All Hong Kong residents aged 11 or over are required to register for an identity card, except those who are exempted or excluded. This webpage sets out information on Hong Kong identity cards, including how to apply for a new or replacement card; how to apply for a certificate showing the particulars registered in the applicant’s identity card; how to apply for exemption from registering for an identity card; how to make an appointment booking for identity card application and where to go for further information.
The Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise has ended and all Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres have ceased to operate since 4 March 2023.
Old form of smart identity cards issued before 26 November 2018 will be invalidated in two phases in 2025. Phase I of the invalidation exercise will cover holders of old form of smart identity cards born in 1970 or after whose old cards will become invalid on 12 May 2025. Phase II of the invalidation exercise will cover holders of old form of smart identity cards born in 1969 or before whose old cards will become invalid on 12 October 2025.
The invalidation of old ID cards will not affect the right of abode in Hong Kong of the holders of old ID cards unless he or she has lost permanent resident status under the Immigration Ordinance.
The template of old form of smart identity card is as follows:
Eligible members of the public who have yet to apply for a new smart identity card should apply for replacement at the Registration of Persons - Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office or during the extended service hours at the Registration of Persons - Hong Kong Office, Kowloon Office, Tseung Kwan O Office or Tuen Mun Office. Information on the locations of these offices, their opening hours and telephone numbers is available through the following link :
Those who have made an application at a Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre (SIDCC) on or before 3 March 2023 and yet to collect their new smart identity cards are required to collect their identity cards at a ROP Office. For detail arrangement, please refer to:
Call-up Programme
On-site Identity Card Replacement Service
On-site Identity Card Replacement Service will continuously be provided to over one thousand residential care homes (RCHs) for the elderly persons and persons with disabilities (PwDs) across the territory. In addition to replacing their HKICs at the specified Registration of Persons Offices, residents of those RCHs may choose to have their HKICs replaced on-site at the RCHs. Delivery service of new HKICs will also be provided so that the residents can collect their new HKICs at their RCHs. This service covers the following RCHs,
(1) RCHs for the elderly persons with a licence or certificate of exemption issued under the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance (Cap. 459);
(2) RCHs for PwDs with a licence or certificate of exemption issued under the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Ordinance (Cap. 613); and
(3) The institutions specified in Schedule 3 of the Registration of Persons (Application for New Identity Cards) Order 2018, including Yan Chai Nursing Home, Home of Loving Faithfulness, Buddhist Li Chong Yuet Ming Nursing Home for the Elderly, Po Leung Kuk Wong Chuk Hang Extended Care Home, The Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society Jockey Club Cancer Rehabilitation Centre, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Nursing Home, Pok Oi Hospital Tuen Mun Nursing Home, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Nursing Home, Jockey Club Home for Hospice, Haven of Hope Sister Annie Skau Holistic Care Centre and Haven of Hope Nursing Home.
For the RCHs for the elderly and RCHs for PwDs (i.e. RCHDs) under the above-mentioned Ordinances, please access the following websites of the Social Welfare Department(SWD) for information.
SWD Elderly Information Website : https://elderlyinfo.swd.gov.hk/en/ltc_search/rcs
SWD Information Website for RCHDs : https://www.rchdinfo.swd.gov.hk/en
Replacement arrangement for residents who are absent from Hong Kong
Holders of the old form of smart identity card who are outside Hong Kong can proceed to Registration of Persons – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office or during the extended service hours of the Hong Kong Office, Kowloon Office, Tseung Kwan O Office and Tuen Mun Office to have their identity cards replaced within 30 days of their return to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong identity cards have been issued in the form of smart card since 2003. Information on the features and benefits of the smart identity card, obligations for the holder of a smart identity card or new smart identity card and a list of frequently asked questions about the smart identity card are available through the following link.
Starting from 26 November 2018, a new form of smart identity card will be issued to replace the existing smart identity card. The new smart identity card has improved in its durability, security features as well as the chip technology and protection of personal data.
All Hong Kong residents aged 11 years or over are required to register for an identity card. Information on registering for or replacing an identity card and the circumstances under which a person living abroad will need to apply for a permanent identity card are available through the following link.
If an identity card has been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced, the person concerned should apply for a replacement card at any Registration of Persons Office within 14 days. Further information is available through the following link.
Information on how to apply for amendment of registered particulars of Hong Kong Identity Card is available through the following link.
Information on how to apply for a certificate showing the personal particulars registered in the applicant’s identity card record is available through the following link.
Information on how to apply for exemption from registering for an identity card due to old age, blindness or illness is available through the following link.
The appointment booking period for application for a Hong Kong identity card at the Registration of Persons Offices is 96 working days. Applicants are advised to make prior appointment and prefill application form online or through the Immigration Department Mobile Application before they come to the offices for an identity card application.
An overview of the services, including who can use it, how to use it, how to perform online form pre-filling, the supporting documents required and information about the mobile application are available through the following links.
No fees are payable for identity card registrations for new arrivals and people reaching the age of 11 or 18, and for Certificates of Exemption. However, fees are charged for the replacement of identity cards and for Certificates of Registered Particulars. Further information is available through the following link.
Applications for identity cards should be made at a Registration of Persons Office. Information on the locations of these offices, their opening hours and telephone numbers is available through the following link.
Frequently asked questions about Hong Kong identity cards, Certificate of Registered Particulars, Certificate of Exemption and the online appointment booking service are available through the following link.
Forms related to Hong Kong identity cards are downloadable through the following link.
