Immigration Department: Offices, Forms and Online Services

The Immigration Department headquarters is located at the Immigration Department Headquarters Administration Building, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, and has provided services at this address since 11 June 2024. Applications for visas and entry permits (including the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) and other specified schemes, as well as all dependant applications) must be submitted through the online application system; the Immigration Department no longer accepts submission by post, drop-in box or in person. Details of the locations and opening hours of each office, commonly used form reference numbers, and service channels such as online applications, appointment booking and e-Visa are set out below, with information current as of 7 October 2026.

What matters does the Immigration Department handle?

The functions of the Immigration Department cover a range of areas including status, visas, travel documents and registration. Service items available on its mobile application include appointment services, application services, form filling, waiting times at land boundary control points, “My Queue Ticket”, “e-Visa”, document submission, contacting the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Abroad Unit, and non-contact e-Channel, among others.

Specifically, the Immigration Department processes the following categories of applications and services:

Visas/entry permits and extensions of stay (employment, study, dependants, QMAS, TTPS, etc.);
Registration for Hong Kong Identity Cards (HKID), replacement and related certificates;
Travel documents, including applications for and issuance of HKSAR passports, Documents of Identity for Visa Purposes, and Re-entry Permits;
HKSAR Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode and verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card;
Birth, death and marriage registration;
Reporting offences against the Immigration Ordinance (such as overstaying or employing illegal workers), which may be submitted via Report Offences against the Immigration Ordinance Online;
Assisting Hong Kong residents who are outside Hong Kong and in distress.

What does each office handle?

Headquarters groups (Tseung Kwan O)

The headquarters groups are located at the Immigration Department Headquarters Administration Building, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories. The Certificate of Entitlement Group and the Employment and Tourism Visa Group operate from 8:45 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; the hours of other groups are as set out on the Immigration Department Headquarters Offices page. The floors of each group are as follows:

Group	Floor
Right of Abode Group	Administration Building, 3rd floor
Travel Documents (Issuing) Group	Administration Building, 1st floor
Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Group	Administration Building, 2nd floor
Imported Workers Group, Foreign Domestic Helpers Group	Administration Building, 4th floor
Quality Migrants and Mainland Residents Group	Administration Building, 6th floor
Extension of Stay Group, Other Visas and Entry Permits Group	Administration Building, 5th floor
Certificate of Entitlement Group, Employment and Tourism Visa Group	Administration Building, 7th floor
International Cooperation Group (Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Abroad Unit)	Administration Building, 9th floor

The Travel Documents (Issuing) Group relocated to Tseung Kwan O on 11 June 2024. The Enquiries and Liaison Group is located at the upper ground floor of the Administration Building. In-person enquiry hours are 8:45 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, and 9:00 am to 11:30 am on Saturdays; it is closed on Sundays and public holidays. See Immigration Department Headquarters Offices and Contact Us (Immigration Department) for details.

Branch offices

There are seven branch offices in total, with addresses as follows:

Office	Address
Hong Kong Island Travel Documents Issuing Office	2nd floor, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central
East Kowloon Office	2nd floor, Laguna Plaza, Laguna City, 8 Lei King Road, Lam Tin
West Kowloon Office	Ground floor, 28 Kimberley Street, Tsim Sha Tsui
Sha Tin Office	3rd floor, Sha Tin Government Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin
Fo Tan Office	Shops 405–407, 4th floor, The Wai, 2–18 Lok King Street, Fo Tan
Tuen Mun Office	1st and 2nd floors, Tuen Mun Zhao Lin Government Complex, 19 Siu Lun Street, Tuen Mun
Yuen Long Office	1st floor, Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long

Branch offices accept applications for HKSAR travel documents (passports, Documents of Identity for Visa Purposes, Re-entry Permits, and Seamen’s Identity Books). The East Kowloon, West Kowloon, Sha Tin, Fo Tan, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long offices also accept extension of stay applications from foreign domestic helpers seeking renewal, persons admitted under the One-way Permit and visitors (mainlanders excepted). Applications to change stay status and other extension of stay applications must be submitted to the relevant headquarters group. Each branch office operates a quota system; an appointment must first be made through the online appointment system for a date within 24 working days from the next working day. See Immigration Department Branch Offices for details.

