Hong Kong Post Tracking

Hong Kong Post tracking follows registered mail, parcels, and Speedpost items from the counter in Hong Kong to the recipient's door, using the same 13-character number the Universal Postal Union assigns to trackable mail worldwide. Hong Kong Post (Hongkong Post) is the official postal operator of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and has been a sub-member of the Universal Postal Union since 1877. Paste your Hong Kong Post tracking number into the tracker on this page to see the latest scan, the full event history, and the destination carrier's updates once the item leaves Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Post Tracking Number Format

A Hong Kong Post tracking number is a 13-character code that follows the Universal Postal Union S10 standard: two letters, nine digits, and the ISO country code HK, for example EE123456789HK. The two opening letters identify the service class, the nine digits are the unique item serial (the ninth is a check digit), and the HK suffix marks Hong Kong as the country of origin. Hong Kong Post uses the terms tracking number, item number, and registration number interchangeably for this code; on a Speedpost consignment it may also be called the waybill or airway bill (AWB) number.

A tracking number is not the same as an online shop's order or reference number. An order confirmation number is issued by the seller and identifies the purchase in that shop's system, while the Hong Kong Post tracking number is the postal barcode that returns scan events in the tracker. Only the 13-character S10 code will resolve on the Hong Kong Post or InstantParcels track-and-trace pages. Hong Kong has no postcode system, so items are addressed by district and building rather than by a postal code.

Where to Find Your Hong Kong Post Tracking Number

The Hong Kong Post tracking number appears on the paperwork issued when the item is posted and in the messages sent by online sellers. It is printed near the barcode on registered and Speedpost items and is quoted in dispatch emails.

• On the posting receipt handed over at the post office counter or generated at an iPostal kiosk.
• In the shipping or dispatch confirmation email from an online store or marketplace.
• On the address label, barcode sticker, or Speedpost waybill attached to the item.
• In the EC-Ship account of a registered business sender that printed the label online.

When an item is bought online, the seller usually supplies the number after dispatch rather than at checkout, so the order confirmation and the tracking notification often arrive as two separate emails. If only an order number is available, request the postal tracking number from the seller, because the order number alone will not return scans.

Hong Kong Post Tracking Number Example

The two-letter prefix indicates the service class an item was sent under. The table below lists the formats seen most often on Hong Kong Post items, with an example pattern for each. Prefix meanings follow the UPU S10 convention (R for registered, E for EMS), so they indicate the service class rather than a specific destination.

Any code ending in HK that fits the two-letters, nine-digits, HK pattern is a Hong Kong-origin S10 number and can be entered directly into the tracker on this page.

Hong Kong Post Tracking Status Guide

Hong Kong Post tracking moves an item through a sequence of scan events from acceptance to delivery, and for international items it hands off to the destination country's postal service partway through. The statuses below describe the typical lifecycle; the exact wording can vary between the Hongkong Post and Speedpost tracking pages and the receiving carrier abroad.

Why Hong Kong Post Tracking Is Not Updating or Not Working

When Hong Kong Post tracking is not updating, not working, or appears stuck, the item is almost always still moving; the tracking page simply has no new scan to show yet. The reasons below cover the situations that most often make tracking look frozen.

Awaiting the first scan. A number can show "posting information received" or no information for a day or two after a label is created, because the item has not yet been physically accepted and scanned. Allow at least 24 to 48 hours after posting before expecting movement.

International handoff gap. The most common cause of a stall is the handoff between Hong Kong Post and the destination carrier. After "departed Hong Kong", there is often a multi-day silence while the item is in the air and awaiting the first scan by the receiving postal service, such as USPS in the United States or Royal Mail in the United Kingdom.

Customs clearance. Items can pause at the destination country's customs while duties or taxes are assessed. Tracking usually resumes once the item is cleared and handed to the local post for delivery.

Long gaps on economy services. Surface mail and economy air services are scanned less frequently than Speedpost, so several days between updates is normal and does not mean the item is lost.

Ordinary unregistered mail. Ordinary letters and unregistered air or surface mail carry no barcode and never update, because they are not trackable. Only registered mail, registered parcels, and Speedpost return scan events.

Wrong or mistyped number. A number that returns no result may have a typo, or it may be a seller's order number rather than the 13-character S10 code. Confirm the code fits the two-letters, nine-digits, HK pattern and request the postal number from the sender if needed.

If a Speedpost item shows no movement for several days beyond these normal gaps, the sender should be contacted first, as they hold the posting record, followed by Hong Kong Post on the Speedpost hotline.

Services and Delivery Times Compared

Hong Kong Post runs a range of local and international products, from next-business-day local courier delivery to economy surface mail. The table summarizes the most widely used services, their typical delivery windows, and whether tracking is included.

