Change of Address
FAQs about GovHK Online Services
- Q1. How can I submit a change of address notification?
- Q2. Which government departments/non-governmental organisations accept change of address application online?
- Q3. When should I provide my proof of identity?
- Q4. What address types (residential or correspondence) can I change through this service?
- Q5. How long will it take for the change of address to be effective?
- Q6. What information is required for the change of address notification?
- Q7. Can I save the information I have entered and retrieve it for submission at a later date?
- Q8. Can I reprint the acknowledgement after submission?
- Q9. What are the hardware and software requirements to use this service?
- Q10. Why do I need to provide information about my old address?
- Q11. Can I submit one application to notify multiple organisations at the same time?
- Q12. Will I receive an acknowledgement of my application after I have submitted the change of address?
- Q13. Will I receive separate confirmation from the department(s) / organisation(s) concerned after my address record has been updated?
- Q14. If I have submitted the notification to a wrong government department, what can I do?
- Q15. If I have submitted wrong information online, how can I correct it?
You may submit a change-of-address application to multiple government departments and non-governmental organisations online. Simply follow the guided steps here.
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Q2. Which government
departments/non-governmental organisations accept change of address application online?
You may submit your change of address application online to the following organisations on the specific services provided or applicable users/areas:
Government Departments |
Services/Applicable Users or Areas |
| Water Supplies Department | Application for Termination of Water
Account for the Old Address
Application for Taking up of Water Account for the New Address Change of Mailing Address (not involving termination of a water account) |
| Rating and Valuation Department | Change of Payer's Particulars |
| Hongkong Post | Local Standing Order (LSOS) Account Holders |
| Housing Department | Applicants of public rental housing (Waiting List) |
| Inland Revenue Department | Individual Taxpayer |
| Labour Department | Boilers and Pressure Vessels (for registered owners, appointed examiners and competent persons)
Employees' Compensation (for Employers only) Employees' Compensation (for Employees only) |
| Lands Department | Payment of Government Rent/Premium Installments in the Urban Area
District Lands Office (Islands) District Lands Office (North) District Lands Office (Sai Kung) District Lands Office (Sha Tin) District Lands Office (Tai Po) District Lands Office (Tuen Mun) District Lands Office (Yuen Long) District Lands Offices (Hong Kong Island) District Lands Offices (Kowloon) District Lands Office (Tsuen Wan & Kwai Tsing) |
| Leisure and Cultural Services Department | Hong Kong Public Libraries |
| Office of the Telecommunication Authority | Licensee |
| Official Receiver's Office | Change of Address |
| Registration and Electoral Office | Registered Electors |
| Student Financial Assistance Agency | Applicants and claimants under the
Continuing Education Fund
Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-Secondary Students Financial Assistance for Primary and Secondary Students (Senior Secondary Fee Remission / School Textbook Assistance / Student Travel Subsidy) Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme Student Loan Repayment (Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes & Non-means Tested Loan Scheme) Applicants under the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes |
| Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority | Broadcasting Licensees
Film Distributors Film Section (Panel on Film Censorship) Special Effects Licensing Section (licence / permit) Television and Radio Consultative Scheme |
| Transport Department | Driving Licence Holders and/or Registered Owners of Vehicles |
| Treasury | Pensioners |
| Electrical and Mechanical Services Department | Notification Of Changing Address By Registered Electrical Worker (For Registered Electrical Worker only)
