Starting on Monday, Macao's new identification (ID) card holders only needed to carry the "smart" cards to travel to Hong Kong without applying for travel documents.

The long-awaited easy travel scheme was officially launched on Monday, as the number of Macao's "smart" Permanent Macao Resident Identification Card holders has increased to 124,000.

According to the Identification Department of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, the government hoped to replace all the conventional ID cards with the "smart" cards by the year 2007.

Travelers with the ID cards can insert the cards into one of nine automatic kiosks at the Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal in Macao's Outer Harbor to pick up the "declaration forms."

Verification or retrieval of the electronic cards can be done instantly at the official website of the Identification Department
 
(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2004)