Eligible Taiwan residents can complete Hong Kong pre-arrival registration free of charge. A successful registration is valid for two months and two entries, with a visitor stay of up to 30 days on each landing subject to normal immigration requirements. Print, check and sign the notification slip before departure; registration does not guarantee admission.
Check your status, not just where your flight starts
This guide follows the Immigration Department's Taiwan-resident registration guidance, which refers to Chinese residents of Taiwan. Applicants must meet both sets of conditions: they were born in Taiwan, or were born elsewhere but previously admitted to Hong Kong as Taiwan residents; and they do not possess a travel document issued by an authority outside Taiwan, except a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng) or an entry permit issued by Hong Kong's Immigration Department.
Flying from Taipei, holding a Taiwan re-entry travel document or having visited Hong Kong at some point is not sufficient on its own. For someone born outside Taiwan, the relevant question is whether they were admitted as a Taiwan resident, not under any other status. The official FAQ says proof of that previous admission is not required during registration or clearance, but the information must be accurate.
A holder of another country's or territory's passport or travel document should not ignore it when assessing eligibility. Check the appropriate visit arrangements for that document instead. Hong Kong residents with the right of abode or right to land do not use this scheme. Assess every family member separately: being a child does not remove the eligibility conditions.
Two months, two entries and thirty days mean different things
| Figure | What it means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Two months | The validity of the completed registration; check its status before travel | Permission to stay for two months on one visit |
| Two entries | Two admissions using the same valid registration | Unlimited trips |
| Up to 30 days each | The maximum visitor stay on each landing, subject to normal requirements | Guaranteed admission or two allowances added into a continuous 60-day stay |
The landing slip issued on admission sets out the actual conditions and limit of stay. Registration is for visits; it does not permit employment, study or establishing or joining a business. If your purpose requires another status, check the appropriate entry-permit category first.
Gather the details and allow time to print
Your travel document for re-entry to Taiwan must have at least six months' validity both when registering and when arriving for Hong Kong immigration clearance. Checking only the application date is insufficient. The official FAQ states there is no age restriction, eligible applicants may register online from any location and the computer result is displayed immediately.
Prepare your Chinese and English names, aliases shown on the document if any, sex, date and place of birth, Taiwan identity card number, re-entry travel-document number and validity. Information must match the document; do not add an alias absent from it. You must also select an identification question and answer for later viewing or reprinting. English letters in that answer are case-sensitive. Store it securely rather than assuming it works like an easily reset account password.
Enter the service from Immigration Department or GovHK pages, avoiding paid sites that imply they are the official service. Free registration still requires careful checking and is not assured to succeed. If it cannot be completed, follow official guidance on other entry-permit arrangements rather than repeatedly changing truthful details to obtain a result.
Print the slip on white A4 paper, then check and sign
Print the successful notification slip on blank white A4 paper. The FAQ explicitly disallows double-sided or reduced printing. A phone screenshot is not a substitute for the valid notification slip required at check-in and immigration clearance. Compare names, document number and validity against the travel document, then sign as instructed. For a child under 16, a parent or legal guardian must check and sign.
Resolve missing pages, unreadable characters or an incorrect print size before departure. Do not hand-correct wrong data and assume the paper remains usable. These requirements concern the official slip; the illustration below is a preparation scene, not a form or travel-document template.
Changed data and an ordinary new registration are different
FAQ question 24 says incorrect or changed details that no longer match the Taiwan re-entry travel document can invalidate a registration or lead to refusal of entry. It directs travellers to make a new registration with the correct or updated details and print a new slip. Compare the documents again after renewal; an old slip being within its two-month period does not cure a changed document number.
Question 26 separately says an ordinary new registration is not available while the existing registration remains valid with journeys unused: wait until it expires or both journeys have been used. Do not combine those answers into a claim that anyone can renew early at any time. Ask Immigration if your change of circumstances or the system's response is unclear. If the system will not accept a corrected new registration, contact Immigration; do not conceal a document or enter false details to replace the existing record.
After the first journey, retain the slip marked with its use. If it is lost, damaged or defaced, use the official View / Print Registration Notification Slip function. The replacement records the first journey completed, printing date and remaining journey allowance. An old spare copy printed before the first trip cannot replace this updated record for the second journey.
Keep three documents during the visit and for departure
When admission is granted, Immigration issues a landing slip with your name, Taiwan identity card number and conditions of stay, and marks the first or second journey completed on the notification slip. Official instructions require you to carry the notification slip, landing slip and Taiwan re-entry travel document during your stay and present all three on departure.
Keep paper dry and separate the small landing slip from shopping receipts so it is not discarded. A phone backup can help you look up information but does not remove a requirement to present paper. Before the second journey, use the official Validity Enquiry function to check the registration's validity and remaining journeys again.
Lost papers, printing problems and ineligibility need different responses
| Situation | Next step |
|---|---|
| Lost or damaged notification slip; answer to the identification question is known | Reprint through the official system; after the first journey use its updated record |
| Answer forgotten, reprinting unavailable and no valid notification slip | Do not travel relying only on a screenshot; check other applicable arrangements or contact Immigration |
| Landing slip lost while in Hong Kong | Apply promptly to Immigration's Extension Section for a free replacement; check current office details before going |
| Notification slip lost in Hong Kong and identification answer forgotten | The FAQ directs travellers to the Extension Section for formalities |
| Ineligible for registration or registration unsuccessful | Check alternative permits according to the document held and purpose of entry |
The Immigration Department's other entry arrangements include routes for Taiwan residents. For example, a holder of a valid Tai Bao Zheng may visit for up to 30 days subject to normal immigration requirements. This is not a universal recommendation to switch documents or a way around eligibility. Follow the official route for your actual status, location and purpose; an unsuccessful registration alone does not determine whether another route exists.
Your pre-journey checklist
- Assess each person's birthplace, previous admission status and other travel documents.
- Ensure the Taiwan re-entry document has at least six months remaining both at registration and arrival.
- Use the official service, retain the identification answer securely and compare the notification details.
- Print single-sided at full size on blank white A4 paper, then check and sign; a parent or guardian signs for an under-16.
- Distinguish registration validity, journeys remaining and the granted stay; retain or officially reprint the slip after the first journey.
- Carry the notification slip, landing slip and travel document during the visit and on departure; registration is not an admission guarantee.
Sources & further reading
This article draws on the media coverage and public information below. Event and transport arrangements can change; check the latest details before travelling.
- Pre-arrival Registration for Taiwan Residents | Immigration Departmentimmd.gov.hk (Opens in a new tab)
- Taiwan resident pre-arrival registration FAQswebapp.es2.immd.gov.hk (Opens in a new tab)
- Entry Arrangements for Mainland, Macao, Taiwan & Overseas Chinese Residents | Immigration Departmentimmd.gov.hk (Opens in a new tab)
Make it your journey
For a trip involving departure from Hong Kong and a later return, read the Hong Kong and Macau entry and re-entry guide, then check your documents, remaining journeys and each destination's conditions before arranging cross-border transport.
