “Registration of Persons”, “Identity Card” and “right of abode”; the terms “hukou” or “household registration” are not used as the name of any registration system.

Does Hong Kong Have a “Household Registration” System?

The ordinance governing resident registration in Hong Kong is the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Cap. 177). The Ordinance provides for the registration of persons in Hong Kong and of persons elsewhere who have the right of abode in Hong Kong, and for the recording of their particulars, as well as for the issue, carrying, production and use of identity cards. The term used in the legislation is “Registration of Persons”, not “household registration” or “hukou”.

The obligation to register is based on the individual. Except for those exempted or excluded from the Ordinance under its regulations, any person in Hong Kong must register under the Ordinance; the provisions treat the “person” as the subject of registration.

The principal items recorded upon registration are set out in the Ordinance and include name, address, place of birth, date of birth, sex, marital status or occupation or claimed nationality, as well as photograph, fingerprints, travel documents held, right of abode or right to land, conditions of stay, identity card number and so on. Particulars provided to the Registrar may be used only for enabling the Commissioner to issue identity cards and maintain records, and the records may be used only for such purposes as verifying a person’s identity.

What Does Hong Kong Use to Prove Resident Status?

Hong Kong uses the Smart Identity Card as the documentary proof of resident status. The Smart Identity Card comes in two types: the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card states that the holder has the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, whereas the Hong Kong Identity Card does not contain such a statement. For the specific differences between the Permanent Identity Card and the Hong Kong Identity Card, please refer to What Is the Difference Between a Hong Kong Temporary and Permanent Identity Card.

The new Smart Identity Card uses symbols on the card face to indicate immigration status. A means the holder has the right of abode in Hong Kong; C means that, at the time of registration, the holder’s stay in Hong Kong was subject to a limitation imposed by the Director of Immigration; R means the holder has the right to land in Hong Kong; U means that, at the time of registration, the holder’s stay in Hong Kong was not subject to any limitation by the Director.

An identity card is a proof document and does not itself confer the right of abode. A person may exercise the right of abode only if they hold one of the following documents proving their permanent resident status: a valid Permanent Identity Card; or a Certificate of Right of Abode affixed to a valid travel document; or a valid HKSAR passport. Holding a valid Permanent Identity Card is proof that the holder has the right of abode in the HKSAR.

The Legal Distinction Between Permanent and Non-permanent Residents

Article 24 of the Basic Law provides that Hong Kong residents comprise permanent residents and non-permanent residents. The most crucial legal distinction between the two lies in whether the right of abode is enjoyed.

A permanent resident enjoys the right of abode in Hong Kong, meaning they have the rights in respect of entry into Hong Kong, not being subject to any condition of stay, and not being liable to deportation or removal from Hong Kong. A non-permanent resident is a person who qualifies under Hong Kong law to obtain a Hong Kong Identity Card but does not have the right of abode.

Paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to the Immigration Ordinance lists six categories of permanent residents: Chinese citizens born in Hong Kong; Chinese citizens who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years; Chinese nationals born outside Hong Kong of Chinese citizens (who, at the time of birth, fell within either of the preceding two categories); non-Chinese nationals who entered Hong Kong with a valid travel document, have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years and have taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence; a person under 21 years of age born in Hong Kong of a permanent resident under paragraph (d), whose father or mother had the right of abode in Hong Kong at the time of birth or at any time before attaining 21 years; and other persons who had the right of abode in Hong Kong alone before the establishment of the Special Administrative Region. One route to acquiring permanent resident status is ordinary residence for seven consecutive years.

The term “Chinese citizen” in the above categories means, under the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China, a person with Chinese nationality; Hong Kong residents born in Chinese territory (including Hong Kong) of Chinese descent are Chinese citizens, unless they have applied for and obtained approval for a change of nationality.

Non-Chinese nationals must apply in order to acquire permanent resident status. A person who claims to have permanent resident status under paragraph 2(d) does not have such status unless they have applied to the Commissioner and obtained the Commissioner’s approval; the application must include a declaration, in the form prescribed by the Commissioner, stating that Hong Kong is their place of permanent residence, and the declaration may address matters such as whether they have a habitual residence in Hong Kong, whether their immediate family members are in Hong Kong, whether they have a reasonable income to support themselves, and whether they have paid tax in accordance with the law.

Permanent resident status is not absolutely incapable of being lost. A person referred to in paragraph 2(d) or (e) who, after ceasing to be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, is absent from Hong Kong for a continuous period of 36 months or more, loses their permanent resident status; if such a person loses the right of abode but retains the right to land under the law, they may at any time enter and leave Hong Kong freely and live, study or work in Hong Kong without restriction.

The Statutory Meaning of “Ordinary Residence” and “Settled”

“Ordinary residence” and “settled” are key terms for determining resident status. The Immigration Department defines “ordinarily resident” as follows: a person is taken to be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong if they reside in Hong Kong lawfully, voluntarily and for the purpose of settling there (for example, by studying, working or residing), regardless of the length of time; a temporary absence from Hong Kong may still be regarded as ordinary residence.

