Facing 900,000 passport applications in the first half of the year—already exceeding the whole of 2019—the Hong Kong Immigration Department will keep its Wan Chai headquarters and seven branch offices open from 14:00 to 21:00 on 24 January and 31 January. Walk-in quotas will be uncapped, and morning service hours remain unchanged. (hksar.org)
The extraordinary move comes amid a surge in outbound travel bookings and corporate assignment rotations. Immigration officers’ leave has been frozen and additional biometric kiosks installed to speed document collection.
Companies and individual residents who would rather not navigate the paperwork themselves can turn to VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) for concierge-style assistance. The service pre-fills forms, books appointments, arranges courier pick-ups and provides real-time status tracking—helping applicants minimise time spent in ImmD queues while keeping HR teams fully informed.
![Immigration Department to open on successive Saturdays as passport demand hits post-pandemic record]()
For HR mobility teams, the extended window offers a chance to fast-track staff awaiting passport renewals that are holding up overseas secondments. The Department notes that pick-up queues will be prioritised to clear existing backlogs.
Residents are urged to use the “ImmD Mobile” app to pre-fill forms and pay online before arriving. Employers coordinating group submissions for personnel must still present individual consent letters under privacy rules.
The Department will assess whether to institute permanent Saturday evening hours during peak seasons such as summer and Christmas.
The extraordinary move comes amid a surge in outbound travel bookings and corporate assignment rotations. Immigration officers’ leave has been frozen and additional biometric kiosks installed to speed document collection.
Companies and individual residents who would rather not navigate the paperwork themselves can turn to VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) for concierge-style assistance. The service pre-fills forms, books appointments, arranges courier pick-ups and provides real-time status tracking—helping applicants minimise time spent in ImmD queues while keeping HR teams fully informed.
For HR mobility teams, the extended window offers a chance to fast-track staff awaiting passport renewals that are holding up overseas secondments. The Department notes that pick-up queues will be prioritised to clear existing backlogs.
Residents are urged to use the “ImmD Mobile” app to pre-fill forms and pay online before arriving. Employers coordinating group submissions for personnel must still present individual consent letters under privacy rules.
The Department will assess whether to institute permanent Saturday evening hours during peak seasons such as summer and Christmas.