Competent Person for Locating Underground Electricity Cables Register of Lift/Escalator Contractors (CAP 327) Register of Lift/Escalator Engineers (CAP 327) Register of Contractors (Builders' Lifts and Tower Working Platforms) (CAP 470) Register of Examiners (Builders' Lifts and Tower Working Platforms) (CAP 470) Vehicle Mechanics (Voluntary Registration Scheme for Vehicle Mechanics) Notification of Changes of Addresses of LPG Cylinder Wagon Owners |
| Home Affairs Department | Registered Electors (Village Representative Election – Indigenous Inhabitant Representative)
Registered Electors (Village Representative Election – Resident Representative) |
| Fire Services Department | Change of Address for Fire Safety Ambassadors
Dangerous Goods Vehicle Licensees |
| Hong Kong Observatory | Friends of the Observatory |
| Intellectual Property Department | “I Pledge” Campaign |
| Trade and Industry Department | Transhipment Cargo Exemption Scheme - Application for Amendment of Registration Particulars (TID 133)
Application for Amendment of Registration Particulars for Rough Diamond (TID 105) Hong Kong Service Supplier Certificate Application Form for Amendment / Cancellation of Comprehensive Licence (Textiles) Particulars (TID 111) Application Form for Amendment of Textiles Trader Registration (TTR) Particulars (TID 205) |
Non-Governmental Organisations |
Applicable Users |
| Greenpeace China | Donors |
| Médecins Sans Frontières Hong Kong Office | Donors |
| Oxfam Hong Kong | Donors |
| The Community Chest of Hong Kong | Donors |
| The Salvation Army | Donors |
| World Vision Hong Kong | Donors |
| Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF | Donors |
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Some organisations require a proof of identity in order to process your application, which are listed below:
Organisation |
Authentication Requirement1 |
| Inland Revenue Department | Either Digital Certificate or
eTAX Password
|
| Registration and Electoral Office*
|
Digital Certificate |
| Transport Department#
|
Digital Certificate |
| Home Affairs Department#
|
Digital Certificate* |
# - Either using a Digital Certificate or uploading a copy of your identity document is needed. Meanwhile, uploading of address proof is required for all applications.
* - These organisations also require the applicant to digitally sign the change of address application using the digital certificate.
* - For detailed requirements of digital certificate, please click the following links:
Personal certificate
Organisational certificate
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The following table lists the address types which can be changed through this service:
Organisation |
Residential Address |
Correspondence Address |
P.O. Box |
Overseas Address |
| Water Supplies Department | ||||
| - Application for Termination of Water Account for the Old Address |  |
|
|
 |
| - Application for Taking up of Water Account for the New Address | |
|
|
|
| - Change of Mailing Address (not involving termination of a water account) | |
|
|
|
| Hongkong Post | ||||
| - Local Standing Order (LSOS) Account Holders | |
|
|
|
| Housing Department | ||||
| - Applicants of public rental housing (Waiting List) | |
|
|
|
| Inland Revenue Department | ||||
| - Individual Taxpayer | |
|
|
|
| Labour Department | ||||
| - Boilers and Pressure Vessels (for registered owners, appointed examiners and competent persons) | |
|
|
|
| - Employees' Compensation (for Employers only) | |
|
|
|
| - Employees' Compensation (for Employees only) | |
|
|
|
| Lands Department | ||||
| - Payment of Government Rent/Premium Installments in the Urban Area | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Office (Islands) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Office (North) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Office (Sai Kung) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Office (Sha Tin) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Office (Tai Po) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Office (Tuen Mun) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Office (Yuen Long) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Offices (Hong Kong Island) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Offices (Kowloon) | |
|
|
|
| - District Lands Office (Tsuen Wan & Kwai Tsing) | |
|
|
|
| Leisure and Cultural Services Department | ||||
