Hong Kong (China)Permanent residence

Permanent residence in Hong Kong in Hong Kong (China)

The right of abode in Hong Kong is the status of permanent resident of the SAR, granted to those who live in the city lawfully and without interruption and have made it their permanent home. This status is usually reached after a long period of residence in Hong Kong on a work, investor, student or other long-term visa: it gives the right to live and work without a visa and without conditions of stay.

Source: Hong Kong SAR Immigration Department (immd.gov.hk)

Who can obtain the status

The Immigration Ordinance sets out six categories of permanent resident. For migrants who moved to Hong Kong on a work or investor visa, the main route is long residence without Chinese nationality.

By long residence (persons not of Chinese nationality)

Lawful entry to Hong Kong on a valid travel document
At least 7 years of continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong immediately before the application
Hong Kong has been taken as the only place of permanent residence — confirmed by a separate declaration

Children of foreign permanent residents

A child under 21 born in Hong Kong to a parent with the right of abode under category (d)
The status is retained for as long as at least one of the parents holds the right of abode at the time of the child's birth or before the child reaches 21
On reaching 21 such a child must establish the right on the general terms

Chinese nationals (a separate route)

Those born in Hong Kong or who have lived there for at least 7 years continuously
Those born abroad to a parent who is a permanent resident of Hong Kong apply not for verification of eligibility for an identity card but for a Certificate of Entitlement

What it costs

Verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card and the first issue of the card	0 HKD

Documents to gather

For a foreign applicant with at least 7 years of residence (category d):

A Hong Kong identity card (if held) and a travel document with the endorsement of the current status of stay
Evidence of 7 years of continuous ordinary residence immediately before the application: school documents, proof of employment, official receipts, bank statements or tax returns
Form ROP146 — the declaration that Hong Kong has been taken as the only place of permanent residence
For applicants under 18 — the identity card or travel document of a parent or legal guardian and proof of the family relationship
A translation of documents not in Chinese or English, certified by a sworn, court, authorised or certified translator

How the process runs

The procedure for a foreign applicant who has completed 7 years of continuous residence (category d).

1
Gather evidence of 7 years of continuous residence
Documents are needed confirming at least 7 years of continuous lawful residence in Hong Kong immediately before the application: school documents, proof of employment, official receipts, bank statements or tax returns.
2
Complete the application form and the declaration
Form ROP145 is completed (for holders of a one-way permit, ROP169 or ROP170), together with declaration ROP146 that the applicant takes Hong Kong as their only place of permanent residence.
3
Lodge the application while in Hong Kong
The application for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card is lodged by post, through the Immigration Department's application drop-in box, or online. The applicant must be in Hong Kong at the time of lodging — applications from abroad are not accepted.
4
Wait for the Immigration Department's verification
usually 6 weeks
With a full set of documents, consideration usually takes 6 weeks; in complex cases or when there is a large volume of applications, longer.
5
Receive the permanent identity card
Once the application is approved, the previous condition of stay is cancelled. An applicant aged 11 or over must attend a Registration of Persons Office in person and obtain a permanent identity card — it serves as proof of the right of abode.

Timelines and rights

Work

A permanent resident lives and works without a visa and without conditions of stay. They cannot be removed and cannot be deported.

Who you can bring with you

The right of abode is not passed on automatically by marriage and does not apply in the same way to all children.

The spouse or partner of a permanent resident

There is no automatic right of abode by marriage. The status is granted only if the spouse falls within one of the six categories of the Immigration Ordinance in their own right — for example, by completing their own 7 years of continuous residence.

A child under 21 born in Hong Kong to a foreign parent with the right of abode

Obtains the right of abode if at least one of the parents already holds the status of foreign permanent resident (category d) at the time of the child's birth or at any time before the child reaches 21. After the age of 21 such a child must establish the right in their own name on the general terms.

A child under 11 whose status is established by a Hong Kong birth certificate

Normally does not go through a separate verification of eligibility — the permanent identity card is issued as soon as the child turns 11. Before then an endorsement of the verified eligibility for a permanent identity card can be placed in the child's foreign passport.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

A person is treated as ordinarily resident in Hong Kong if they are there lawfully, voluntarily and for a settled purpose. A temporary absence does not in itself interrupt ordinary residence, but the person's circumstances and the absences are taken into account in the assessment.

Permanent resident status is indefinite. But a foreign national without Chinese nationality loses the right of abode if they are continuously absent from Hong Kong for at least 36 consecutive months after ceasing to be ordinarily resident there. In its place the right to land arises automatically: living, studying and working in Hong Kong remain free and unrestricted, but there is no longer protection from deportation.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Permanent resident status arises only once the application is approved. Verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card and its first issue are free of charge.

Route to citizenship

The right of abode is not citizenship. One becomes a Chinese national through naturalisation at the immigration service: 3,460 Hong Kong dollars in two equal payments, the second on issue of the certificate. Foreign citizenship cannot be retained if the application is approved, and the right of abode is retained for as long as one remains a Chinese national.

Frequently asked questions about Permanent residence in Hong Kong

Which foreign nationals can obtain the right of abode in Hong Kong?

A person not of Chinese nationality who entered Hong Kong on a valid travel document, has been resident in Hong Kong continuously and lawfully for at least 7 years immediately before the application, and has taken Hong Kong as their only place of permanent residence — which is confirmed by a separate declaration.

How much does it cost to obtain the right of abode?

Verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card and the first issue of the card itself are free of charge.

How long does it take to consider an application?

With a full set of documents, verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card usually takes 6 weeks; the period may be longer depending on the complexity of the case and the number of applications lodged in that period.

Do the spouse or the child of a permanent resident obtain the right of abode automatically?

The spouse of a permanent resident does not obtain the right of abode by virtue of the marriage — they must fall within one of the six categories of the Immigration Ordinance in their own right. A child under 21 born in Hong Kong obtains the right if at least one of the parents already has the status of foreign permanent resident at the time of the child's birth or before the child reaches 21.

What happens if a permanent resident leaves Hong Kong for a long time?

A foreign national without Chinese nationality loses the right of abode if they are continuously absent from Hong Kong for 36 consecutive months from the moment they ceased to be ordinarily resident there. In its place they automatically acquire the right to land — living, studying and working in Hong Kong remain possible, but without protection from deportation.

How does this procedure differ from the Certificate of Entitlement?

The Certificate of Entitlement is a separate route for Chinese nationals born abroad to a parent who is a permanent resident of Hong Kong. Such applicants submit their documents through an Exit-Entry Administration office in mainland China, a Chinese consulate abroad or by post, rather than applying for verification of eligibility for an identity card. That procedure is also free of charge, and 95 applications out of 100 are completed within 3 months of receipt of the full set of documents, except in cases of disputed parentage.

Other ways to move to Hong Kong (China)

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Hong Kong (China).

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.