Registration of Persons offices

There are six Registration of Persons offices:

Office	Address
Hong Kong Island Office	8th floor, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
Kowloon Office	3rd floor, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po
Tseung Kwan O Office	3rd floor (registration) and 1st floor (collection) of the Headquarters Administration Building, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O
Fo Tan Office	Shops 405–407, 4th floor, The Wai, 2–18 Lok King Street, Fo Tan
Tuen Mun Office	3rd floor, Tuen Mun Zhao Lin Government Complex, 19 Siu Lun Street, Tuen Mun
Yuen Long Office	1st floor, Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long

After the headquarters moved to Tseung Kwan O, the Hong Kong Island Office on the 8th floor of the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai continues to provide services at its original location. Each Registration of Persons office operates a quota system; an appointment must first be made through the online appointment system for a date within 96 working days from the next working day. Those who need to urgently replace an HKID that has been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced, as well as those applying for a Certificate of Registered Particulars or a Certificate of Exemption from Registration, do not need an appointment; see Registration of Persons Offices and FAQ: Identity Card for details.

Commonly used form reference numbers and purposes

All forms can be accessed via the Download Guides or Forms / Electronic Forms List (PDF), and browsed through the Forms Main Page and Visa/Entry Permit Forms.

Visa and entry permit forms

Form no.	Purpose	Completed by
ID 990A	Application for admission of professionals to take up employment in Hong Kong	Applicant
ID 990B	Application by an employer for admission of professionals to take up employment in Hong Kong	Employing company
ID 997	Application for admission as dependants to Hong Kong	Applicant
ID 995A	Application for admission to study in Hong Kong	Applicant
ID 995B	Application for admission to study in Hong Kong (sponsor)	Sponsor
ID 1003A	Application for visit/transit to Hong Kong	Applicant
ID 1003B	Application for visit/transit to Hong Kong (sponsor)	Sponsor

Related entry guides: for professionals coming to Hong Kong for employment, the guide is ID(C)991; for dependants coming to reside in Hong Kong, ID(C)998; for TTPS, ID(C)1026; for QMAS, ID(C)982; and for study in Hong Kong, ID(C)996. See Forms: Study for details. For extension of stay, use application form ID 91; for endorsement on travel documents, ID 405; for sponsor’s declaration, ID 481A; and for dependant’s declaration, ID 481B. See Forms: Extension of Stay and Endorsement on Travel Documents.

Application forms and guides for pathways such as TTPS, QMAS and dependants can be found on the Top Talent Pass Scheme Forms Page, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Forms Page and the Residence as Dependants Forms Page respectively; forms for professionals coming to Hong Kong for employment are on Forms: Admission of Professionals to Take Up Employment. For the application conditions of each scheme, refer to the TTPS Pathway Page, the QMAS Pathway Page and the Dependant Visa Pathway Page.

Identity card and other forms

Identity card-related forms are numbered with the prefix ROP, for example ROP 1 (Application for a Hong Kong Identity Card for persons aged 18 or over), ROP 73 (Application for Amendment of Registered Particulars), ROP 122 (Application for a Certificate of Registered Particulars), and ROP 150 (Registration of Persons Office Schedule of Fees). See Forms — Identity Card for details.

Other commonly used forms include: ID 881 (Application for a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode in the HKSAR) and ID 881A (Notes for completing the form); ID 912 (Schedule of Fees for Various Services); ID 678 (Authorisation for Collection of Identity Card/Travel Document); ID 841/ID 842 (Application for an HKSAR Passport, applicable to applications made in Hong Kong by persons aged 16 or over and under 16 respectively); ID 73 (Application for a Re-entry Permit); ID 888 (Application for a Travel Pass); and ID 900 (Application for an APEC Business Travel Card). For the application documents and process for verifying eligibility for a permanent identity card, refer to Seven-Year Permanent Residency Documents and Application Process.

Online services and online appointment booking

Online applications and e-Visa

The Immigration Department launched the first phase of the electronic visa application service on 28 December 2021, and completed its extension to all visa application categories on 29 November 2022. Applicants can complete the entire process of electronic forms, uploading supporting documents and making payment online via the GovHK website, the Immigration Department website or the Immigration Department mobile application. See Electronic Visa Application Service for details.

The “e-Visa” arrangement has been implemented since 28 December 2021, and the Immigration Department has ceased issuing adhesive physical labels. Upon approval and payment of fees, the applicant is issued documents in PDF format such as the “Notification of Entry Visa/Permit”, and those who pay the fee and collect the visa in person at an office will be issued an “e-Visa” printed on an A4 white sheet on the spot. See “e-Visa” for an explanation.

Incomplete online application data is temporarily stored in the system for 14 days and will be deleted upon expiry without further notice. Users who are not “iAM Smart” users can also use the online services; those without a scanner may take a photo with a camera and upload it; applicants must provide a correspondence email address to receive notifications.

Which applications must be submitted online

Applicants under the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS), the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG), the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES), the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES), the Entrepreneur Entry Scheme, the Training in Hong Kong Scheme, and the Working Holiday Scheme, as well as all dependants, must submit through the online application system; the Immigration Department no longer accepts submission by post, drop-in box or in person at an office. For other categories, besides online, submission may also be made by post, drop-in box or in person (depending on the requirements of the relevant category). Those submitting by post must pay sufficient postage, otherwise the Immigration Department will not accept underpaid mail. See Please Pay Sufficient Postage to Ensure Correct Delivery for details.