“Settled” means ordinarily resident in Hong Kong and not subject to any condition of stay. Certain periods of stay in Hong Kong are not regarded as ordinary residence, including unlawful entry, breach of a condition of stay, refugee status, foreign contract workers under a government importation of employees scheme, persons retained in Hong Kong as imported domestic helpers, consular staff, members of the garrison, persons staying in Hong Kong as holders of prescribed travel documents of the Central People’s Government, and periods of imprisonment or detention under a court sentence or order.

What Does the Census and Statistics Department Mean by “Household”?

The term “household” in Hong Kong’s official statistics is a separate concept and is not the same as the mainland hukou. The Census and Statistics Department defines a “domestic household” as a group of persons who live together and share living arrangements, and who need not be related by kinship; a person living alone who makes independent living arrangements also constitutes a domestic household (that is, a “one-person household”).

This definition is statistical terminology used for population and social statistics, and is not a resident registration or identity card system. Hong Kong’s current ordinances and the Immigration Department’s website do not use “household registration” as the name of any registration system.

How Do Mainland Residents Settle in Hong Kong via the One-way Permit?

Mainland residents who wish to settle in Hong Kong must apply to the exit-entry administration authority of the public security organ at their mainland place of household registration for a Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao (commonly known as the One-way Permit). The acceptance, examination and issuance of One-way Permits are handled by the mainland public security authorities in accordance with mainland laws, policies and administrative regulations; the current daily quota of One-way Permits is 150.

The Immigration Department relays that the mainland authorities have announced five categories of applications that will be accepted: where one spouse has settled in Hong Kong (with children under 18 able to apply to accompany them); persons aged 18 or above but under 60 who need to care for their parents in Hong Kong; persons aged 60 or above with no children on the mainland who need to join their children in Hong Kong; persons under 18 who need to join their parents in Hong Kong; and children of Hong Kong permanent residents holding a Certificate of Right of Abode.

Some applicants must first obtain a Certificate of Right of Abode. Applicants residing on the mainland may apply for an HKSAR Certificate of Right of Abode through the exit-entry administration authority of the public security organ at their place of household registration; once approved, the Certificate of Right of Abode is affixed to the One-way Permit, and the applicant must hand it over together with the permit to the mainland border inspection officers for inspection when leaving the mainland to enter Hong Kong for settlement. Under normal circumstances, 95% of Certificate of Right of Abode applications can be processed within three months after the Immigration Department receives the required documents; no fee is charged for applying for a Certificate of Right of Abode.

Persons who come to Hong Kong from the mainland on a One-way Permit and who had already reached the age of 11 at the time of arrival must go to the Registration of Persons Office — Kowloon to complete their first identity card registration. New arrivals aged 18 or above who are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for more than 180 days must register for and collect an identity card within 30 days of their arrival.

A person who is eligible to apply for a Certificate of Right of Abode but has never been issued one, and who is currently residing in mainland China, should not make an application to verify eligibility for a Permanent Identity Card. For arrangements concerning the Certificate of Right of Abode and One-way Permit for children born on the mainland to Hong Kong permanent residents, please refer to Children Born on the Mainland to Hong Kong Permanent Residents: Application Process for the Certificate of Right of Abode and One-way Permit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Hong Kong Have a Household Register?

No household register is found in official materials. Hong Kong’s ordinances use the “Registration of Persons” as the resident registration system, with the identity card as the proof document; the current system is based on the individual as the unit of registration.

Is a Hong Kong Identity Card the Same as Household Registration?

No. An identity card is a document proving an individual’s identity, not household registration; the Hong Kong Identity Card does not state the right of abode, whereas only the Permanent Identity Card contains the wording “the holder has the right of abode in Hong Kong”.

What Does “Household” Mean in Hong Kong?

“Household” is a statistical term, not a registration system. The Census and Statistics Department’s “domestic household” refers to a group of persons living together and sharing living arrangements, who need not be related by kinship; a person living alone also constitutes a domestic household. This concept differs from the mainland hukou.

Do Non-Chinese Nationals Automatically Become Permanent Residents After Living in Hong Kong for Seven Years?

No, it is not automatic. A person who claims to have acquired permanent resident status under paragraph 2(d) of the Immigration Ordinance must apply to the Commissioner and obtain approval, and must declare in the prescribed form that Hong Kong is their place of permanent residence.

What Is the Daily Quota of One-way Permits?

The current daily quota of One-way Permits is 150. The acceptance, examination and issuance of One-way Permits are handled by the mainland public security authorities in accordance with mainland laws, policies and administrative regulations.

Official Sources

• Registration of Persons Ordinance (Cap. 177)
• Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115)
• Basic Law, Chapter III (Article 24)
• Immigration Department: Eligibility for the Right of Abode in the HKSAR
• Immigration Department: Definitions of “Right of Abode” and Related Terms
• Immigration Department: Smart Identity Card
• Immigration Department: Right of Abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
• Immigration Department: Applying for the Right of Abode in the HKSAR
• Immigration Department: Entry Arrangements for Chinese Residents from the Mainland, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas
• Census and Statistics Department: Household

This article is a compilation of policy information and does not constitute legal advice; policies are subject to the latest announcements of official departments such as the Immigration Department.