The Immigration Department will launch new electronic services tomorrow for eligible applicants to complete the entire process of birth or death registrations online, without having to visit a registry in person.

According to the Births & Deaths Registration (Amendment) Ordinance 2023, which will take effect tomorrow, the statutory time limit for the registration of deaths from natural causes is extended from 24 hours to 14 days.

It also removes the requirement for applicants who need to register births or deaths to attend the registries in person, so as to provide a legal basis for the introduction of electronic services for these kinds of registration.

Under the new electronic services, if either parent of a newborn baby is a Hong Kong permanent resident, the parents may submit an application for a birth registration online within 42 days after the birth of their legitimate child.

They may apply for a birth certificate at the same time and choose to receive it by post upon payment of a prescribed fee online.

For death registrations, the new electronic services will be applicable to deaths from natural causes.

Applicants should submit an application for a death registration online within the 14-day statutory time limit. They may also apply for a death certificate in one go and choose to receive it by post after paying a prescribed fee online.

The entire process of the registrations can be done on the department's mobile app, its website or the GovHK website. Eligible applicants are reminded to register an iAM Smart+ account before performing the digital signing function with legal backing.

Apart from online registrations, members of the public may continue to register births or deaths by visiting a registry in person. The eligibility criteria and registration fees remain unchanged regardless of the registration method.

For enquiries, call 2824 6111, send a fax to 2877 7711 or contact the department by email.