Eligibility Criteria

A person is eligible for an allowance under the Scheme if he/she:

satisfies the following residence requirements:
1. he/she must have been a Hong Kong resident for at least 7 years; and
2. he/she must have resided in Hong Kong continuously for at least 1 year immediately before the date of application (absence from Hong Kong up to a maximum of 90 days during the one-year period is treated as residence in Hong Kong).
  Note:
  1. Persons whose presence in Hong Kong is unlawful and persons admitted to Hong Kong for a purpose other than residence (such as imported workers and visitors) are excluded from the Scheme.
  2. Hong Kong residents aged below 18 applying for Disability Allowance are exempted from the residence requirements in (a) and (b) above.
  3. In determining whether an SSA applicant has resided in Hong Kong continuously for at least 1 year immediately before the date of application, consideration can be given to disregarding absences arising from full-time study (for Disability Allowance applicants only) or paid work outside Hong Kong during the one-year period, subject to there being sufficient documentary proof. Where an applicant has been absent from Hong Kong for more than 90 days during the one-year period because of the need to receive medical treatment outside Hong Kong, the Director of Social Welfare can consider exercising his discretion to disregard the absences exceeding the 90-day limit, subject to the reason for and evidence of receiving medical treatment outside Hong Kong being established.
  4. Absence from Hong Kong means leaving Hong Kong for the Mainland, Macao or overseas countries/territories.
  5. If an Old Age Allowance/Old Age Living Allowance/Guangdong Scheme/Fujian Scheme applicant lodges an advance application within one month prior to applicant’s reaching the respective qualifying age for the allowance, the date the applicant reaching the respective qualifying age for the allowance is regarded as the date of application, but not the date of the applicant’s advance application for the allowance.
  6. The following classes of persons are not eligible to apply for the allowance:
    1. persons and their dependants currently staying in Hong Kong under various talent and investment-related entrant schemes which include but not limited to the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme, the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), the GEP and ASMTP (Technical Professionals Stream), the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme; and
    2. persons currently staying in Hong Kong on student/training visas and their dependants, persons currently staying in Hong Kong on Working Holiday visas, and consular-related personnel.
continues to reside in Hong Kong during receipt of payment（not applicable to Guangdong Scheme／Fujian Scheme):
Note:
1. Subject to there being sufficient documentary proof, consideration can be given to disregarding a recipient’s absences from Hong Kong arising from paid work outside Hong Kong.
2. Consideration can also be given to disregarding a Disability Allowance recipient’s absences from Hong Kong arising from full-time study on condition that there is sufficient documentary proof.
is not in receipt of any other allowance under the Scheme or assistance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme;
is not being detained in legal custody or admitted to a penal institution; and
fulfils the following eligibility criteria required by the individual allowance:

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