| - Hong Kong Public Libraries | |
|
|
|
| Office of the Telecommunication Authority | ||||
| - Licensee | |
|
|
|
| Official Receiver's Office | ||||
| - Change of Address | |
|
|
|
| Rating and Valuation Department | ||||
| - Change of Payer's Particulars | |
|
|
|
| Registration and Electoral Office | ||||
| - Registered Electors | |
|
|
|
| Student Financial Assistance Agency | ||||
| - Applicants and claimants under the Continuing Education Fund | |
|
|
|
| - Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-Secondary Students | |
|
|
|
| - Financial Assistance for Primary and Secondary Students (Senior Secondary Fee Remission / School Textbook Assistance / Student Travel Subsidy) | |
|
|
|
| - Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme | |
|
|
|
| - Student Loan Repayment (Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes & Non-means Tested Loan Scheme) | |
|
|
|
| - Applicants under the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes | |
|
|
|
| Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority | ||||
| - Broadcasting Licensees | |
|
|
|
| - Film Distributors | |
|
|
|
| - Film Section (Panel on Film Censorship) | |
|
|
|
| - Special Effects Licensing section (licence / permit) | |
|
|
|
| - Television and Radio Consultative Scheme | |
|
|
|
| Transport Department | ||||
| - Driving Licence Holders and/or Registered Owners of Vehicles | |
|
|
|
| Treasury | ||||
| - Pensioners | |
|
|
|
| Electrical and Mechanical Services Department | ||||
| - Registered Electrical Worker Applicant | |
|
|
|
| - Competent Person for Locating Underground Electricity Cables | |
|
|
|
| - Register of Lift/Escalator Contractors (CAP 327) | |
|
|
|
| - Register of Lift/Escalator Engineers (CAP 327) | |
|
|
|
| - Register of Contractors (Builders' Lifts and Tower Working Platforms) (CAP 470) | |
|
|
|
| - Register of Examiners (Builders' Lifts and Tower Working Platforms) (CAP 470) | |
|
|
|
| - Vehicle Mechanics (Voluntary Registration Scheme for Vehicle Mechanics) | |
|
|
|
| - Notification of Changes of Addresses of LPG Cylinder Wagon Owners | |
|
|
|
| Home Affairs Department | ||||
| - Registered Electors (Village Representative Election – Indigenous Inhabitant Representative) | |
|
|
|
| - Registered Electors (Village Representative Election – Resident Representative) | |
|
|
|
| Home Affairs Department | ||||
| - Registered Electors (Village Representative Election – Indigenous Inhabitant Representative) | |
|
|
|
| - Registered Electors (Village Representative Election – Resident Representative) | |
|
|
|
| Fire Services Department | ||||
| - Change of Address for Fire Safety Ambassadors | |
|
|
|
| - Dangerous Goods Vehicle Licensees | |
|
|
|
| Hong Kong Observatory | ||||
| - Friends of the Observatory | |
|
|
|
| Intellectual Property Department | ||||
| - “I Pledge” Campaign | |
|
|
|
| Trade and Industry Department | ||||
| - Transhipment Cargo Exemption Scheme - Application for Amendment of Registration Particulars (TID 133) | |
|
|
|
| - Application for Amendment of Registration Particulars for Rough Diamond (TID 105) | |
|
|
(for personal residential address only) |
| - Hong Kong Service Supplier Certificate | |
|
|
|
| - Application Form for Amendment / Cancellation of Comprehensive Licence (Textiles) Particulars (TID 111) | |
|
|
|
| - Application Form for Amendment of Textiles Trader Registration (TTR) Particulars (TID 205) | |
|
|
|
| Community Chest of Hong Kong | ||||
| - Donors | |
|
|
|
| Greenpeace China | ||||
| - Donors | |
|
|
|
| Médecins Sans Frontières Hong Kong Office | ||||
| - Donors | |
|
|
|
| Oxfam Hong Kong | ||||
| - Donors | |
|
|
|
| The Salvation Army | ||||
| - Donors | |
|
|
|
| World Vision Hong Kong | ||||
| - Donors | |
|
|
|
| Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF | ||||
| - Donors | |
|
|
|
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The Government departments and organisations concerned will update your address in their records within 14 days.
For individuals, you have to provide your identity document number such as your HKID card or Passport number. For organisations, you need to give your Business Registration Number. You also need to provide your contact information and other organisation-specific information so as to enable the organisations to process your applications.
