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How to Get a Passport For Your New Baby in Hong Kong

Post Category - PregnancyPregnancyTravelPost Category - TravelTravelParentingPost Category - ParentingParenting

Obtaining your newborn baby a passport in Hong Kong can feel like trying to step onto the MTR during rush hour, but have no fear Sassy Mamas! We’ve got it all sorted out for you. All the research is done, and we’ve included tons of useful links for you right here. So sit back and relax as we help you navigate through the process of applying for your baby’s first passport.

Helpful hint: There are a bunch of small photography shops on Wellington and Stanley Street in Central that are able to do baby passport photos. Most baby passport photo requirements do require a plain white or light background, so some mommies can bring a white bed sheet to cover their hands while supporting a sitting up baby for the photograph.

Here’s how to get a passport for your baby for the following countries:

Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government wins on accessibility and ease of baby passport application. To apply in person (with original documents), you can make an appointment online or by phone 2598 0888. You can also apply by post or drop-in (with photocopied documents), but this may extend the process by 2-3 working days. Within fourteen working days, you can go back and collect your baby’s passport at any of the seven locations or even designate a representative to help pick it up through a signed authorisation (ID 678).

Is my child eligible for a Hong Kong passport?
If your child is a Chinese citizen, a permanent resident of the HKSAR, AND a holder of a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card, then yes!

What do I need to apply for?
The only piece of paper you’ll need is the simple 2-page ID 842 form found here. But if your child does not yet have their permanent identity card, an additional ROP 3 form is needed.

What do I need to bring to my appointment?

If your child already has a permanent identity card:

  • The completed ID 842 form
  • The child’s Hong Kong permanent identity card
  • One recent color photograph on a white background (40mm width X 50mm height)
  • Consenting parent’s Hong Kong identity card or valid travel document
  • The child’s birth certificate with the consenting parent’s name, or a court order for proof of consenting legal guardian’s custodial rights
  • Application fee (HK$185 for 32 pages or $230 for 48 pages) to be paid via EPS, cash, or credit.
  • Plus one other document with proof of identity or a Form for Countersignature (ID 641) with a copy of the countersigners identifying document

If your child does not yet have a Hong Kong permanent identity card:

  • The completed ID 842 form
  • Completed application form for a Hong Kong permanent identity card (ROP 3)
  • Document supporting the child’s right of abode (a Hong Kong birth certificate showing permanent residence status is sufficient)
  • The child’s birth certificate with the consenting parent’s name, or a court order for proof of consenting legal guardian’s custodial rights
  • Two identical recent colour photographs on a white background (40mm width X 50mm height)
  • Consenting parent’s Hong Kong identity card or valid travel document
  • Application fee
  • Plus one other document with proof of identity or a Form for Countersignature (ID 1641) with a copy of the countersigners identifying document

Our local government certainly made this a pain-free process, and has even provided a condensed guide to filling out the forms here. Your tot will be a milk-tea sipping and egg tart gobbling fiend in no time at all!

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Australia

To obtain a baby passport from the land down under, you’re gonna have to make a visit to the Australian Consulate-General over in Wanchai to hand in your forms in person with your child. Luckily, there are convenient times for lodging applications, from Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm. In about 15 business days, you can go back and pick up a newly minted baby passport.

Is my child eligible?
If either you or your partner is an Australian citizen, your child is eligible for an Australian passport. 

What do I need to apply for?
The passport application for minors (PC8 Overseas Application Form) can be found through several different ways, making it super accessible for busy parents. You can find it online at Passports Online, request by mail through email: [email protected] or fax: 2585 4461, or pick up the Hong Kong specific form at the following locations:

  • Australian Chamber of Commerce
  • Qantas Airlines’ Office
  • Tourism Australia office
  • Australian Chinese Association’s office

To complete the passport application form, both parents with parental responsibility for the child must give consent on the form, and the consent signing must be witnessed. This can be done at the Consulate-General for $120.

In additional to the passport application form, you’ll also need a proof of citizenship for your child through an original Australian Citizenship Certificate, extract from the register of citizenship by descent, or extract from the register of Australian births abroad.  

What do I need to bring to my appointment?
Here’s a checklist for the necessary documents and forms when lodging your application:

  • The completed PC8 Overseas Application form
  • Application fee (HKD $1047 for 35-page passport or $1424 for a 67-page passport), not including any additional Consular Fees if needed. Only HKD is accepted, and this can be paid in cash or credit card. This fee is adjusted monthly, so be sure to check out the fee table before you go.
  • The child’s proof of Australian citizenship
  • Your proof of citizenship, either your Australian passport (valid for two years or more) or your Australian citizenship certificate
  • Original birth certificate (with the names of both parents) or a B-6 form if no birth certificate
  • Two colour photographs (35-40mm width X 45-50mm height), with one signed as a true photograph by a guarantor (someone who possess an Australian passport or employed in specific fields)

For further details, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a super helpful Overseas Note for passport application.

