Many people want to obtain Hong Kong identity, one important reason is to get a Hong Kong passport.

Some may not be very clear, the Hong Kong passport allows visa-free access to 168 countries worldwide! Having a Hong Kong passport enables spontaneous travel and serves as a springboard for many overseas businesses, offering multiple advantages.
Can one hold both Hong Kong residency and mainland household registration at the same time?

According to the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, Chinese citizens lose their Chinese nationality upon acquiring foreign nationality; however, it is not legally clear whether mainland residents automatically lose their household registration upon obtaining permanent residency in Hong Kong.

In practice, relevant authorities have not made a clear statement on this, nor have there been reports of the public security department canceling the household registration of mainland residents due to obtaining permanent resident status in Hong Kong.

Then some may ask, why must some people give up their mainland household registration when applying for permanent residency? It is actually related to the Home Return Permit.

Is there a necessary relationship between applying for Hong Kong permanent residency and canceling mainland household registration?

The answer is no.In fact, applying for a Hong Kong SAR passport and canceling mainland household registration are also unrelated. However, after obtaining the Hong Kong permanent resident identity card and Hong Kong SAR passport, if one wants to apply for a Home Return Permit, then there is a relationship!

The Home Return Permit, officially known as the Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents to Travel to Mainland China, is issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China. It is a document used by residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region, who hold Chinese nationality, to travel to mainland China, equivalent to the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao residents.

To apply for a Home Return Permit, one must first cancel their mainland household registration and hold the cancellation proof to process the Home Return Permit.

If one does not apply for a Home Return Permit, but only applies for and obtains the Hong Kong permanent resident identity card and Hong Kong SAR passport, there is no need to provide the cancellation proof.

If there is no Home Return Permit, how can one travel to the mainland?

The Home Return Permit is used to pass through mainland border inspection!! To pass through Hong Kong customs, just swipe the HKID Hong Kong permanent resident identity card! Therefore, those who have not applied for a Home Return Permit still need to use the Mainland-issued Hong Kong and Macao Travel Permit.