Hong Kong travel documents for new residents in 2026: passport, DOI and re-entry permit

Hong Kong status does not come with a single travel document. Three separate documents cover three different needs: the HKSAR passport, the HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (DOI), and the HKSAR Re-entry Permit, which the department's own form describes as being for travel to the Mainland and Macao SAR. Each has its own form family: the passport splits on both the applicant's age and the place of application, while the Document of Identity and the Re-entry Permit split only on age, with the place of application changing the submission channel rather than the form. This follows the Hong Kong Immigration Department's published travel-document form pages and the Supplementary Notes date each one carries: 16-03-2026 for ID(C) 841A, 10-11-2025 for ID(C) 842A, ID(C) 843A, ID(C) 844A, ID(C) 437 and ID(C) 437A, and 09-04-2026 for ID(E) 73 and ID(E) 73A. It is general reference only and not advice on any individual case, so a live application should follow the current official page or qualified professional guidance.

What each travel document covers

The three documents are separate products with separate paperwork. The passport comes as four guidance notes, split across two variables. The Document of Identity for Visa Purposes comes as two forms, split by age, and both are listed as coming with the application form attached. The Re-entry Permit comes as two application forms, again split by age.

The most specific purpose statement printed on these pages appears on the Re-entry Permit forms: "To apply for HKSAR Re-entry Permit for travel to the Mainland and Macao Special Administrative Region." The two Document of Identity pages carry their own purpose statement ("To apply for HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes for persons aged 16 or above", and the under-16 equivalent), while the four passport pages describe a general introduction to the HKSAR passport and guidance on the application formalities.

How to pick your form in four checks

Work through these in order:

Decide which of the three documents covers the trip you are planning.
Fix the applicant's age group: 16 years of age or above, or under 16.
Fix the place of application: in Hong Kong, outside Hong Kong, or in the Mainland.
Download the matching ID(E) guidance note or form listed below.

Nothing else on these pages changes which form you use.

Which form matches your age and where you apply?

Both variables matter, but not for every document. The passport splits on both. The DOI and the Re-entry Permit only split on age — the form stays the same wherever you file, though the submission channel changes, as set out further down.

Document	Place of application	Applicant 16 or above	Applicant under 16
HKSAR Passport	In Hong Kong	ID(C) 841A — English version ID(E) 841A available; 6 pages, 2.86 MB	ID(C) 842A — English version ID(E) 842A available; 5 pages, 2.46 MB
HKSAR Passport	Outside Hong Kong	ID(C) 843A — English version ID(E) 843A available; 5 pages, 2.38 MB	ID(C) 844A — English version ID(E) 844A available; 5 pages, 2.45 MB
Document of Identity for Visa Purposes	In Hong Kong, overseas or Mainland	ID(C) 437, with application form; English version ID(E) 437 available; 5 pages, 3.59 MB	ID(C) 437A, with application form; English version ID(E) 437A available; 5 pages, 3.43 MB
Re-entry Permit	In Hong Kong or Mainland	ID(E) 73; Chinese version ID(C) 73 available; 5 pages, 980 KB	ID(E) 73A; Chinese version ID(C) 73A available; 5 pages, 1.07 MB

A worked example: suppose an applicant files a DOI for a 14-year-old while resident in the Mainland. Age points to ID(C) 437A (English version ID(E) 437A), and place of application changes only the channel — the same form goes to a Mainland Office in person, or to the Tseung Kwan O address by mail.

Does applying from the Mainland or overseas change anything?

For a passport, yes: a completely different form number applies outside Hong Kong. An applicant aged 16 or above filing abroad uses ID(C)/ID(E) 843A; the same applicant filing in Hong Kong uses ID(C)/ID(E) 841A. The children's pair works the same way — 844A outside Hong Kong, 842A inside.

For the DOI, the form does not change, but the route does. The pages separate "In Hong Kong" from "Overseas / In the Mainland", and only the in-person column changes: applications made overseas or in the Mainland go through the Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Mission / Mainland Offices instead of an Immigration Branch Office.

