The Department of Health (DH) today (April 2) reminded clinic operators that the deadline for applying for provisional clinic licences under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) (the Ordinance) is April 13, 2026. Eligible operators of medical and dental clinics who wish to apply for a provisional clinic licence should submit their applications to the DH as soon as possible.
      
Transitional arrangements for provisional licences
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     The DH has been accepting applications for clinic licences (including provisional licences) and letters of exemption for small practice clinics (SPCs) under the Ordinance since October 13, 2025. The DH has also launched the "e-Licensing" System to facilitate application submission by clinic operators.
      
     As a transitional arrangement under the Ordinance, clinics already in operation on or before November 30, 2018 (i.e. the gazettal date of the Ordinance), may be granted a provisional licence by the DH depending on the circumstances if their operators submit an application for a clinic licence on or before April 13, 2026. This allows the clinics to continue operations until a full licence is issued and enables operators to make necessary modifications to their clinics to comply with licensing requirements, such as modification of the accommodation layout. A provisional licence will expire on the date specified by the Secretary for Health for the expiry of provisions pertaining to provisional licences; upon issuance of a full licence to the licensee; or upon withdrawal or rejection of the full licence application.
      
     Upon the lapse of application deadline for provisional clinic licences on April 13, 2026, all clinic operators must apply for a full licence, regardless of whether the clinic qualifies for transitional arrangements.
      
Clinic operators should apply for clinic licences/letters of exemption as soon as possible; the process is convenient and efficient
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     The DH urged all clinic operators who have not yet applied for a clinic licence/letter of exemption to submit their applications through the DH's "e-Licensing" System as soon as possible to ensure they obtain a licence or exemption before the penalties for operating an unlicensed clinic under the Ordinance take effect. Clinics that meet the definition of an SPC (i.e. operated by no more than five registered medical practitioners and/or registered dentists and meeting specific requirements under the Ordinance) may apply for a letter of exemption. The Government will firm up and announce the effective date of the relevant penalties in due course.
      
     The DH stressed that the application process for clinic licences/letters of exemption is convenient and efficient. By using the "e-Licensing" System, the operators can complete the entire process online with digital signatures submitted via "iAM Smart+", without the need to submit the documents in person. Applicants can also check their application status in real time, and download the electronic licences or letters of exemption issued by the DH through the system.
      
     The DH will continue to proactively contact clinic operators to learn about their progress in preparing licence or exemption applications, and urge them to submit the applications as soon as possible. At the same time, the DH will maintain close liaison with licence applicants, and conduct document verifications and on-site inspections to ensure that their clinics comply with the requirements under the Ordinance and the Code of Practice, with the aim of issuing licences as soon as possible. As of March 30, 2026, the DH has received 546 clinic licence applications (including 193 provisional licence applications) and 2 712 applications for letters of exemption for SPC. The DH has issued 26 clinic licences, 19 provisional licences and over 2 600 letters of exemption.
      
     The DH will also continue to conduct online briefing sessions to explain the Ordinance and the application requirements for clinic licences/letters of exemption for various stakeholders including clinic and SPC operators as well as doctors. For details on the briefing sessions and application arrangements for clinic licences/letters of exemption, please visit the website of the Office for Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities (ORPHF) of the DH.
      
Make use of "Licence Scanner" to easily identify licensed/exempted clinics
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     At present, all licensed private hospitals and licensed day procedure centres, as well as clinics holding valid licences or letters of exemption are required to display their licence/letter of exemption featuring a QR code in a conspicuous location on their premises. Members of the public may use the "Licence Scanner" on the eHealth mobile application to scan the QR code and verify the validity of the licence or letter of exemption.
      
     Members of the public may also visit the ORPHF website to access the Private Healthcare Facilities Register in order to identify licensed/exempted private healthcare facilities.

Ends/Thursday, April 2, 2026
Issued at HKT 14:00

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