Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has shaved four years off the minimum age for visitors to use its automated immigration gates. Effective 22 December, holders of an Electronic Exit-Entry Permit (e-EEP), an electronic PRC passport or travellers departing via the “Smart Departure” programme can clear Hong Kong’s borders at just seven years old instead of 11.
The change matters because these three traveller segments represent the lion’s share of arrivals at Hong Kong’s land and air checkpoints. Shortening queues during the Christmas peak is a top priority: the e-Channel’s facial-recognition gates process passengers in roughly 20–30 seconds—less than half the time it takes at a staffed counter. For mobility managers, the lower age limit removes a perennial pain-point when relocating executives with primary-school-age children or hosting incentive trips that include families.
For anyone unsure about the paperwork—especially when children hold different travel documents—VisaHQ can step in. Its Hong Kong desk (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets families and mobility managers upload passports, check biometric compliance and order express visas online, meaning less time chasing consulates and more time planning the trip.
![Hong Kong lowers e-Channel clearance age to seven for visiting PRC passport and e-EEP holders]()
Hong Kong began extending e-Channel access aggressively in 2025. In March it dropped the age threshold to seven for local residents; today’s announcement brings visitors into line and signals a broader push toward “touch-less” borders ahead of the 2026 World Cities Summit that Hong Kong will host. The SAR has already introduced “Face Easy” arrival lanes for residents and is piloting digital travel credentials with the ICAO.
Practically, families arriving from the mainland will need to ensure each child meets the 1.1-metre height requirement and is travelling on a biometric document. No pre-enrolment is required—parents simply follow the green e-Channel signage and escort children through the gate. Corporate travel teams are advised to update arrival briefings and remind staff that overstaying the permitted period still incurs heavy fines.
Longer term, lowering the age bar supports the government’s goal of handling 100 million passengers annually by 2030 without building new staffed counters. Analysts expect other visitor categories—such as electronic Home Return Permit holders from Macau and foreign e-passport holders—to be added once technical trials conclude in mid-2026.
The change matters because these three traveller segments represent the lion’s share of arrivals at Hong Kong’s land and air checkpoints. Shortening queues during the Christmas peak is a top priority: the e-Channel’s facial-recognition gates process passengers in roughly 20–30 seconds—less than half the time it takes at a staffed counter. For mobility managers, the lower age limit removes a perennial pain-point when relocating executives with primary-school-age children or hosting incentive trips that include families.
For anyone unsure about the paperwork—especially when children hold different travel documents—VisaHQ can step in. Its Hong Kong desk (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets families and mobility managers upload passports, check biometric compliance and order express visas online, meaning less time chasing consulates and more time planning the trip.
Hong Kong began extending e-Channel access aggressively in 2025. In March it dropped the age threshold to seven for local residents; today’s announcement brings visitors into line and signals a broader push toward “touch-less” borders ahead of the 2026 World Cities Summit that Hong Kong will host. The SAR has already introduced “Face Easy” arrival lanes for residents and is piloting digital travel credentials with the ICAO.
Practically, families arriving from the mainland will need to ensure each child meets the 1.1-metre height requirement and is travelling on a biometric document. No pre-enrolment is required—parents simply follow the green e-Channel signage and escort children through the gate. Corporate travel teams are advised to update arrival briefings and remind staff that overstaying the permitted period still incurs heavy fines.
Longer term, lowering the age bar supports the government’s goal of handling 100 million passengers annually by 2030 without building new staffed counters. Analysts expect other visitor categories—such as electronic Home Return Permit holders from Macau and foreign e-passport holders—to be added once technical trials conclude in mid-2026.
