The crossing
Lost Home Return Permit in Shenzhen
Updated 6 September 2026
This is a panic search. The kind answer is a sequence, not a rumour.
The official sequence
The Hong Kong government’s Greater Bay Area page and GovHK both say the same first move: report the loss to the local public security authorities and obtain documentary proof. Then apply at a mainland exit-entry office, or at China Travel Service’s Shenzhen service points, for an Entry and Exit Permit so you can leave the mainland.
CTS publishes service points at Lo Wu and Futian control points. Hours and phones change; use the current CTS page, not a number you memorised in 2019. Hong Kong Immigration’s Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit is on GovHK with the 24-hour line (852) 1868.
What we will not print
A replacement fee. A “same-day guarantee.” A WeChat booking path copied from a blog. If a digital emergency pass exists for your case, it lives on the National Immigration Administration’s own channel. We will not invent a third rate to make the title tidy.
Before you cross next time
Photograph the permit at home. Know where the spare HKID is. If you travel with children, each child’s document is a separate panic. Read crossing with kids before you treat a family trip as one booklet.
Quick answers
- Can I walk back through Lo Wu with just my HKID?
- Do not assume that. The mainland exit still wants a mainland travel document. Get the temporary permit first.
- Is there a digital emergency pass?
- The National Immigration Administration has published digital emergency routes. Use the official NIA / 12367 channel, not a screenshot from a chat group.
- Will GuayHK quote the replacement fee?
- No. Fees move. Ask the office that will print the paper.
Hours, fares, and rules move. Check ImmD, C&ED, or the operator the morning you travel.