Press Release - December 12, 2003

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO) today (December 12) announced details of the second cycle of the Hong Kong Smart Identity (ID) Card Replacement Exercise proposed by the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. The Order, made by the HKSAR Secretary for Security, is published in today�s Government Gazette. Subject to the normal negative vetting procedures of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, the arrangement for the second cycle will be as follows:

People Eligible to Apply:

Holders of existing ID cards born in 1962 or 1963:
Application Period: March 15 to May 22, 2004

Holders of existing ID cards born in 1960 or 1961:
Application Period: May 24 to July 24, 2004

Holders of existing ID cards born in 1958 or 1959:
Application Period: July 26 to September 25, 2004

A HKETO spokesman reminded: �Apart from HKID card holders born in 1968 or 1969 who had applied for their HK Smart ID cards between September 15 to November 15 this year, there are two age groups who are required to replace their Smart ID cards in the first cycle.�

The application date of the remaining age groups in the first cycle are as follows:
Those born in 1966 or 1967:
November 17, 2003-January 10, 2004

Those born in 1964 or 1965:
Janaury 12, 2004 � March 13, 2004

The application period for people born in 1966 or 1967 will end on January 10, 2004, the spokesman said. To avoid last-minute rush, eligible applicants should submit their applications with the necessary documents in person to any of the Smart ID Card Centres in Hong Kong as early as possible.

The ID card replacement exercise covers all holders of existing ID cards residing in or outside Hong Kong, whether they are permanent residents or temporary residents taking up employment, investment, residence, study or working as foreign domestic helpers.

The spokesman, however, advised that if existing Hong Kong identity card holder are not in Hong Kong when it is their turn to apply for a Smart ID card, they should apply for it within 30 days after their return to Hong Kong.

�Therefore, there is no need to rush back to Hong Kong solely for the purpose of replacing their identity cards,� he added.

For further information about the replacement exercise, please visit www.hketo.ca or www.smartid.gov.hk or call the Hong Kong Immigration Department hotline at (852) 2824-6111.


For more information, please contact:
John Tam, Chief Information Officer of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at: (416) 924-5544 or email: [email protected] or Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer, [email protected].