HONG KONG – Entry Stamps Replaced by Landing Slips for Non-Permanent Residents
The Hong Kong Immigration Department has announced that, effective December 2013, non-permanent residents will be issued landing slips on arrival in Hong Kong rather than having the visas in their passports stamped.
Landing Slips
Landing slips are small pieces of paper which should be kept with the foreign national’s passport. An image is available at the Hong Kong Immigration Department website: http://www.immd.gov.hk/en/topical/non-stamping-immigration-clearance.html.
What Happens If It Gets Lost?
The Hong Kong Immigration Department makes it clear in their announcement that the loss of a landing slip will not affect departure clearance formalities. However, since the landing slip shows the holder’s immigration status in Hong Kong, it should be held carefully for compliance purposes. If it is lost or badly damaged, a replacement may be requested free of charge from the Extension Section, Immigration Department, 5/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.
Who Is Affected?
Landing slips have been issued in lieu of entry stamps for visitors to Hong Kong since March 2013. The new change rolls this procedure out to all non-permanent residents. Note that landing slips will be issued on first arrival to Hong Kong only (apart from for foreign students, domestic workers’ and workers under the Supplementary Labour Scheme, who will be issued with landing slips on each entry to Hong Kong). Eligible non-permanent residents may continue to use the e-Channel service and are unaffected by the new procedure.
Action Items
- Note that effective immediately, landing slips will be issued to all non-permanent residents instead of entry stamps being placed in travel documents
- Notify assignees to Hong Kong and remind them that it is important to keep the landing slips safely as a record of their immigration status and compliance in Hong Kong.
Please note this is general information only and not intended as advice on a specific matter. Please feel free to contact Fakhoury Global Immigration directly with questions exclusive to your situation. These news alerts were prepared using information from Peregrine Immigration Management which is licensed to Fakhoury Global Immigration.