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Canada

So you hail from the land of maple syrup and ice hockey? Know that the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong has recently moved to the convenient location of Exchange Square in Central, however the Passport and Citizenship Services office has moved to Quarry Bay, so make sure you’re headed to the right spot! 

Is my child eligible for a Canadian passport?
If either parent is a Canadian citizen before your child was born, then your child is able to receive a Canadian passport. There have been some recent amendments to the Citizenship Act and further clarification can be found here. 

What do I need to apply for?
You’ll need to complete a passport application form , and also an application for Citizenship Certificate for your child. 

What do I need to bring to my appointment?

Both parents must be present for the application process along with your child.

  • A fully completed application form
  • Two identical passport photos (50 mm wide X 70 mm high) – one must be signed by a Guarantor (the “Other” applying parent can be your Guarantor)
  • Original birth certificate
  • Proof of Canadian citizenship or the receipt for the child’s citizenship application
  • Original or certified photocopies of both parents’ valid government issue ID with signature
  • Original or certified photocopies of child’s valid passport of their other nationality (if applicable)
  • Processing Fee (HKD$619 or CAN$100) to be paid by Visa or MasterCard (Canadian dollars), EPS, or Cash order (HKD only)

As there have been recent changes and amendments, the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong provides a wealth of information on exact requirements. It is highly recommended that you make an appointment online before you travel to the Consulate as the walk-in wait can take up to two hours! This way, you can fill out the firm first, and drop it off in Quarry Bay during the restricted hours of 8:30am-12:30pm from Monday through Friday.

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United Kingdom

The good news is that the entire British passport process is completed online without need for any appointments in person (interviews in special cases). The bad news: this will all be done at the blistering speed of 8 weeks plus, starting from the time that it is received by Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the UK. Be sure to plan your travel way way ahead!

Is my child eligible for a British passport?
Strap on your thinking caps for this one, because we’ll be navigating through some tough language. If either you or your partner are British “not by descent,” meaning that someone was able to obtain British citizenship either on their own or were born in Britain, then your child will be able to become a British citizen “by descent.” If this is all sounds like mind-boggling detail to you, be sure to find clarity with this website, which pretty much puts everything in black and white plain language.

What do I need to apply for?
A passport, and that’s it!

What do I need to bring to my appointment?
Since everything is conveniently done over the world wide web, you’ll only need a credit card. Some additional details to have on hand:

  • Passport numbers of both parents
  • Two identical new photos of your child (35mm wide x 45mm high)
  • A complete colour copy of any other current passports issued by other countries
  • Plus additional supporting documents that may need to be provided in this handy-dandy chart
  • A MasterCard/Visa/Visa Electron/Visa Debit card to pay a total of 72.86 pounds online, which includes the passport fee (53 pounds) and courier fee (19.86 pounds)

You need to enter all this into the online passport application service website, and sit tight for the next 8 weeks or so. For additional information, be sure to check out the overseas British passport application site Hong Kong.

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USA

For an American passport, there are only three simple steps to take before you and your child can jet off for tropical vacations. The U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong is where you’ll have to go for your appointment, which can be made online for business hours from Monday through Friday. But first, here are some important items to bring and details to sort through:

Is my child eligible?
If either you or your partner are American citizens, then your child is able to receive a US passport too.

What do I need to apply for?
Before you begin completing the Passport Form (DS-11 form) either online or by hand, your baby will also need a Consular Report of Birth (FS-240 form). Be sure to thoroughly ignore the part in the forms where they tell you to mail it in, and bring them with you to the Consulate.

What do I need to bring to my appointment?

  • Both you and your spouse must be present, plus your passports
  • Or, your passport and a copy of the other parent’s passport, along with a notarized affidavit form of the other parent’s consent
  • Your child’s birth certificate (original and official translation if not in English) or any of the following: Consular Report of Birth (FS-240); Certification of Birth Abroad (DS-1350); Adoption Decree; Court Order establishing custody or guardianship
  • A marriage certificate
  • An affidavit showing all of your and your spouse’s periods and places of residence/physical presence in the United States and abroad before your baby’s birth
  • Completed application forms for a Consular Report of Birth and US passport
  • A US passport sized photo of your baby (2in. X 2in. or 5cm X 5CM) on a white background
  • USD$105 or HKD$840 in cash or by credit card (USD only) to pay the application and execution fees.

Get these things in order and you’ll be ready to jet off with your bub and his/her new passport! Bon voyage, mama!

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