Responding to last week’s deadly blaze that gutted Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the Hong Kong SAR government has pledged to waive all charges for replacing destroyed travel and identity documents, including HKSAR passports, Home-Return Permits and smart ID cards.
The Immigration Department has opened special after-hours counters and targets a 48-hour turnaround—down from the usual 10 working days—for urgent re-issuance. Public-hospital fees, outstanding taxes, utilities and rates on damaged flats are also being written off, and telecom firms are handing out free SIM cards so that displaced residents remain reachable.
![Hong Kong Waives Passport and ID-Replacement Fees for Wang Fuk Court Fire Victims]()
For mobility-dependent groups—foreign domestic helpers, cross-border commuters and international assignees—the fee waiver removes a critical barrier to travel. Normally, a lost HKSAR passport costs HKD 370; fast-track issuance can exceed HKD 1,000. The new policy thus safeguards business continuity for employers who need affected staff to travel on short notice.
The initiative mirrors best practice in disaster-hit jurisdictions such as Australia and Japan, where rapid document replacement is recognised as a pillar of economic resilience. Employers should brief impacted workers on the expedited process and ensure that updated passport numbers are entered into corporate travel-profile systems.
While welcome, the measure is temporary; officials advise residents to submit applications within two weeks to guarantee free replacement. Mobility managers should monitor follow-up announcements, especially regarding potential fee reinstatement or phased service hour reductions.
The Immigration Department has opened special after-hours counters and targets a 48-hour turnaround—down from the usual 10 working days—for urgent re-issuance. Public-hospital fees, outstanding taxes, utilities and rates on damaged flats are also being written off, and telecom firms are handing out free SIM cards so that displaced residents remain reachable.
For mobility-dependent groups—foreign domestic helpers, cross-border commuters and international assignees—the fee waiver removes a critical barrier to travel. Normally, a lost HKSAR passport costs HKD 370; fast-track issuance can exceed HKD 1,000. The new policy thus safeguards business continuity for employers who need affected staff to travel on short notice.
The initiative mirrors best practice in disaster-hit jurisdictions such as Australia and Japan, where rapid document replacement is recognised as a pillar of economic resilience. Employers should brief impacted workers on the expedited process and ensure that updated passport numbers are entered into corporate travel-profile systems.
While welcome, the measure is temporary; officials advise residents to submit applications within two weeks to guarantee free replacement. Mobility managers should monitor follow-up announcements, especially regarding potential fee reinstatement or phased service hour reductions.
