Filing a Chinese nationality application from abroad as a Hong Kong resident (2026)

If you live outside Hong Kong and are filing a Chinese nationality application, form ID 926 is not yours to fill in. The Hong Kong Immigration Department's page for ID 926, "Processing Form for Overseas Application for Change of Nationality", states that the form is to be filled by the official of the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission handling the overseas application, and that applications submitted by local referees are not required to complete it. The rest of this article sets out which form you do complete, who signs what, and the routes in which ID 926 never enters the file, based on the Immigration Department's Chinese nationality application form pages as of October 2026.

Which application form do overseas Hong Kong residents use?

The starting point is what you are applying for, and whether the person concerned is 18 or over. The Immigration Department publishes separate overseas versions of each application form.

What you are applying for	Form	Applies to	Guide to read first
Change of nationality	ID 920	Overseas Hong Kong residents aged 18 or over	ID 920A
Change of nationality	ID 921	Overseas Hong Kong residents aged under 18	ID 920A
Naturalisation as a Chinese national	ID 922	Overseas Hong Kong residents aged over 18	ID 922A
Naturalisation as a Chinese national	ID 923	Overseas Hong Kong residents aged under 18	ID 922A
Renunciation of Chinese nationality	ID 924	Overseas Hong Kong residents	ID 924A
Restoration of Chinese nationality	ID 925	Overseas Hong Kong residents	ID 925A

Each form page publishes the version in Chinese and English together, and each directs applicants to read the matching guide before completing the form. The application form pages for ID 920 to ID 925 carry supplementary notes dated 20 July 2026.

Who fills in ID 926?

The consular officer does, not the applicant. ID 926 exists to record the mission's part in processing an overseas application for change of nationality, and the form page describes it as being filled by the official of the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission in connection with that application.

That role shows up in how the form can be submitted. On the ID 926 page, mailing and fax are both marked "Not Applicable", and the only in-person channel listed is submission by the applicant to the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular missions. The practical reading is that the form travels with the application through the mission rather than being posted in separately by the applicant.

When is ID 926 not required?

When the application goes in through a local referee. The ID 926 page states directly that applications submitted by local referees are not required to complete this form, so if that is your route, ID 926 should not be part of your pack.

For an applicant who files in person at a Chinese diplomatic or consular mission, the mission handles the processing form as part of receiving the application. For an applicant who uses a local referee, the form is not needed at all. Either way, the applicant's own job is the application form itself, plus the guide steps that go with it.

How can the application be submitted?

The application forms ID 920 to ID 925, and the fee payment form ID 928, list the same three channels.

By post, overseas applications can be sent to: Nationality Sub-section, Immigration Department, 2nd Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories.
In person, the applicant can submit to the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular missions.
In person, the application can also be submitted through a local referee to the Nationality Sub-section address above.

Fax is not accepted for these forms. The enquiry telephone number published on the pages is (852) 2824 6111, and the enquiry email address is enquiry@immd.gov.hk.

Where do the fee forms fit?

Two further forms appear in the overseas set, and neither is an application form.

ID 928, "Fee Payment Form for Overseas Application for Change of Nationality", records payment of the nationality change application fee. It is submitted through the same channels as the application forms, by post to the Nationality Sub-section or in person at a mission or through a local referee. Fax is not accepted.
ID 930, "Fees Notice for Chinese Nationality Applications (Overseas Application)", announces the fee payments relating to overseas Chinese nationality applications. Its page marks mailing, in-person submission and fax as "Not Applicable", so it is a notice to read rather than a form to file.

The ID 926, ID 928 and ID 930 pages carry supplementary notes dated 8 April 2026. Fee amounts are not set out on the form pages themselves; the amount payable, and whether it has changed, has to be taken from the fees notice and the Immigration Department's published fee information in force when you file.

So, to answer the question in a single line: you complete the application form, you may need ID 928 for the fee, you read ID 930 for the fees, and ID 926 is either handled by the mission or not required at all.

This article describes published form requirements for general reference and is not advice on any individual case or a substitute for professional advice; the forms, guides, addresses and fees that apply to you are those the Immigration Department has in force at the time you apply, so check the current official pages before filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I fill in ID 926 myself?

No. The Immigration Department's ID 926 page says the form is to be filled by the official of the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission in connection with the overseas application for change of nationality. Your own form is the application form for the nationality action you are taking.

Is ID 926 needed if I apply through a local referee?

No. The ID 926 page states that applications submitted by local referees are not required to complete this form. If someone in Hong Kong is submitting on your behalf as a local referee, ID 926 should not be in the pack.

Can I fax my overseas nationality application?

No. The form pages for ID 920 to ID 925 and for ID 928 all list fax as "Not Accepted". The published channels are post to the Nationality Sub-section, in-person submission at the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular missions, or submission through a local referee.

Which form does a child under 18 use?

It depends on the type of application. ID 921 covers change of nationality by overseas Hong Kong residents aged under 18, and ID 923 covers naturalisation as a Chinese national by overseas Hong Kong residents aged under 18. Both point to the same guides as the adult versions: ID 920A for change of nationality and ID 922A for naturalisation.

Is there a separate form for giving up or restoring Chinese nationality?

Yes. ID 924 is the application for renunciation of Chinese nationality for overseas applicants, read with guide ID 924A. ID 925 is the application for restoration of Chinese nationality for overseas applicants, read with guide ID 925A.

What is ID 928 for?

ID 928 is the fee payment form for an overseas application for change of nationality, and the Immigration Department describes it as the form used to record payment of the nationality change application fee. It is submitted with the application, by post or in person, but not by fax.

Do I need to send in ID 930?

ID 930 is a fees notice rather than a form to file. Its page marks mailing, in-person submission and fax as "Not Applicable", and describes it as announcing the fee payments relating to overseas Chinese nationality applications. Treat it as the notice to read for fee information.