Can I use Hong Kong PDSK self-service kiosks for ID replacement in 2026?

Yes, with conditions. According to the Immigration Department's Identity Cards Frequently Asked Questions page, anyone aged 18 or above holding a valid smart identity card issued locally can submit three kinds of identity card replacement at the Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks (PDSKs) at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, and the service is appointment-free. The same page also sets out where the kiosks stop — invalid cards cannot be used, and any change to registered particulars pushes you back to a counter appointment — and who can add an HKSAR passport application during the same visit.

Who can use a PDSK for identity card replacement?

Two conditions apply before anything else: you must be 18 or above, and you must hold a valid smart identity card issued in Hong Kong. Both come from the Immigration Department's kiosk FAQ, which describes PDSKs as an appointment-free self-application service installed at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O.

The "valid" part is stricter than it sounds. An identity card that has been declared invalid cannot be used to submit an application at a kiosk, even if the plastic still looks intact. For a globally mobile resident, that distinction decides the whole route: kiosk if the card is live, counter if it is not.

Which replacement types can you do at a kiosk?

Three, and only three.

Replacement type	Who it covers	Notes
Adult identity card	Persons turning 18 who hold a card issued for ages 11 to 17	The routine "child card to adult card" upgrade
Permanent identity card	Persons whose eligibility for a permanent identity card has been verified	Eligibility must already be verified
Card lost	Holders replacing an identity card due to loss	The only case where the old card is not collected at the kiosk

Anything outside this list goes to the Registration of Persons (ROP) Offices under the general registration and replacement service. Assume an applicant has just had permanent residency eligibility verified and has also changed their name by deed poll: the name change is an amendment of registered particulars, so that applicant needs an ROP counter appointment rather than a kiosk, even though the permanent card itself would otherwise qualify.

Do you need an appointment, and where are the kiosks?

No appointment is needed. The Immigration Department states plainly that services provided by the PDSKs and the Personal Documentation Collection Kiosks (PDCKs) are appointment-free; you attend during service hours.

The Department has installed 44 PDSKs and 10 PDCKs at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O. Location and service hours for each type are published on the Department's Immigration Headquarters contact page, and the submission and collection kiosks each have their own service page describing how to use them.

When does a kiosk not work, and what replaces it?

Two common situations take you out of the self-service route.

First, if you need to change registered particulars on the identity card at the same time as the replacement, you must book an appointment at a Registration of Persons Office. The Department lists three booking channels: the online booking system, the 24-hour telephone booking system on 2598 0888, and the Immigration Department Mobile Application.

Second, an invalid identity card cannot be used at a PDSK. If that is your situation, the replacement runs through an ROP Office, and the Department's ROP contact page carries the working hours and service scope for each office.

Can you apply for an HKSAR passport at the same time?

Sometimes. A person eligible to submit an identity card application at a PDSK may also apply for a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport in a one-stop manner, but only if all three of the following hold: the applicant is a Chinese citizen, is a permanent resident of the HKSAR, and holds a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card.

The kiosk route does not cover every passport case. PDSKs are not applicable to replacing an HKSAR passport that has been lost, damaged, defaced or is otherwise unavailable for applicants aged below 18, nor to any application involving an amendment of personal particulars in the passport. Those applicants need to book an appointment to apply in person at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or an Immigration Branch Office.

What happens to your old card, and who can collect the new one?

Except for loss replacements, the kiosk collects your old identity card once the application is complete, and you receive an acknowledgement of application for an identity card. That acknowledgement is not a travel document — for travel through Hong Kong immigration control points you still need a valid travel document such as a passport or Hong Kong Re-entry Permit.

If you cannot collect the new card yourself, you can authorise another person. You notify the registration officer at the time of registration and complete Form ID678. The representative must be at least 18, and on collection must produce their own valid proof of identity, your acknowledgement, and the completed authorisation form or written authorisation, with the signature matching the one on the application form.

What does it cost?

It depends on why the card is being replaced. No fee is charged for an application for a new identity card made under the Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise. Fees are payable, however, for replacement due to loss, damage, destruction, defacement or alteration of personal particulars — which means the lost-card replacement you can do at a kiosk sits in the payable category, although the FAQ page does not state the amount. Where a replacement follows an approved amendment of registered particulars, the Department's FAQ gives the replacement fee as HK$460.

If your old smart card was invalidated in 2025, what applies in 2026?

Old-form smart identity cards issued before 26 November 2018 were invalidated in two 2025 phases: 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. The Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise has ended and all Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres closed with effect from 4 March 2023, so anyone still holding an old-form card now books an ROP Office appointment.

Residents who were outside Hong Kong must apply within 30 days of returning. The Department notes the appointment booking system currently offers a 96-working-day booking window, which matters if you are sequencing a card replacement around a short trip back. On penalties, failing without reasonable excuse to apply within a specified call-up period is an offence under section 7B(3) of the Registration of Persons Ordinance carrying a fine of $5,000, while failing to comply with an order to replace a card is an offence under regulation 19(4) of the Registration of Persons Regulations carrying a fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for two years.

Permanent resident status itself is treated separately. Hong Kong permanent residents of Chinese nationality living outside Hong Kong do not lose that status because an old card was invalidated and they have not returned to replace it. Non-Chinese nationals should note that continuous absence of not less than 36 months since ceasing to ordinarily reside in Hong Kong may affect the right of abode, in which case the person automatically acquires the right to land and can still enter Hong Kong freely to live, study or work. This article summarises published rules for general reference and is not personalised legal or immigration advice, so check your own position against the official pages or a qualified professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a PDSK if my identity card has already been invalidated?

No. The Immigration Department states that invalid identity cards cannot be used to submit applications at PDSKs, regardless of the replacement reason. You would need to book an appointment at a Registration of Persons Office instead.

Do I need to book a slot for the PDSK or PDCK?

No. The Department confirms that both the Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks and the Personal Documentation Collection Kiosks are appointment-free services. You attend during the published service hours at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O.

Can I add an HKSAR passport application at the same kiosk visit?

Yes, in a one-stop manner, if you are a Chinese citizen, a permanent resident of the HKSAR, and a holder of a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card. Lost, damaged or defaced passport replacements for applicants under 18, and any passport application involving amended personal particulars, must go to a counter appointment instead.

Do I have to hand in my old identity card at the kiosk?

Yes, unless you are replacing a lost card. In all other cases the old card is collected when the application is completed and you are issued an acknowledgement of application for an identity card.

Can someone else collect my new identity card for me?

Yes, by completing Form ID678 and notifying the registration officer at the time of registration. The authorised person must be 18 or over and bring their own proof of identity, your acknowledgement, and the signed authorisation.

Is there a fee for replacing an identity card?

No fee is charged for a replacement made under the Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise. Fees are payable for replacement due to loss, damage, destruction, defacement or alteration of personal particulars, and a replacement following an approved amendment carries a HK$460 fee.