Permanent residence period checker: seven years of ordinary residence

What “seven years of continuous ordinary residence” means in the law and on the Immigration Department’s pages, including the common “180 days a year” question, plus a date estimate that runs only in your browser.

Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.

Estimate the earliest application date

Enter the start date and any absences to get an estimated earliest application date. Everything stays in your browser and is not uploaded or stored.

How the rules work

Chinese citizens: ordinary residence in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 7 years makes a person a permanent resident (Immigration Ordinance, Schedule 1 para. 2(b)). Non-Chinese nationals must have entered Hong Kong with a valid travel document, ordinarily resided for a continuous period of not less than 7 years and taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence (Schedule 1 para. 2(d)).
For non-Chinese nationals the 7 years are the 7 continuous years immediately before the date of the application (Schedule 1 para. 1(4)(b)). Applicants must give information showing Hong Kong is their place of permanent residence, such as habitual residence, whether the spouse and minor children are in Hong Kong, a reasonable means of income and whether taxes have been paid, and make a declaration (Schedule 1 para. 3).
Section 2(4) says a person is not treated as ordinarily resident during certain periods: after landing unlawfully or in breach of a condition of stay, as a refugee or while detained; while employed as an imported contract worker or as a foreign domestic helper; as a consular post member, Garrison member or holder of a prescribed Central People’s Government travel document; and while imprisoned or detained under a court sentence or order.
Section 2(6): temporary absence does not by itself end ordinary residence. Whether it has ended depends on the person’s circumstances and the absence, which may include the reason, duration and frequency of absences, habitual residence in Hong Kong, employment by a Hong Kong based company and where the spouse and minor children are.
Neither the legislation nor the Immigration Department’s pages sets a number of days (180 or otherwise) that must be spent in Hong Kong each year or over the seven years, so this site applies no day threshold. Whether a case with many absences qualifies is for the Immigration Department to decide; ask the department.
How the tool works: your start date plus seven years gives the earliest date. “Temporary absences” are only counted in days and do not move the date. A period you mark as “excluded” is conservatively treated as restarting the continuous count from the day after it ends. This is an estimate, not legal advice.

Proof to prepare

These items come from the Immigration Department’s application page and the Ordinance. They are not exhaustive; follow the department’s current forms and guidance.

A copy of your Hong Kong identity card (if any) and a travel document showing your current condition of stay.
Proof of seven years’ continuous ordinary residence, such as school documents, employment proof, official receipts, bank statements or tax receipts.
A travel document showing your entry to Hong Kong and your current condition of stay.
Non-Chinese nationals: Form ROP146, the declaration of having taken Hong Kong as the only place of permanent residence, plus the information asked for (habitual residence, where the spouse and minor children are, income and tax).
Documents not in Chinese or English need a certified Chinese or English translation.
Application form: ROP145 for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card, with the ROP145A notes for guidance.

Frequently asked questions

Must I spend 180 days in Hong Kong every year to apply for permanent residence?

Neither the legislation nor the Immigration Department’s pages states such a number. The test is “ordinary residence”: temporary absence does not by itself end it, and each case is judged on its circumstances (reason, duration and frequency of absences, habitual residence, where the family is, and so on). There is no 180-day or other day-count rule; the Immigration Department decides each case.

Does leaving Hong Kong mean the seven years start again?

Temporary absence does not by itself end ordinary residence (section 2(6)). A restart is a different matter: if a period listed in section 2(4) applies, such as a breach of a condition of stay or imprisonment, how it affects continuity is for the Immigration Department. The tool conservatively assumes a restart.

From which date are the seven years counted?

The law asks for a continuous period of ordinary residence, and the Immigration Department’s pages give no single start date for every visa type. The tool lets you enter the date ordinary residence began, usually the arrival date under your first residence or employment visa. The Immigration Department decides in the end.

Once I have the estimate, can I just apply?

The estimated date is only date arithmetic on what you typed and does not mean you qualify. The application needs proof of seven years’ continuous ordinary residence, and non-Chinese nationals must also declare that Hong Kong is their only place of permanent residence. The department may ask for more. Follow its current requirements.

Is the seven-year rule the same for the TTPS, QMAS, GEP and IANG?

The Immigration Department uses the same sentence on each scheme page: persons who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode in accordance with the law. The schemes’ stay patterns differ, but the seven-year requirement comes from the Immigration Ordinance.

Sources and data dates

Data as of: Cap. 115 (Immigration Ordinance) as in force on e-Legislation and the Immigration Department’s right-of-abode application page, both read on 8 October 2026
Checked on: 2026-10-08

Every parameter was checked against the official pages listed here and will be revised when they change. Where an official page is silent or ambiguous, this page says to rely on the official source.

Disclaimer

These results are general information only. They are not tax, legal or financial advice and do not guarantee any outcome. Actual amounts and eligibility are decided by the Immigration Department and the other bodies concerned.

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