The Immigration Department announced today that from March 6, the working hours of four Registration of Persons Offices (ROP) will be extended for processing applications for the new smart identity cards made after the end of the citywide Identity Card Replacement Exercise.

The Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres (SIDCCs) will cease to operate from March 4.

With a view to enabling residents to apply for new smart ID cards in a continuous and orderly manner, starting from March 6, the working hours of the four ROP offices - Hong Kong Office, Kowloon Office, Kwun Tong Office and Tuen Mun Office will be extended.

The working hours of the Yuen Long Office and Fo Tan Office will remain unchanged at this stage, but will not process applications under the replacement exercise.

Eligible citizens who have yet to apply for or collect a smart ID card on or before March 3 may make an appointment for ID card replacement for the next 24 working days from March 6.

To ensure residents can apply for ID 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 have yet to collect their new smart ID cards are required to collect their cards at a specified ROP Office from March 6.

Hong Kong residents who cannot have their ID cards replaced due to their absence from Hong Kong can apply for a replacement at an ROP office within 30 days upon their future return to Hong Kong and need not rush back to replace their card.

If they return to Hong Kong and stay in the city for less than 30 days, they will not violate the law for not having their ID cards replaced during that time.

At present, the old form of smart ID cards are still valid. The department will continue to closely monitor the progress of the replacement of new smart ID cards and has no plan to declare any ID card invalid at this stage.

Immigration officers will continue to visit eligible residential care homes to provide on-site ID card replacement and a new smart ID card delivery service for all eligible residents at care homes who have yet to replace their cards.

Call 2824 6111 for enquiries.