At 23:00 on 13 June 2026, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a fresh advisory—circulated via its overseas missions—reminding Mainland passport holders of key procedures when entering Hong Kong. The notice emphasises that travellers must ensure their Home Return Permit and HKSAR entry endorsements are valid for the entire stay and provides consolidated hotlines and e-mail contacts for emergency assistance, including the Immigration Department’s 24-hour enquiry line (+852 2824 6111). The advisory comes amid a spike in individual-visitor permit applications following the summer relaxation of quota slots for 49 Mainland cities. According to China Travel Service, online bookings for June travel rose 27 percent week-on-week after the quota change, creating processing bottlenecks at some Public Security Bureau branches. Consular officials therefore advise applicants to submit documents at least ten working days before departure and to prepare electronic photographs that meet new ICAO biometric standards.
![Chinese Embassy Issues Updated Guidance for Mainland Residents Travelling to Hong Kong]()
For travellers or HR teams looking for hands-on assistance with these administrative steps, VisaHQ can help. Through its Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/), the service pre-screens application packets, flags endorsement validity gaps, and coordinates courier delivery, saving applicants the repeated PSB visits that the advisory warns about.
From an employer perspective, the guidance is particularly relevant for Mainland staff attending short-term meetings in Hong Kong or entering the city for pre-assignment housing searches. HR teams should note that overstaying even one day can jeopardise future entry-exit records and affect APEC Business Travel Card renewals. The circular also reiterates that loss of a HKSAR passport inside Hong Kong must be reported directly to the Immigration Department, not the embassy, expediting replacement travel documents. Cross-border transport operators welcomed the advisory as it clarifies responsibility splits between PRC and HKSAR authorities, reducing confusion at heavily trafficked checkpoints such as Lo Wu and Futian. The document further encourages Mainland residents to monitor the Hong Kong Observatory for weather-related border closures—important amid the city’s peak thunderstorm season. Mobility managers should distribute the embassy notice to any employees holding PRC passports and verify that entry endorsements align with assignment lengths. Centralising loss-of-passport protocols and keeping digital duplicates of travel IDs can minimise disruptions during urgent business trips.
For travellers or HR teams looking for hands-on assistance with these administrative steps, VisaHQ can help. Through its Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/), the service pre-screens application packets, flags endorsement validity gaps, and coordinates courier delivery, saving applicants the repeated PSB visits that the advisory warns about.
From an employer perspective, the guidance is particularly relevant for Mainland staff attending short-term meetings in Hong Kong or entering the city for pre-assignment housing searches. HR teams should note that overstaying even one day can jeopardise future entry-exit records and affect APEC Business Travel Card renewals. The circular also reiterates that loss of a HKSAR passport inside Hong Kong must be reported directly to the Immigration Department, not the embassy, expediting replacement travel documents. Cross-border transport operators welcomed the advisory as it clarifies responsibility splits between PRC and HKSAR authorities, reducing confusion at heavily trafficked checkpoints such as Lo Wu and Futian. The document further encourages Mainland residents to monitor the Hong Kong Observatory for weather-related border closures—important amid the city’s peak thunderstorm season. Mobility managers should distribute the embassy notice to any employees holding PRC passports and verify that entry endorsements align with assignment lengths. Centralising loss-of-passport protocols and keeping digital duplicates of travel IDs can minimise disruptions during urgent business trips.
