The Immigration Department of Hong Kong will start to issue the new Smart Identity (ID) Cards with effect from June 23, a spokesman for the Immigration Department said here Thursday.
According to the spokesman, starting from June 23, Smart ID Cards will be issued to some groups of persons when they apply for ID Cards at the existing five Registration of Persons (ROP) Offices.
Applications received at the ROP Offices before June 23 will, however, be processed under the old system, and paper-based ID cards will continue to be issued to the applicants.
The citywide ID Card replacement exercise will start on August 18. The existing 6.9 million ID Card holders will be invited through public announcement to attend one of the Smart ID Card Centers, by batches in accordance with their years of birth, to have their ID cards replaced within specified periods.
(People's Daily June 20, 2003)
