Foreign nationals may be eligible to apply for right of abode (permanent residence) after maintaining continuous residence in Hong Kong SAR for seven years or more.

A Chinese national who is a permanent resident of Hong Kong SAR and holds a valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card may apply for a Hong Kong SAR passport. Naturalization to become a Chinese national is possible under strict criteria. However, naturalization applicants must relinquish all foreign citizenships prior to acquiring Chinese nationality because Mainland China does not recognize dual nationality.