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Home > Publications and Press Releases > Press Releases > Introduction of the Smart Identity Card and Removal of Registration of Persons Offices Publications and Press Releases
Introduction of the Smart Identity Card and Removal of Registration of Persons Offices
19 June 2003
The Immigration Department will start to issue the new Smart Identity (ID) Cards with effect from Monday, 23 June 2003.
Mr Lai Tung-kwok, Director of Immigration, today ( June 19) presented a certificate of appreciation and a "jumbo Smart ID Card" to pop star and actor Mr Hacken Lee to thank him for his assistance in publicizing the territory-wide ID Card replacement exercise.
The Immigration Department spokesman said that starting from 23 June 2003, Smart ID Cards will be issued to the following groups of persons when they apply for ID Cards at the existing five Registration of Persons (ROP) Offices:-
i) new arrivals;
ii) children who are eligible for a juvenile ID card upon reaching the age of 11;
iii) young people who are eligible for an adult ID card upon reaching the age of 18;
iv) persons whose ID cards have been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced; and
v) persons who wish to amend the particulars printed on their ID cards.
Applications received at the ROP Offices before 23 June 2003 will, however, be processed under the old system, and paper-based ID cards will continue to be issued to the applicants.
The spokesman pointed out that the territory-wide ID Card replacement exercise would start on Monday, 18 August 2003. The existing 6.9 million ID Card holders will be invited through public announcement to attend one of the Smart ID Card Centres, by batches in accordance with their years of birth, to have their ID cards replaced within specified periods.
The spokesman further said that in order to facilitate renovation work in the original sites for the issue of Smart ID Cards, the following three ROP Offices will move to three future Smart ID Card Centres temporarily from Monday, 23 June 2003 to Saturday, 9 August 2003. They will move back to their original sites on Monday, 11 August 2003. The temporary addresses of these offices are as follows -
(1) Registration of Persons - Hong Kong Office
6/F, Elizabeth House
250-254 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
(2) Registration of Persons - Kowloon Office
Lower Ground Floor
Tsim Sha Tsui Centre
66 Mody Road
Tsim Sha Tsui East
(3) Registration of Persons - Kwun Tong Office
1/F, World Trade Square
123 Hoi Bun Road
Kwun Tong
Moreover, to tie in with the issue of Smart ID Cards, the following two Immigration and ROP Offices will operate at the following addresses with effect from Monday, 23 June 2003 -
(1) Immigration and Registration of Persons - Fo Tan Office
Shops 405 & 406,
4/F, Jubilee Court Shopping Centre
2-18 Lok King Street
Fo Tan
(2) Immigration and Registration of Persons - Yuen Long Office
Shop B,
G/F, Manhattan Plaza
23 Sai Ching Street
Yuen Long
The spokesman reminded the public to take note of the above-mentioned arrangements when attending the ROP Offices for services. Enquiries can be made to Information and Liaison Section of the Immigration Department by telephone 2824 6111, fax 2877 7711 or e-mail enquiry@immd.gov.hk. Information can also be obtained from the web site:http://www.immd.gov.hk.
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