HKSAR passport with Hong Kong ID card replacement: 2026 rules

Yes, but only in one narrow situation. Under the Immigration Department's Identity Cards Frequently Asked Questions page (as of the official page in October 2026), a person who is eligible to replace an identity card at a Personal Documentation Submission Kiosk can also apply for an HKSAR passport in a one-stop manner, as long as three conditions are met at the same time. Passport applications falling into the categories excluded from the kiosks have to be made by appointment, in person, at a counter.

For anyone arranging documents around a trip to Hong Kong, the starting point has changed. Old-form smart identity cards issued before 26 November 2018 were invalidated in two phases in 2025, and the last of them expired on 12 October 2025. A resident who still holds one of those cards cannot use a kiosk at all, because an invalid card cannot be used to submit an application. The combined route below assumes a card that is still valid.

Who can use a self-service kiosk to replace an identity card?

The Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks (PDSKs) sit in the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, and the service there takes no appointments. To use one, you must be aged 18 or above and hold a valid smart identity card issued in Hong Kong, and your replacement must be one of three types:

You are turning 18 and hold an identity card issued for people aged 11 to 17.
Your eligibility for a permanent identity card has been verified.
Your identity card has been lost.

There are 44 submission kiosks and 10 collection kiosks at the same headquarters. When you finish at a submission kiosk, the old card is taken back and you receive an acknowledgement of application — unless you are replacing a card reported lost, in which case there is no card to hand in.

If you also need to change the registered particulars on the card at the same time, the kiosk is not the right place. Those cases go to a Registration of Persons (ROP) office by appointment, booked through the online booking system, the 24-hour telephone booking service on 2598 0888, or the Immigration Department Mobile Application.

What do you need for the one-stop passport application at a kiosk?

Three conditions, all at once:

You are a Chinese citizen.
You are a permanent resident of the HKSAR.
You hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card.

The combination is tied to a kiosk identity card replacement. It is not a general way to file a passport application: if you are not replacing an identity card at a kiosk, the one-stop arrangement does not come into play.

This also settles the question for permanent residents who are not Chinese citizens. They do not meet the first condition, so their passport applications are handled through the ordinary route rather than at a kiosk. The same pages note a separate issue for that group: permanent residents not of Chinese nationality who have been away from Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 36 months since they ceased to be ordinarily resident there may have their right of abode affected.

Which passport applications have to go to a counter?

Kiosks do not handle every passport case. The Immigration Department excludes:

A replacement where the existing passport has been lost, damaged, defaced or is not available.
An applicant aged below 18.
Any application that involves amending personal particulars in the passport.

If your case falls into one of those groups, you should make an appointment and apply in person at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or at an Immigration Branch Office. Working hours and the scope of services differ between offices, and each office publishes its own.

Does the identity card have to be valid before you apply for a passport?

For an HKSAR passport, yes. The department states that an applicant for a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport must hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card both when applying for and when collecting a new passport.

That requirement bites hardest on people whose old cards have already been invalidated. The same pages say that when an invalid card is surrendered — at arrival clearance or with an application — the holder is ordered to replace it within a specified period, and that where the law requires a valid identity card, which the passport rule does, the new identity card has to come first. Other applications to the department can be made with a valid travel document instead, subject to their own requirements, but the passport is not one of them.

What changed after the old smart identity cards were invalidated?

The invalidation ran in two phases. Cards held by people born in or after 1970 became invalid on 12 May 2025; cards held by people born in 1969 or before became invalid on 12 October 2025.

The Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise has ended, and all Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres closed with effect from 4 March 2023. Replacements now run through the ROP offices, by appointment.

Residents who were outside Hong Kong are expected to replace their cards within 30 days of returning. The appointment booking system currently offers a booking period of 96 working days, so the department advises booking a date before you commit to travel plans. Chinese-citizen permanent residents living abroad do not lose their permanent resident status merely because their old cards were invalidated while they were away.

Two penalties are attached to this. Failing to apply for a new identity card within the specified call-up period without reasonable excuse is an offence under section 7B(3) of the Registration of Persons Ordinance, carrying a fine of $5,000 if prosecuted. Failing to comply with an order to replace a card by a specified time is an offence under regulation 19(4) of the Registration of Persons Regulations, carrying a fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for 2 years.

One travel detail matters as well. An invalid identity card is not accepted for immigration clearance; you need a valid travel document to enter and leave Hong Kong. An acknowledgement of application for an identity card is not a travel document either.

How to sequence the two applications if you are returning from abroad

The order below assumes your old-form card has already been invalidated, which is the situation most cross-border readers face in 2026.

Book an appointment at an ROP office before you travel.
Return to Hong Kong and attend the appointment in person.
Collect the new identity card, or authorise someone else to collect it with Form ID678.
Apply for the passport separately at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or an Immigration Branch Office.

The fourth step follows from the rules above rather than from a published combined counter service: the kiosk route needs a valid card and a kiosk-eligible replacement, and neither is available once the card has been invalidated. Replacing a card because of loss, damage, destruction, defacement or a change of personal particulars carries a fee. This article describes published rules for general reference and is not personalised legal or immigration advice; for your own situation, rely on the Immigration Department's current published requirements or a qualified professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a non-Chinese permanent resident use the one-stop kiosk route?

No. The one-stop passport application requires the applicant to be a Chinese citizen, a permanent resident of the HKSAR and a holder of a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card. A permanent resident who is not a Chinese citizen fails the first condition and uses the ordinary passport route instead.

Can I combine the two applications if I am also changing my name?

No. Changing the registered particulars on an identity card at the same time as a replacement requires an appointment at a Registration of Persons office, not a kiosk. The same rule excludes any passport application involving an amendment of personal particulars.

I live abroad and my old smart identity card is already invalid. What happens on arrival?

Present an invalid identity card at arrival clearance and it will be surrendered, and you will be ordered to apply for a new card within a specified period. For entry and exit you need a valid travel document. The recommended approach is to book an ROP appointment before you travel, then replace the card within 30 days of returning.

Can someone else collect my new identity card if I have left Hong Kong?

Yes, for collection. You notify the registration officer at the time of registration and complete an authorisation form (ID678). The authorised representative must be at least 18 and must bring their own proof of identity, your acknowledgement of application and the completed form.

Do I need to pay to replace an identity card?

It depends on the reason. No fee was charged for a new card applied for under the Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise, which has ended; a fee is payable for replacement due to loss, damage, destruction, defacement or alteration of personal particulars. Where an application to amend the personal particulars on a card is approved, the replacement card is issued at a fee of HK$460.

Do I need an appointment to use the kiosks?

No. The submission and collection kiosks at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O are appointment-free. The nearest equivalent for identity card applications that fall outside the kiosk scope is an ROP office, which does require an appointment.