2026 HK Permanent Residency: How to Apply for Entry/Exit Record (ID 697)
If you need an official record of your arrivals in and departures from Hong Kong, you apply on form ID 697 — and you cannot file it on its own. A completed ID 697 must be submitted together with a completed acknowledgement card (ID 697A) and a completed mailing label (ID 839). That requirement, along with the submission addresses, comes from the Hong Kong Immigration Department (入境事務處) "Application for Entry/Exit Record" form page (page date 11-06-2024).
For globally mobile applicants, this is the document people usually mean by "proof of residence" paperwork: a movement record you can put alongside the rest of a permanent residency or right-of-abode file. What follows covers only what that official form page states. Where the page is silent, this article says so rather than filling the gap.
What is ID 697 for?
ID 697 is the form for anyone who wants to apply for a Hong Kong entry/exit record certificate. The Immigration Department describes the form in exactly those terms on its forms page; it does not, on that page, set out who needs the certificate or which other application it supports.
The form is a bilingual Chinese-English PDF, 7 pages long and 634 KB in size. Read the "填表須知" (notes on how to fill in the form) attached inside the form before you start, because the notes govern how individual items should be completed.
What has to go in with the application?
Three items, all completed:
| Item | What it is | Requirement stated by the department |
|---|---|---|
| ID 697 | Application for entry/exit record | Must be completed |
| ID 697A | Acknowledgement / receipt notification card | Completed, submitted together with ID 697 |
| ID 839 | Mailing label | Completed, submitted together with ID 697 |
The same three-form bundle applies whether you post the application or hand it in. There is no separate or reduced set for one channel over the other.
Where do you mail it, and can you hand it in instead?
Both options are listed on the official page, at the same building in Tseung Kwan O but on different floors.
| Method | Address | Office |
|---|---|---|
| By post | 10/F, Immigration Headquarters Administration Tower, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories | Record Centre |
| In person | G/F, Immigration Headquarters Administration Tower, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories | Receipt and Despatch Unit (收發分組) |
If you post it, the department states that it will not accept underpaid mail. Pay the full postage and write a return address on the envelope.
Fax is not an option: the page states plainly that no fax application service is provided.
Is there a fee, and how long does it take?
The form page refers applicants to the separate fee table, ID 912, for the application fee. The amount is not stated on the ID 697 page itself, so treat ID 912 as the source for the current charge.
The page also publishes no processing time for this application. If timing matters to a wider filing plan, build the schedule around official published figures rather than an assumed turnaround.
Can you fill in ID 697 on a computer?
Yes, but with a version condition. The department says you need Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0.5 or above to view, fill in, and print the PDF, and you need the Asian font pack (Traditional Chinese) installed as well so that Chinese characters display and print correctly. Both are listed as separate downloads on the page.
Since the form is bilingual, you can complete it in English.
How does this fit into a permanent residency application?
An entry/exit record certificate is a movement record: a departmental document of your arrivals to and departures from Hong Kong. Whether a permanent residency or right-of-abode submission calls for one, and in what form, is determined by the requirements of that application, not by the ID 697 page — the forms page only tells you how to obtain the record.
Consider a hypothetical applicant who has spent much of the qualifying period travelling for business and now needs contemporaneous evidence of time in Hong Kong. For that person, ID 697 is the mechanism for getting the department's own record of movements, to be used wherever such evidence is requested.
This article is general information, not advice on an individual case, and not a substitute for the official requirements or for professional advice on your own circumstances; confirm details against the department's current published information before you file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to submit ID 697A and ID 839 with ID 697?
Yes. The Immigration Department states that a completed ID 697 must be submitted together with a completed acknowledgement card (ID 697A) and a completed mailing label (ID 839). This applies to both postal and in-person submission, with no separate procedure for either.
Can I apply for an entry/exit record by fax?
No. The official form page states that no fax application service is provided. The two channels offered are post to the Record Centre and hand delivery to the Receipt and Despatch Unit at Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O.
Where do I post a completed ID 697?
Send it to the Record Centre at 10/F, Immigration Headquarters Administration Tower, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories. Pay sufficient postage and include a return address, as the department does not accept underpaid mail.
Can I hand in the application in person?
Yes. Take it to the Receipt and Despatch Unit (收發分組) on the ground floor of the Immigration Headquarters Administration Tower at 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories. The same three-form bundle — ID 697, ID 697A and ID 839 — is required.
How much does an entry/exit record cost?
The ID 697 form page does not quote a figure; it directs applicants to the fee table in ID 912. Check that table on the Immigration Department's website for the current fee before submitting.
Is ID 697 available in English?
Yes. The department publishes the form as a Chinese and English bilingual PDF of 7 pages (634 KB). You need Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0.5 or above to open and fill it, plus the Asian font pack for correct display of Chinese characters.
Does an entry/exit record prove I qualify for permanent residency?
It is a record of your arrivals and departures, issued by the Immigration Department — evidence of movements, not a decision on status. What weight it carries, and whether it is required, depends on the requirements of the permanent residency or right-of-abode application you are making.