HKSAR Passport & Naturalization Services

Naturalization vs. an HKSAR Passport — Two Different Things

Persons of Chinese descent born in Chinese territories, including Hong Kong, are already Chinese nationals under the Nationality Law of the PRC — even if they also hold a foreign passport. They don't need to "naturalize."

Foreign nationals and stateless persons must formally apply to naturalize under Article 7 of the Nationality Law, meeting one of three conditions: being a "near relative" of a Chinese national (officially defined as a spouse, parent, child, or sibling, aged 18+, with Hong Kong right of abode), having "settled in China," or having "other legitimate reasons." The Immigration Department does not publish defined criteria or thresholds for the latter two grounds — they're assessed case by case at the Director's discretion. The Director also weighs factors including Hong Kong right of abode, habitual residence, family presence in Hong Kong, income and tax compliance, character, Chinese language ability, and intent to keep residing in Hong Kong after approval.

Applications are submitted to the Nationality Sub-section at Immigration Department headquarters (in person, by post, or online), or via Chinese diplomatic/consular missions if you're overseas. An interview is arranged at a date the Immigration Department does not specify in advance. The application fee is HK$3,460 total — HK$1,730 payable on submission (non-refundable) and the balance on certificate issuance, plus additional handling charges for overseas submissions.

Giving Up Dual Nationality

The Nationality Law is explicit on this: China "does not recognise dual nationality for any Chinese national," and a person whose naturalization is approved "shall not retain foreign nationality." A Chinese national who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality abroad automatically loses Chinese nationality as a result. Hong Kong residents of Chinese descent who hold a foreign passport for travel purposes are still treated as Chinese nationals while in Hong Kong or mainland China, and cannot receive consular protection from that other country here. This is not a minor administrative detail — it's a real, irreversible consequence worth understanding fully before you apply.

Applying for an HKSAR Passport

Eligibility is straightforward once you're a Chinese national: you also need to be a Hong Kong permanent resident holding a valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card. Required documents typically include your HKID card (or an acknowledgment of application), a birth certificate if you weren't born in Hong Kong, your previous passport for renewals, and a recent photo (one for applications made in Hong Kong, three for overseas applications). You can apply online, at a self-service kiosk, in person, or by post within Hong Kong; overseas applicants apply via Chinese diplomatic/consular missions, Mainland offices, by mail, or online.

How Long Does It Take?

For an HKSAR passport, the Immigration Department's own pledge is 5 working days after all documents are received, for applications made in Hong Kong — or roughly 4 to 6 weeks for overseas applications made with a valid Hong Kong ID card. For naturalization, the Immigration Department does not publish a processing time — the only stated step is that an interview is "arranged at a later date." We won't quote you a specific timeframe for naturalization because the government itself doesn't publish one; we'll help you plan around that uncertainty instead.