The Hong Kong government proposed to raise the application fee for issuing Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, with the fee for 32-/ 48-page passports rising by $60 to $430/ $520, respectively.

The fee for passports for individuals under 16 years old will increase by $30 to $215/ $260. The fee for amending personal information or photo in passports will hike from $84 to $110.

The Security Bureau (SB) and Immigration Department (IMMD) submitted a document proposing adjustments to 28 fees under the IMMD, with increases ranging from approx. 3-51%, with an expected implementation date of September 2025, in the hope of gradually recovering the costs.

Of which, 20 fee items will be increased by more than 20%, among which the fees and charges for transit visas, 1-year and 3-year multiple entry permits are proposed to be increased by more than 40%.

The authorities said that the government sets and reviews fees based on the principles of 'cost recovery' and 'user pays', taking into account public response. It is not feasible to adjust all fees to fully recover costs at once.

It is estimated that, after the proposal is implemented, annual revenue could increase by approx. $104 million, and the cost recovery rate for various fees could increase to 19-100%.