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If a person is a Chinese citizen who does not hold a foreign passport, he/she might be eligible to claim the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). This page provides information on the condition under which a person can make that claim, the documents needed to establish his/her status as a permanent resident and how long his/her right of abode will last.

Eligibility Criteria for Right of Abode

If a person is a Chinese citizen who does not hold a foreign passport, he/she may claim the right of abode in the HKSAR if:

• He/She was a Hong Kong permanent resident immediately before 1 July 1997; or
• He/She was born in Hong Kong before or after the establishment of the HKSAR; or
• He/She has at any time ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years before or after the establishment of the HKSAR; or
• He/She was born outside Hong Kong before or after the establishment of the HKSAR to a parent who, at the time of his/her birth, was a Chinese citizen falling within the second or third category above. A person’s right of abode in the HKSAR can only be exercised if he/she is able to establish his/her status as a permanent resident by holding:
  • A valid travel document issued to him/her and a valid Certificate of Entitlement also issued to him/her and affixed to the travel document; and
  • A valid HKSAR passport issued to him/her; or
  • A valid permanent identity card issued to him/her.

The person concerned will continue to enjoy the right of abode in the HKSAR as long as he/she remains a Chinese citizen.

The person concerned will not lose his/her status as a permanent resident even if he/she is absent from Hong Kong for long periods.

Chinese citizens not born in Hong Kong will be able to acquire the right of abode after having ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years before or after the establishment of the HKSAR.

Information on the smart identity card