Less than 48 hours after the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze, the Hong Kong Immigration Department has rolled out an emergency documentation programme to ensure that displaced residents can travel and transact without interruption.
Under the plan, fire victims may walk into Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, any Registration-of-Persons office or any branch office to obtain replacement Hong Kong identity cards, HKSAR passports, Re-entry Permits and other travel documents on the spot. Mobile teams have also been deployed to temporary shelters to pre-register applicants and shuttle them by dedicated buses to the headquarters for processing. All government fees are waived.
![Hong Kong sets up one-stop passport and ID replacement desks for Wang Fuk Court fire victims]()
A special after-hours session will run tonight (Saturday, 29 November) so that victims who are juggling hotel moves, school runs and insurance meetings do not lose an extra working day. The department has additionally arranged with China Travel Service to issue Home-Return Permits at an adjacent counter, meaning affected residents can repair both their Hong Kong and Mainland travel papers in a single trip.
Officials said the objective is to protect residents’ mobility and legal identity while they rebuild their lives. Employers have been advised that replacement receipts can be used in lieu of physical ID cards for onboarding and bank transactions, and airlines have been told to accept interim passports.
The fast-track arrangement mirrors similar documentation drives mounted after Super-Typhoon Mangtut in 2018 and during the 2019 Prince Edward station incident. Immigration consultants note that rapid re-issuance of passports is critical for families planning emergency relocation or cross-border schooling. Companies with expatriate staff in the affected blocks are urged to remind assignees to apply early so that visa renewals and holiday travel are not disrupted.
Under the plan, fire victims may walk into Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, any Registration-of-Persons office or any branch office to obtain replacement Hong Kong identity cards, HKSAR passports, Re-entry Permits and other travel documents on the spot. Mobile teams have also been deployed to temporary shelters to pre-register applicants and shuttle them by dedicated buses to the headquarters for processing. All government fees are waived.
A special after-hours session will run tonight (Saturday, 29 November) so that victims who are juggling hotel moves, school runs and insurance meetings do not lose an extra working day. The department has additionally arranged with China Travel Service to issue Home-Return Permits at an adjacent counter, meaning affected residents can repair both their Hong Kong and Mainland travel papers in a single trip.
Officials said the objective is to protect residents’ mobility and legal identity while they rebuild their lives. Employers have been advised that replacement receipts can be used in lieu of physical ID cards for onboarding and bank transactions, and airlines have been told to accept interim passports.
The fast-track arrangement mirrors similar documentation drives mounted after Super-Typhoon Mangtut in 2018 and during the 2019 Prince Edward station incident. Immigration consultants note that rapid re-issuance of passports is critical for families planning emergency relocation or cross-border schooling. Companies with expatriate staff in the affected blocks are urged to remind assignees to apply early so that visa renewals and holiday travel are not disrupted.
