Hong Kong government rejects call for central will registry, citing limited legal benefit
Hong Kong's government has declined to establish an official central will database, arguing that registration does not confirm a will's validity or replace legal probate processes. Data from the High Court and Home Affairs Department show most estate applications are processed within 60 days.
The Hong Kong government has rejected a legislative call to create an official central will registry, arguing that such a database would not provide additional legal protection for heirs. In a written reply to lawmaker Alice Fong on 11 November 2026, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau said it would instead monitor developments overseas and continue public education on will-making.
Responding to Fong's five-part question, the government released data on estate applications over the past three years. At the High Court's Probate Registry, roughly 99 per cent of applications from unrepresented individuals received grants of representation within 60 days. For lawyer-led cases—which are often more complex—about 50 per cent were processed within 60 days, 20 per cent in two to six months, and 15 per cent in six to 12 months. The court does not keep a breakdown of average processing times by case type.
At the Home Affairs Department's Estate Beneficiary Support Unit, which handles estates valued at HK$50,000 or less, the average processing time for confirmation notices was about 10 working days for both testate and intestate cases. Over the same period, the unit recorded 1,706 applications for letters to inspect bank safety deposit boxes, of which 385—or 22.6 per cent—resulted in a will being found inside.
The government acknowledged that some regions operate will registries, but noted they are typically run by legal or notarial bodies and serve only to help locate wills after death. Registration does not confirm a will's authenticity or affect inheritance rights. Under Hong Kong's Wills Ordinance, a will's legal validity depends on compliance with formal requirements at the time of signing, not on registration. The Probate Registry or Home Affairs Department must still scrutinise the original will document when processing applications.
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau said it would continue to study international developments in probate and estate administration, but saw no immediate case for establishing a central will database or integrating it with the iAM Smart digital identity system. The government also plans to deepen public understanding of will-making through existing channels.
