Hong Kong SAR: New Smart Identity Cards to Replace Previously Issued Identity Cards
October 5, 2022

Hong Kong SAR Chinese born in the years 1992-1995 have until October 6, 2022 to apply for a new Smart Identity Card, while those born from 1996-2000 can apply from October 7, 2022-December 10, 2022, and those born on or before 1954 have until January 14, 2023 to apply for a new card. The Hong Kong SAR government has been running the Identity Card replacement program since 2018 and Hong Kong SAR residents, including non-permanent residents, must replace their old Identity Cards based on a schedule that is determined by their birth year. Individuals who failed to replace their old Identity Cards as scheduled due to COVID-19 or other reasons should apply for their Identity Card replacements as soon as possible. The Smart Identity Cards are issued by the Immigration Department of Hong Kong SAR and serve as an official identity document for all residents over the age of 11 who reside in Hong Kong SAR for over 180 days at a time.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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