Lost Hong Kong ID and Home Visit Card in Mainland: 2026 steps
If you are a Hong Kong resident and you lose your Hong Kong identity card and Home Visit Card while you are in the Mainland, report the loss to the public security authorities straight away and ask for documentary proof of that report. That proof is what unlocks the next two steps. As of the October 2026 official page, the Immigration Department's "Identity Cards" frequently asked questions page says you can then take the proof to the entry and exit department of the Public Security Bureau in the Mainland, or to the China Travel Service office in Shenzhen, to be issued an Entry and Exit Permit for your departure from the Mainland, and that you can also call the department's Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit on the 24-hour hotline (852) 1868.
What should you do first after losing both cards in the Mainland?
Report first, replace later. The sequence matters because the proof of report is the document the rest of the process hangs on.
- Go to the nearest public security authority.
- Report the loss of the Hong Kong identity card and the Home Visit Card.
- Ask for documentary proof of the report.
- Keep that proof with you until you are back in Hong Kong.
The department's wording is that this report should be made immediately. For residents who cross the boundary often, this is also the point at which the loss is recorded on the Mainland side, which is why the proof matters more than a photocopy or a photo of your old card.
How do you get an Entry and Exit Permit to leave the Mainland?
The Entry and Exit Permit is the document that lets you depart. The department's guidance offers two places to obtain it.
- Take the documentary proof of your loss report.
- Apply at the entry and exit department of the Public Security Bureau in the Mainland.
- Or apply at the China Travel Service office in Shenzhen.
- Use the permit to leave the Mainland for Hong Kong.
The published steps do not describe an application made from Hong Kong or online, and they do not set out a processing time. Treat the permit as a departure document issued for your situation rather than a replacement for either lost card.
What does the 1868 hotline actually do?
The hotline is an assistance line, not an issuing office. Call (852) 1868, which runs 24 hours, and you reach the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department. The department states that it will provide information and advice according to your situation.
That distinction is worth holding on to: the hotline will not issue an Entry and Exit Permit, a replacement identity card, or a replacement Home Visit Card. It tells you what to do with the documents you have and where to go next.
| Document or step | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Public security loss report proof | Records the loss on the Mainland side and supports the permit application | Is not a travel document |
| Entry and Exit Permit | Facilitates your departure from the Mainland | Does not replace your identity card or Home Visit Card |
| 1868 hotline | Gives information and advice for your situation | Does not issue any document |
| Valid travel document | Gets you through Hong Kong immigration clearance | Does not remove the need to replace your identity card |
What documents will get you back through Hong Kong immigration?
You need a valid travel document. The department's guidance is explicit that an invalid identity card will not be accepted for immigration clearance, and it makes the same point about an acknowledgement of application for an identity card: that slip records that you applied, but it is not a travel document. If you hold only the acknowledgement, you still need a passport or a Hong Kong Re-entry Permit to pass through a Hong Kong control point.
How do you replace the lost identity card in Hong Kong?
You apply in person at a Registration of Persons Office. The department's identity card FAQ states that applicants with an urgent need to replace an identity card that has been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced may submit the application at any Registration of Persons Office without an appointment.
A fee is payable for replacing an identity card lost, damaged, destroyed, defaced or altered. The identity card FAQ states that a fee applies in these cases; the amount is not given on that page, so check the department's published fee information before you go.
What if you cannot collect the new card in person?
You can authorise someone else to collect it. The authorised person must be at least 18, and must produce their own valid proof of identity, your acknowledgement of application for an identity card, and the completed authorisation form ID678 or your written authorisation. The signature on the form or authorisation must match the one on your application form.
What deadlines and penalties apply?
If immigration staff order you to replace your identity card within a specified period, comply with that order. Under regulation 19(4) of the Registration of Persons Regulations, a person who fails to comply commits an offence and is liable to a fine of HK$25,000 and imprisonment for two years.
Separately, failing to apply for a new identity card within a specified call-up period without reasonable excuse is an offence under section 7B(3) of the Registration of Persons Ordinance, liable to a fine of HK$5,000 if prosecuted. Absence from Hong Kong is given in the FAQ as an example of a reasonable excuse, and a person who was outside Hong Kong during the call-up period should apply within 30 days of returning.
What about replacing the Home Visit Card itself?
The published steps above cover reporting the loss, leaving the Mainland and re-entering Hong Kong. The Immigration Department's identity card FAQ does not describe a re-application process for the Home Visit Card, so treat that as a separate step and check the latest official requirements before you apply.
This article is a general summary of published procedures, not personalised legal or immigration advice, and what you can do depends on your own circumstances and the documents you can produce; check the latest official requirements or get professional advice for your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to report the loss to public security if I only lost my identity card?
The department's guidance covers losing the Hong Kong identity card and the Home Visit Card together, and it directs you to report the loss to the public security authorities immediately and obtain documentary proof. The proof of report is the item that the following steps depend on, so it is worth obtaining in any loss situation.
Is the police report a travel document?
No. The documentary proof of your loss report supports your Entry and Exit Permit application; it does not itself let you cross the boundary. You still need an Entry and Exit Permit to depart the Mainland and a valid travel document for Hong Kong immigration clearance.
Can I use the acknowledgement of application for a new identity card to travel?
No. If you only hold an acknowledgement of application for an identity card and intend to travel, the law requires you to produce a valid travel document at Hong Kong immigration control points, such as a passport or a Hong Kong Re-entry Permit.
Can I apply for a replacement identity card without an appointment?
Yes, for urgent cases. The department states that applicants with an urgent need to replace an identity card that has been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced may submit the application at any Registration of Persons Office without an appointment.
Is there a fee to replace a lost Hong Kong identity card?
Yes. No fee is charged for identity cards issued to new arrivals and to people reaching the age of 11 or 18, but the department states that fees are payable for replacement of an identity card due to loss, damage, destruction, defacement or alteration of personal particulars. The amount is not listed on the identity card FAQ page.
What happens if I ignore an order to replace my card within a specified period?
You must apply within the period stated in the order. Any person who fails to comply commits an offence under regulation 19(4) of the Registration of Persons Regulations and is liable to a fine of HK$25,000 and imprisonment for two years.
Does losing my identity card in the Mainland affect my right of abode?
Losing the physical card is a documents problem, not a status decision, and the department's FAQ does not link document loss to loss of status. In the separate situation of old-form smart identity cards being invalidated, the department states that Hong Kong permanent residents of Chinese nationality living outside Hong Kong will not lose their permanent resident status. It also notes that permanent residents not of Chinese nationality who have been absent from Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 36 months since they ceased to ordinarily reside in Hong Kong may have their right of abode affected, in which case they automatically acquire the right to land.
What if my identity card was already an old-form card that has been invalidated?
Old-form smart identity cards issued before 26 November 2018 became invalid in phases in 2025: cards held by people born in or after 1970 became invalid on 12 May 2025, and cards held by people born in 1969 or before became invalid on 12 October 2025. An invalid identity card is not accepted for immigration clearance, so you need a valid travel document. If you were outside Hong Kong during your specified call-up period, the department says you should apply for a replacement within 30 days of your return.