Form ID 697 — Application for a Statement of Travel Records (Hong Kong)

What is Form ID 697 (statement of travel records)?

A Statement of Travel Records lists the dates a person entered and left Hong Kong over a period they choose. Consulates, overseas immigration authorities, tax offices and courts often ask for one: to count days of residence for a visa, permanent residence or citizenship, to prove tax residence, or to show absences from Hong Kong. Form ID 697 is the Immigration Department's (ImmD) paper application for it.

The form has two parts. Part I describes the data subject, the person whose records are wanted, and the period and purpose. Part II is about the applicant, who is either the data subject or someone applying for them: a parent of a minor, a person authorised in writing, or a person appointed by a court. The same PDF carries the Acknowledgement Card (ID 697A) and the Mailing Label (ID 839), which both need the applicant's name and correspondence address.

FileIt asks the questions in plain English, prints the answers in capitals into ImmD's own boxes, strikes through the options that don't apply as the form asks, and repeats the name and address on the acknowledgement card and both mailing labels, so the whole set is ready to sign. The finished PDF is saved in the person's vault folder. FileIt does not send anything to ImmD.

Who needs to fill out Form ID 697 (statement of travel records)?

• Anyone who has lived in or travelled through Hong Kong and needs official proof of their entry and exit dates, for example for a visa, permanent residence or naturalisation application abroad.
• People proving where they were resident for tax purposes, or how many days they spent in or out of Hong Kong.
• Parents applying for the travel records of a child under 18.
• Someone authorised in writing by the data subject, or appointed by a court to manage the data subject's affairs, who needs the records on their behalf.

When to use Form ID 697 (statement of travel records)

• When a receiving authority asks for an official record of your Hong Kong entries and departures.
• Allow for ImmD's processing time (around 10 working days once everything is received) plus postage when you plan around a deadline.
• If you prefer to apply online, ImmD also takes applications through www.immd.gov.hk/str; this paper form is for applications by post or in person.

What you need before you start

• The data subject's travel document (passport): surname and given names in English, travel document number, nationality, date of birth and sex.
• The data subject's Hong Kong identity card number, if they have one.
• The period you need records for (from and to dates, no earlier than ten years back) and a short statement of what the data will be used for.
• The applicant's full name, telephone, e-mail and correspondence address (the statement is posted there by registered mail).
• Copies of the data subject's travel document (particulars and signature pages) and Hong Kong identity card (except for visitors).
• If applying for someone else: copies of your own identity documents and proof you can apply, such as the authorisation letter, the child's birth certificate or the court order.
• The fee (see ImmD's Fee Leaflet, ID 912), paid by crossed cheque, bank draft or cashier order payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". No cash or post-dated cheques.

What’s on Form ID 697 (statement of travel records)

The 2024 edition has 5 pages. FileIt asks for it in 2 parts, and it is signed by Applicant:

1. Part I: The person whose travel records you wantApplicant
2. Part II: Applicant and declarationApplicant

How to fill out Form ID 697 (statement of travel records), step by step

1 Part I — Particulars of the data subject

Name in Chinese (if applicable) and maiden surname, then the surname and given names in English one letter per box, any alias, sex, date of birth as day, month and year, the Hong Kong identity card number if any, nationality and the travel document number.

FileIt can't print Chinese characters, so the Chinese name box is left for you to write by hand. The HKID number is spread over the boxes with the check digit in the bracketed box.

2 Part I — Required travel records period and purpose

Give the first and last date of the period you need, as day, month and year. ImmD cannot provide records earlier than the preceding ten years, and FileIt checks that for you. Then say what the data will be used for, for example a visa application or proof of tax residence.

3 Part II — Capacity of the applicant

Tick whether you are the data subject or applying on their behalf. If on their behalf, the form asks you to delete the options that don't apply among 'have parental responsibility for the data subject who is a minor', 'am authorized in writing by the data subject' and 'am appointed by a Court to manage the affairs of the data subject'. FileIt strikes through the two that don't apply in both the Chinese and the English wording.

4 Part II — Applicant's details and signature

Sign and date the form, and give your full name with the surname first, telephone number, correspondence address and e-mail address. The signature must be the same as on the copy of the identity document you send in.

The bottom of page 1 is for official use only and stays blank.

5 Acknowledgement Card (ID 697A) and Mailing Label (ID 839)

Pages 4 and 5 of the PDF are the acknowledgement card and the mailing label sheet. ImmD asks you to write the applicant's name on the card and the name and correspondence address on its reverse and on the mailing labels; FileIt prints them from your Part II answers. The application reference on the card is filled in by ImmD.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Asking for a period that starts more than ten years ago: ImmD cannot provide records earlier than the preceding ten years.
• Leaving out the acknowledgement card (ID 697A) or the mailing label (ID 839) when applying by post or in person.
• Forgetting the copies of the travel document and Hong Kong identity card, or, when applying for someone else, the proof of your authority to apply.
• Not striking through the capacity options that don't apply when applying on someone's behalf.
• Signing with a signature that doesn't match the one on the identity document copy.
• Sending cash or a post-dated cheque, or posting with insufficient postage: ImmD does not accept underpaid mail.

After you fill it out

Print the PDF from FileIt, check every page and sign and date page 1 by hand (or send it for signature in FileIt, then print it). Write the Chinese name by hand if the data subject has one.

Put together the application form, the acknowledgement card, the mailing label sheet, the supporting documents and the fee. Post them to the Records Centre, Immigration Department, 10/F, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, or hand them in at the Receipt and Despatch Sub-unit on the ground floor of the same building.

ImmD normally takes around 10 working days after receiving all the documents and the fee, and sends the statement to the correspondence address by registered mail. Keep the filled form in your FileIt vault, next to the statement when it arrives.

Form ID 697 (statement of travel records): frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Immigration Department, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (ImmD): https://www.immd.gov.hk/pdforms/id697.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/forms/forms/id697.html
• Edition shown on this page: ID 697 (6/2024) (checked 2026-09-28).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Immigration Department, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (ImmD) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-28.

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