26th January 2023 – (Hong Kong) The last application date for identity card replacement at the Replacement Centres is 11th February, 2023, while the collection service of new smart identity cards at Replacement Centres will be maintained until 3rd March, 2023.
Many citizens who have yet to do so are rushing to apply and appointments at Replacement Centres are full. As a matter of fact, the Immigration Department mentioned in the previous press conference that it is considering extending the deadline for identity card replacement. In fact, Hong Kong residents living in cities outside Hong Kong only need to renew their ID cards within 30 days after returning to Hong Kong next time. If they stay for more than 30 days, they can still go to replace their ID cards.
In fact, the Immigration Department mentioned in the press conference last week that in response to recent border reopening, it will actively consider extending the renewal period and studying whether to extend the service hours of the 9 Replacement Centres. The details will be announced as soon as possible. By the end of last year, nearly 7.6 million new smart ID cards had been issued.