Changing details on a Hong Kong ID card in 2026: fees and forms

If a detail printed on your Hong Kong identity card needs to change in 2026, file Form ROP73 (Application for Amendment of Registered Particulars of Hong Kong Identity Card) with the Immigration Department; once the change is approved, the department replaces your card for a fee of HK$460. Changes to details that are not printed on the card — your residential address or marital status, for example — are reported on Form ROP18, or on Form ROP18A if only your address has changed, and they do not produce a new card. This guidance is drawn from the Immigration Department's Identity Cards Frequently Asked Questions page. It is general background only, not advice on an individual case: every application is assessed on its own facts, so the official pages listed at the end remain the authority on what applies to you.

Which form do I need: ROP73, ROP18 or ROP18A?

The answer turns on whether the changed detail appears on the card itself. The smart identity card carries your name, Chinese commercial code (if any), gender, date of birth and identity card number. Anything else sits in the Commissioner of Registration's record of you.

What is changing	Form to file	What happens next
Name, date of birth or place of birth on the card	ROP73	The card is replaced after approval, at HK$460
Residential address only	ROP18A	The register is updated; no new card is issued
Marital status or another particular not printed on the card	ROP18	The register is updated; no new card is issued

Because address and marital status are never printed on the card, updating them involves no replacement card, and the HK$460 replacement charge does not arise from that process. Say a resident changes their surname after marriage and also moves flat: the new address goes on ROP18A or a letter, and the new name goes on ROP73 with proof of the marriage.

How much does it cost to change something printed on the card?

The published fee is HK$460, charged when the department replaces your card after approving the amendment. That sits within a wider rule: no fee is charged for identity cards issued to new arrivals or to people reaching the age of 11 or 18, but a fee is payable where an identity card is replaced because it was lost, damaged, destroyed, defaced, or because personal particulars have been altered.

How do I submit Form ROP73?

The department accepts several routes, and you may choose whichever suits you:

Complete and sign Form ROP73.
Attach copies of your supporting documents.
Send the form by post to the Registration of Persons (Support) Section, 1st Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories.
Alternatively, submit by fax to (852) 2131 8876.
Alternatively, use a department drop-in box, the online service, or the Immigration Department Mobile Application.
If you prefer to hand it in, make an appointment first and take it to any Registration of Persons Office.

One postal detail trips people up: underpaid mail items are not accepted, so make sure the envelope carries sufficient postage and a return address.

Can I use a self-service kiosk instead?

Not if you are also changing particulars. Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O take certain appointment-free replacement applications — turning 18, verified permanent identity card eligibility, or loss of card — but if you need registered particulars changed at the same time, you must book an appointment at a Registration of Persons Office through the online booking system, the 24-hour telephone booking line, or the Immigration Department Mobile Application. Invalid identity cards cannot be used at these kiosks either.

What happens after I submit?

The Registration of Persons Office will ask you to attend an interview and produce the originals of your supporting documents. If the application is approved, arrangements are made to replace your identity card, and the HK$460 fee applies to that replacement. Applications are considered case by case.

In some cases a registration officer may require a statutory declaration. Applicants with hearing or speech difficulties should bring a sign language interpreter, relative or friend fluent in sign language, and that interpreter must declare that they have truly, distinctly and clearly interpreted the contents of the declaration. Anyone not familiar with Chinese or English should also bring an interpreter, relative or friend to assist, and Access Officers at Registration of Persons Offices can offer practical help on request.

What documents prove the change?

The required evidence depends on what you are amending:

Name: documents relating to the change of name, such as a deed poll, marriage certificate or travel document.
Date or place of birth: documents showing the correct date or place, such as household registration, a notarial certificate or a birth certificate.
Sex entry: the department handles this under a separate published guideline that sets out its own criteria and procedure rather than the general document list above.

Bring originals to the interview. The department notes that supporting-document requirements are set case by case according to the type of amendment.

How do I update my address or marital status?

Notify the Commissioner of Registration in writing. You can do this by letter, by Form ROP18, or by Form ROP18A if only your residential address has changed, and the department lists these channels:

Any Registration of Persons Office, in person.
Email to the Registration of Persons Records Section.
Fax to (852) 2824 1662.
Post to the Registration of Persons Records Section, 9/F, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories.

The same postal rule applies here: underpaid mail will not be accepted, so use sufficient postage and include a return address.

Can I keep my old card once the change is made?

No. You must return the existing identity card to the Registration of Persons Office for cancellation. Under the Registration of Persons Regulations, a person who possesses more than one identity card without reasonable excuse commits an offence and is liable to a fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for two years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I pay HK$460 every time my details change?

No. The HK$460 charge arises when the department replaces your card after approving a change to particulars printed on it. Updating an address or marital status updates the register rather than the card, so no replacement card — and no HK$460 — is involved in that route.

Which form should I use for my address: ROP18 or ROP18A?

Use ROP18A when the only thing changing is your residential address. Use ROP18 for other registered particulars that are not printed on the card, such as your marital status. Both routes notify the department of a change to particulars you previously registered.

Will updating my recorded address change my card?

No. A residential address is not printed on a smart identity card, so nothing changes on the card face. Only changes to printed particulars run through ROP73 and lead to a replacement card at HK$460.

Can I file Form ROP73 online?

Yes. The department accepts applications through its online service and through the Immigration Department Mobile Application, alongside post, fax to (852) 2131 8876, drop-in boxes, and in-person submission by appointment at a Registration of Persons Office. Whichever route you choose, sign the form and attach copies of your supporting documents.

What documents prove a name change?

Documents relating to the change of name, such as a deed poll, a marriage certificate, or a travel document showing the new name. Corrections to a date or place of birth call for household registration, a notarial certificate or a birth certificate instead, and requirements vary case by case.

Can someone else collect my new card for me?

Yes. If you cannot collect it in person, complete Form ID678 to authorise a representative aged 18 or above. On collection, the representative must produce their own proof of identity, your acknowledgement of application for an identity card, and the completed authorisation form.