For the Re-entry Permit, the two columns are "In Hong Kong" and "In the Mainland". The Mainland column carries one hard restriction — see the next section.

Where do the applications actually go?

The DOI and Re-entry Permit pages publish full submission channels. The passport pages do not: all four list "Not Applicable" for mailing address, in-person submission and fax, leaving only the enquiry telephone number, (852) 2824 6111, and the enquiry e-mail address printed alongside the download, enquiry@immd.gov.hk. In practice, the application formalities for the passport sit inside the guidance notes themselves rather than in the page's submission table.

Document and channel	By mail	In person	By fax
DOI, applying in Hong Kong	Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section, Immigration Department, 2nd Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories	Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or any Immigration Branch Office	Not accepted
DOI, applying overseas or in the Mainland	Same Tseung Kwan O address as above	Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Mission / Mainland Offices	Not accepted
Re-entry Permit, applying in Hong Kong	Documents Management Section, Immigration Department, 2nd Floors, Tuen Mun Siu Lun Government Complex, 19 Siu Lun Street, Tuen Mun, New Territories	Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or any Immigration Branch Office	Not accepted
Re-entry Permit, applying in the Mainland	Not accepted	Mainland Offices	Not accepted

The two addresses are not interchangeable. The Tseung Kwan O address handles DOI business through the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section at Immigration Headquarters; the Tuen Mun address belongs to the Documents Management Section, which receives Re-entry Permit applications by post.

Which language version should you download?

Every one of these pages offers both languages, even though each displays one PDF by default. The four passport pages and the two DOI pages lead with the Chinese-language PDF and note that the English version is also available — for example ID(E) 841A alongside ID(C) 841A. The two Re-entry Permit pages lead with English, ID(E) 73 and ID(E) 73A, and note the Chinese versions, ID(C) 73 and ID(C) 73A.

An English-speaking applicant can therefore work in English throughout: download ID(E) 841A, 842A, 843A, 844A, 437 or 437A, and ID(E) 73 or 73A, depending on the combination above.

How current are these pages?

Each of the eight Immigration Department form pages carries its own Supplementary Notes date. The passport notes for the adult in-Hong Kong form (ID(C) 841A) are dated 16-03-2026; the three other passport notes — ID(C) 842A, ID(C) 843A and ID(C) 844A — are dated 10-11-2025. Both DOI notes, ID(C) 437 and ID(C) 437A, are dated 10-11-2025. Both Re-entry Permit forms, ID(E) 73 and ID(E) 73A, are dated 09-04-2026.

Form revisions are routine, so check that the file you download still carries the same Supplementary Notes date shown on the Immigration Department's form page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need three separate applications for the passport, DOI and Re-entry Permit?

Yes. Each document has its own form family and none of the pages in this set describes a combined form. A traveller who needs all three documents, or a family filing for adults and children together, lodges separate applications under the matching form numbers.

My child is under 16 — which passport form applies?

It depends on where you file. In Hong Kong, use ID(C) 842A (English ID(E) 842A). Outside Hong Kong, use ID(C) 844A (English ID(E) 844A). The same age split applies to the DOI — ID(C) 437A — and to the Re-entry Permit — ID(E) 73A.

Can I post a Re-entry Permit application from the Mainland?

No. The Mainland column lists mailing as "Not Accepted", and fax is listed as "Not Accepted" as well. The only remaining route is in person at the Mainland Offices.

Can I fax any of these applications?

No. Both DOI pages and both Re-entry Permit pages list fax as "Not Accepted". The four passport pages list fax as "Not Applicable" rather than offering it as a channel, so none of the three documents can be sent by fax.

I live overseas — can I still file a Document of Identity?

Yes. The DOI pages carry an explicit "Overseas / In the Mainland" column. Applications go in person to the Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Mission / Mainland Offices, or by mail to the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section at Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O.

Does everyone apply using the same immigration enquiry line?

All eight pages list the same enquiry telephone number, (852) 2824 6111, and the same enquiry e-mail address, enquiry@immd.gov.hk. The number is identical whether you are in Hong Kong, overseas or in the Mainland.