Online appointment booking and enquiries

The government provides five types of online appointment services: application for an identity card, application for a travel document, application for extension of stay, registration of birth, and submission of a notice of intended marriage. The relevant appointment portals are provided via GovHK, for example Online Appointment for Identity Card Application, Online Appointment for Travel Document Application and Online Appointment for Submission of Extension of Stay.

Those who have submitted applications for travel documents, visas/entry permits, verification of eligibility for permanent identity card, access to personal data or Chinese nationality, and who can provide the application reference number and the applicant’s year of birth, may make enquiries via the Online Enquiry on Status of Visa and Other Applications or the Online Enquiry on Status of Travel Document Applications.

The Immigration Department mobile application includes functions such as appointment booking, applications, form filling, “e-Visa” and document submission. See Immigration Department Mobile Application for application details.

Service arrangements under severe weather

If a No. 8 (or above) Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal is issued outside office hours, all offices suspend service while the signal is in force; if it is issued during office hours, service continues as usual until all visitors have been served. A Black Rainstorm Warning Signal issued during office hours means service continues as usual, while one issued outside office hours means suspension. Generally, service resumes within 2 hours after the warning is cancelled; if the warning is cancelled within 2 hours before the end of office hours, the office will not provide service that day. See Special Arrangements for Severe Weather for details.

Application channels for visas and entry permits

The submission channel for a visa application depends on the scheme category it belongs to. Specified schemes and all dependants must be submitted online; other categories may, depending on requirements, be submitted online, by post, by drop-in box or in person. Submitting online is itself a free service, but applicants under specified schemes must pay an application fee and, upon approval, pay a visa issuance fee under a two-tier system. See New Fee Structure for Visa Applications under Specified Schemes for details.

The application fee for specified schemes is HK$600; the visa issuance fee is set at two tiers according to the relevant period: HK$1,300 for more than 180 days and HK$600 for 180 days or less (for each application, both the principal applicant and any dependant must pay). The application fee paid is not refundable under any circumstances.

For TTPS and GEP applications, the Immigration Department generally takes four weeks to process after receiving all required documents and the relevant application fee; processing cannot begin if the documents and application fee are not fully collected. See Top Talent Pass Scheme and General Employment Policy for details. For extension of stay applications under GEP, the application should be made as early as possible within three months before the limit of stay expires, and submitted at least six weeks before expiry; after all documents and the application fee are received, processing is generally completed within about two to three weeks.

For document preparation before coming to Hong Kong, refer to the Visa Pathway Document Checklist; for post-approval arrival arrangements, see First Week in Hong Kong Checklist — Bank Account Opening, Renting, Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Registration, Tax File Number. Applications for verification of eligibility for permanent identity card may be posted to the Right of Abode Group on the 3rd floor of the Tseung Kwan O Headquarters Administration Building, placed in an Immigration Department drop-in box, or made online. See Apply for the Right of Abode in the HKSAR for details.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I download Immigration Department forms?

Conclusion: All forms can be accessed via the Immigration Department’s electronic forms list (PDF) and the forms main page. Condition: The forms main page and the visa/entry permit forms page list forms by category, while identity card forms have a separate dedicated page.

Can visa applications be submitted online?

Conclusion: Yes, and since 29 November 2022 the electronic visa application has been extended to all visa categories. Condition: Applicants under TTPS, GEP, QMAS and other specified schemes, as well as all dependants, must submit online; submission by post, drop-in box or in person is no longer accepted.

What are the Immigration Department’s opening hours?

Conclusion: The opening hours differ between offices, and all are closed on Sundays and public holidays. Condition: The Certificate of Entitlement Group and the Employment and Tourism Visa Group operate from 8:45 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday; branch and Registration of Persons offices also offer services on Saturday mornings, with specific time slots varying by office.

How does an e-Visa differ from the old sticker labels?

Conclusion: Since 28 December 2021, the Immigration Department has ceased issuing adhesive physical labels and replaced them with “e-Visa”. Condition: Upon approval and payment of fees, the applicant is issued a notification in PDF format; those who pay the fee and collect the visa in person at an office will be issued an “e-Visa” printed on an A4 white sheet on the spot.

How much does a visa application under a specified scheme cost?

Conclusion: Specified schemes require an application fee of HK$600, and upon approval a visa issuance fee is paid under a two-tier system. Condition: HK$1,300 for a relevant period of more than 180 days and HK$600 for 180 days or less; the application fee paid is not refundable regardless of the outcome.

Official sources

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.