Applying Online for Search of Record of Adoption and/or Certified Copy of an Entry in the Adopted Children Register

If you need to search for a record of adoption and /or certified copy of the related entry, you can use the Immigration Department’s quick-and-easy online service. This article will give you the details.

How to Start

Important Notice

The purposes of establishing adoption records in Hong Kong under the Adoption Ordinance (Cap.290, Laws of Hong Kong) are:

In processing an applicant’s request, the Registrar shall take into account the supplementary information, including the purpose(s) and intended use of the search result and requested records, and all supporting documents, if any, provided by the applicant.

If you are not the registered subject¹, relevant person² or person with written consent from the registered subject/relevant person, this online application is NOT APPLICABLE to you.

¹ In respect of an adoption record, the registered subject is the person whose adoption is recorded in the register.

² Relevant person means the adoptive parent/legal guardian of the registered subject under the age of 18.

Search of Record of Adoption and/or Certified Copy of an Entry in the Adopted Children Register

You can apply for a certified copy of an entry in the Adopted Children Register if you have the original or a photocopy of the certificate of registration, or the result of a previous search. Otherwise, you will need to apply for a search of the records first. There are two types of search:

• Particular search
  
  • A search for any given entry in relation to an identified person (i.e. the person’s exact name and date of birth (if available) can be provided for the search). The search conducted will not exceed a period of 5 years.
  • Unless otherwise specified by the applicant, the search will be conducted on the year of birth as provided (e.g. 1990). In case no matched record is found against the year of birth provided, the search will be conducted with 2 years preceding and 2 years following the year of birth provided, with a period of 5 years in total (by the above example, i.e. 1988-1992).
• General search
  
  • A search for any entry other than ‘particular search’, for example, in relation to a person whose personal information could not be specified (i.e. the person’s exact name and/or exact date of birth cannot be provided for the search).

Application Fees

The application fee that you need to pay will depend on the type of search or copy you require.

• Particular Search: HK$140
• General Search: HK$680
• Certified copy of an entry in the Adopted Children Register: HK$140 per copy

Payment

• For application for search of record of adoption, you will receive an email informing you to proceed with online payment. You must settle the fee for search of record by online payment.
• The fees for certified copies of an entry in the Adopted Children Register can be paid in cash, by EPS, Octopus, FPS, or by crossed cheque or cashier's order payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" at the time of collection of the search result and/or certified copies.

Processing Time

In general, the processing time of your application will depend on the particular record you wish to obtain (Working days denote Monday to Friday excluding Public Holidays):

• Search for record of adoption: 14 working days
• Issue of a certified copy of an entry in Adopted Children Register (if search of record is not involved): 9 working days
• Search for record of adoption and issue of a certified copy of an entry in Adopted Children Register: 14 working days

For a General Search of record of adoption, there is no specific processing time in general. You will be notified separately when the result is ready.

Collection of Search Results and/or Certified Copies

After you have submitted the application and settled the prescribed fee (if applicable), you will receive an email informing you the collection date of search result or certified copy. Please bring along the printout of Letter of Collection attached in the email and approach the Births and Deaths General Register Office for collection of the search result and/or the certified copy of the certificate concerned in person.

Any uncollected document will be cancelled upon expiry of 6 months from the date of application.

Supporting Documents to be Produced on Collection

When you collect your search result or certified copy from the Births and Deaths General Register Office, you will need to produce the following supporting documents:

• Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document
• Printout of Letter of Collection
• Original or photocopy of the certificate of registration, or the result of a previous record search if an application for search of record of adoption is not submitted
• The original written consent from the registered subject / relevant person and the copy of Hong Kong identity card or valid travel document of the registered subject / relevant person (for authorised person)

Assistance and Further Information

If you need technical assistance in using the online service, you can call the Immigration e-Services Hotline at (852) 3128 8668 between 7 am and 11 pm daily.

For general enquiries, please call (852) 2824 6111 during office hours (from 8:45 am to 5:15 pm, Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 12 noon on Saturday, except public holidays), send a fax to (852) 2877 7711 or send an email to enquiry@immd.gov.hk.

Please collect the search result and/or the certified copy at the Births and Deaths General Register Office.

Should you have any other enquiries about this application, you may contact the Births and Deaths General Register Office direct.
Address and Office Hours of the Births Registries