Some organisation’ service requires the applicant to provide scanned copy about identity and proof of address to meet the application requirement. The acceptable formats for the scanned copy:
Type of document |
Acceptable formats |
| Hong Kong Identity Card (Front) |
Image type:JPEG or PDF (in colour or grey scale)Image size:8.5cm(W) x 5.5cm(H)Image resolutions:150 dpi (minimum)File size:300KB or belowAllowed characters of filename:A-Z; a-z; 0-9; Chinese charactersMaximum length of filename:45 allowed characters (Remarks: A Chinese character is counted as three English letters)File extension:.jpeg, .jpg, or .pdf (Only these three extensions are accepted) |
| Passport (Data Page)
|
Image type:JPEG or PDF (in colour or grey scale)Image size:12.5cm(W) x 8.5cm(H)Image resolutions:150 dpi (minimum)File size:300KB or belowAllowed characters of filename:A-Z; a-z; 0-9; Chinese charactersMaximum length of filename:45 allowed characters (Remarks: A Chinese character is counted as three English letters)File extension:.jpeg, .jpg, or .pdf (Only these three extensions are accepted) |
| Certificate of Incorporation / Certificate of Registration
|
Image type:JPEG or PDF (in colour or grey scale)Image size:21cm (maximum width) x 30cm (maximum height)Image resolutions:150 dpi (minimum)File size:300KB or belowAllowed characters of filename:A-Z; a-z; 0-9; Chinese charactersMaximum length of filename:45 allowed characters (Remarks: A Chinese character is counted as three English letters)File extension:.jpeg, .jpg, or .pdf (Only these three extensions are accepted) |
| Proof of address image file
|
Image type:JPEG or PDF (in colour or grey scale); PDF (in colour, grey scale or black and white)Image size:21cm (maximum width) x 30cm (maximum height)Image resolutions:100 dpi (minimum)File size:300KB or belowAllowed characters of filename:A-Z; a-z; 0-9; Chinese charactersMaximum length of filename:45 allowed characters (Remarks: A Chinese character is counted as three English letters)File extension:.jpeg, .jpg, or .pdf (Only these three extensions are accepted) |
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Yes, this service allows you to save your partially completed application before submission. A password will be generated for your subsequent retrieval. You may retrieve your saved information within a month.
Yes, you may reprint your submission acknowledgement within 3 months after submission. To do so, you need to provide your personal or company particulars together with the submission reference number.
The software requirements are as follows:
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- Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, or Mac OS X, or Linux with Kernel 2.2.14 or above (For using smart ID card reader in Windows 7, Mac OS X, or Linux, please ensure that your computer has been installed with versions of smart ID card reader driver and e-Cert Control Manager which support the corresponding Operating System)
- Web Browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0/7.0/8.0, or Mozilla Firefox 2.0/3.0/3.5, or Safari 4.0
- JavaScript enabled
- Java Plugin: Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.4.2 or above (Best use JRE 6 or above)
- Adobe Reader 4.0 or above
- CPU: Pentium 500MHz compatible or above
- RAM: 256MB or above
- Screen Resolution: 1024 x 768 preferred
Some organisations' services require the applicant to provide information about their old address for processing change of address request on particular services or applicable users/areas.
Organisations and the Services/Applicable Users or Areas Concerned |
| Water Supplies Department
- Application for Termination of Water Account for the Old Address # - Application for Taking up of Water Account for the New Address # - Change of Mailing Address (not involving termination of a water account) # Hongkong Post - Local Standing Order (LSOS) Account Holders # Housing Department - Applicants of public rental housing (Waiting List) * # Labour Department - Boilers and Pressure Vessels (for registered owners, appointed examiners and competent persons) - Employees' Compensation (for Employers only) - Employees' Compensation (for Employees only) Lands Department - District Lands Office (Islands) - District Lands Office (North) - District Lands Office (Sai Kung) - District Lands Office (Shatin) - District Lands Office (Tai Po) - District Lands Office (Tuen Mun) - District Lands Office (Yuen Long) - District Lands Offices (Hong Kong Island) - District Lands Offices (Kowloon) - District Lands Office (Tsuen Wan & Kwai Tsing) - Payment of Government Rent/Premium Installments in the Urban Area Treasury - Pensioners World Vision Hong Kong - Donors |
* - Not accepting P.O. Box
# - Not accepting overseas address
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Yes, you can enter your personal or company details once and update your records at multiple Government departments and non-Governmental organisations. You can further select multiple services/applicable users or areas provided by various organisations (as menioned in Q2) for your application to take effect on.
Q12. Will I receive an acknowledgement of
my application after I have submitted the change of address?
Yes, you will receive an acknowledgement of your application via email if you have provided your email address in Step 4 for email notification.
Q13. Will I receive separate confirmation
from the department(s) / organisation(s) concerned after my address
record has been updated?
No. However, if there is any problem in updating your record, the department or organisation concerned will contact you direct.
You can contact the GovHK Help Desk at (852) 183 5500 or corresponding department's helpdesk to ask for their advice.
You can contact the GovHK Help Desk at (852) 183 5500 or corresponding department's helpdesk to ask for their advice.
