Publications and Press Releases

21 February 2023

The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced today (February 21) that, starting from March 6, 2023, working hours of the Registration of Persons Offices (ROP Offices) - Hong Kong Office, Kowloon Office, Kwun Tong Office and Tuen Mun Office will be extended for processing applications for replacement of new smart identity cards made after the end of the Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise (Replacement Exercise).

An ImmD spokesperson said, the Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres (SIDCCs) (see Annex I) will cease to operate starting from March 4, 2023. With a view to enabling residents who have yet to replace their new smart identity cards in a continuous and orderly manner, starting from March 6, 2023, working hours of the four ROP Offices mentioned above will be extended. For details, please see Annex II. The spokesperson added, working hours of ROP Offices - Yuen Long Office and Fo Tan Office, will remain unchanged at this stage and will not process applications under the Replacement Exercise.

Eligible members of the public who have yet to replace for a new smart identity card on or before March 3, 2023, may, starting from March 4, 2023, make appointment for identity card replacement at the four ROP Offices mentioned above with extended service hours for the next 24 working days from March 6, 2023.

Members of the public may scan the QR codes (see Annex III) to download the ImmD mobile application or make an appointment for identity card application via the Internet (www.gov.hk/icbooking). The ImmD appeals to the applicants to pre-fill the application form when making appointments through the mobile application or the Internet for faster procedures. In order to ensure residents could apply for identity cards in a smooth and orderly manner, ROP Offices will not process applications without appointments.

In addition, those who have made an application at an SIDCC but yet to collect their new smart identity cards are required to collect their identity cards at a specified ROP Office starting from March 6, 2023. For details, please see Annex IV.

Hong Kong residents who cannot have their identity cards replaced due to their absence from Hong Kong can apply for a replacement at a ROP office within 30 days upon their future return to Hong Kong and need not rush back to replace their identity card, whether the replacement or issuance is required under the Replacement Exercise or due to the reaching of 11 or 18 years of age. If they return to Hong Kong and stay in Hong Kong for less than 30 days, they will not violate the law for not having their identity cards replaced during that time.

At present, the old form of smart identity cards are still valid. The ImmD will continue to closely monitor the progress of the replacement of new smart identity cards and has no plan to make arrangement for declaring any identity card invalid at this stage.

On the other hand, the On-site Identity Card Replacement Service would not be affected by the cessation of operation at SIDCCs. Immigration officers will continue to visit eligible residential care homes to provide on-site identity card replacement and new smart identity card delivery service for all eligible residents at residential care homes who have yet to replace their identity cards.

For details of the Replacement Exercise and the relevant arrangement after its end, please visit the website www.smartid.gov.hk or call the ImmD's enquiry hotline at 2824 6111.

Annex I

Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres (SIDCCs)

All SIDCCs are open from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm, Monday to Saturday, from now until March 3, 2023. Their addresses are as follows:

SIDCCs	Addresses
Hong Kong Island Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Room 200, 2/F, Shui On Centre, 6-8 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
East Kowloon Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Unit 1, 2/F, Manulife Financial Centre (registration service) and Unit 1B, 3/F, Manulife Financial Centre, Tower A (collection service), 223-231 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong
West Kowloon Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	12/F, Gala Place, 56 Dundas Street, Mong Kok
Tsuen Wan Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Shop S201, 2/F, Smartland, 50 Texaco Road, Tsuen Wan
Sha Tin Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Shop G26, G/F (registration service) and Shop 123, 1/F, (collection service), Kings Wing Plaza 1, 3 On Kwan Street, Shek Mun, Sha Tin
Sheung Shui Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	7/F, Spot, 48 Lung Sum Avenue, Sheung Shui
Tuen Mun Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Shop L414B, Level 4, Leung King Plaza, Leung King Estate, 31 Tin King Road, Tuen Mun
Yuen Long Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Shop 50, G/F, Manhattan Plaza, 23 Sai Ching Street, Yuen Long
Tseung Kwan O Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Shop 20-26, G/F, Corinthia by the Sea, 23 Tong Yin Street, Tseung Kwan O, Sai Kung

Annex II

Registration of Persons (ROP) Offices

Starting from March 6, 2023, working hours of ROP Offices are as follows:

* All ROP offices are closed on Sundays and public holidays

# Included processing first-time application for adult or juvenile identity card; replacement of identity card due to loss, destruction, damage or defacement; amendment of registered particulars on identity card; identity card applications from new arrivals; amendment of registered particulars of identity card; application for certificate of registered particulars; application for Certificate of Registered Particulars and Certificate of Exemption and one-stop application service for issue of identity card and travel document

Annex III

HK Immigration Department Mobile Application

 

Online Appointment Booking for Identity Cards Application
(Registration of Persons Offices)

Annex IV

Collection Arrangement of New Smart Identity Cards after the closure of Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres (SIDCCs)

All SIDCCs will be closed with effect from March 4, 2023. If applicants are unable to collect their new smart identity cards at the chosen SIDCCs on or before March 3, 2023, they are required to collect their identity cards at the Registration of Persons Office as specified below starting from March 6, 2023:

Original Choice of Collection Centre	New Location and time for Collection (with effect from March 6, 2023)
Hong Kong Island Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Registration of Persons - Hong Kong Office
West Kowloon Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre or Tsuen Wan Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Registration of Persons - Kowloon Office
East Kowloon Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre or Tseung Kwan O Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Registration of Persons - Kwun Tong Office
Sha Tin Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre or Sheung Shui Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Registration of Persons - Fo Tan Office
Yuen Long Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Registration of Persons - Yuen Long Office
Tuen Mun Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre	Registration of Persons - Tuen Mun Office