Speedpost is the flagship express product. It carries a maximum authorized weight of 30 kg (about 66 lb) per parcel, though some destination countries impose lower limits, and it offers door-to-door pickup, online tracking, and email notification on delivery. Registered mail adds a barcode and signature to letters and small packets at a lower cost than express, while surface parcels travel by sea at the lowest rates.

Speedpost and EMS International Tracking

Speedpost is Hong Kong Post's express courier brand and the local name for the Universal Postal Union's Express Mail Service (EMS), reaching more than 220 countries and territories through the global EMS network. Speedpost items carry the EE prefix and offer full end-to-end tracking with a signature on delivery, with most major destinations reached in about 3-5 working days and a wider band of 2-8 working days depending on the country and customs. Because Speedpost rides the UPU EMS framework, the same 13-character number that Hong Kong Post issues can be tracked by the destination EMS operator, so scans continue after the item lands abroad.

Hong Kong Post won the Gold Level Certification in the UPU EMS Cooperative Audit and Measurement Programme, reflecting the service standards the EMS network measures its members against. Senders can trace a Speedpost item for up to three months from the date of mailing.

Which Countries Does Hong Kong Post Deliver To?

Hong Kong Post international tracking covers items sent to around 230 destinations by air and surface, with Speedpost's EMS network reaching more than 220 countries and territories. Domestically, Hong Kong Post delivers across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories and Outlying Islands through a network of 122 post offices (including three mobile offices as of 2023) plus a growing fleet of iPostal self-service kiosks, with local mail delivered six days a week.

For international items, Hong Kong Post carries the parcel until it leaves Hong Kong, then hands it to the destination country's designated postal operator under the Universal Postal Union framework, or to the EMS operator for Speedpost. The receiving carrier completes last-mile delivery and adds its own tracking scans. Mainland-bound parcels are handed to China Post, items to the United States pass to USPS, and United Kingdom items pass to Royal Mail. Regional neighbours such as Japan Post and Singapore Post handle delivery in their own markets.

Common destination groups include:

• Domestic: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories, and Outlying Islands.
• Asia Pacific: Mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Europe: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain.
• North America: the United States and Canada.
• Middle East and beyond: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other EMS-connected markets.

Cross-Border Customs and International Handoff

Every Speedpost and international parcel is scanned out of Hong Kong at the outward office of exchange, then passes through the destination country's inward office of exchange and customs before local delivery. Because of this handoff, a tracking history typically shows Hong Kong Post events first, then a switch to the receiving carrier's scans once the item arrives abroad.

Parcels carry a customs declaration (a CN22 or CN23 form) describing the contents and value, and the destination country's customs authority decides whether duties or taxes apply. The recipient is usually responsible for any import charges, and the item can be held until they are paid. Prohibited and restricted goods vary by country, so senders should check the destination's rules before mailing. A universal tracker shows both the Hong Kong Post and destination-carrier legs of the journey in one view, which is the clearest way to follow an item across the handoff.

Marketplace Deliveries and E-Commerce Parcels

Hong Kong is a major cross-border e-commerce hub, and Hong Kong Post carries the first leg for many parcels bought from Hong Kong-based and mainland Chinese sellers before handing them to the destination post. Its e-Express and Speedpost services are built for exactly these e-commerce flows, which is why a Hong Kong Post number often turns up on orders that shipped from a warehouse in or near Hong Kong.

Parcels from marketplaces such as AliExpress, Taobao, Temu, and Shein are frequently routed through Hong Kong Post or a mainland handoff, and orders sent by Hong Kong sellers on Amazon and eBay can also travel as Speedpost or registered mail. Local marketplace HKTVmall and other Hong Kong retailers use Hong Kong Post and its courier products for domestic fulfilment. When a marketplace supplies only an order number, the Hong Kong Post tracking number is the 13-character code sent in the separate dispatch notification.

What Is Hong Kong Post?

Hong Kong Post, founded in 1841, is the government department responsible for postal services in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, operating as a self-financing trading fund since 1 August 1995. The first post office opened on 12 November 1841, and the department has been a sub-member of the Universal Postal Union since 1877, which is what lets its items travel on the international postal and EMS networks. It is a separate operator from China Post and is headquartered at 2 Connaught Place in Central.

As of 2023 Hong Kong Post ran 122 post offices, including three mobile offices, across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, and employed roughly 5,951 staff (2022). Beyond mail, it operates Speedpost courier services, philatelic products, the e-Cert digital certificate service, and bill-payment services, and it has added self-service iPostal kiosks that let the public post items and buy postage labels around the clock. Whichever Hong Kong Post tracking number you hold, you can follow it end to end with the universal tracker on this page.