More than 180,000 Hong Kong residents have yet to replace their old identity cards despite a renewal programme launching about five years ago, immigration authorities have said.
The Immigration Department revealed the latest figures on Tuesday as it announced it would invalidate the old identity cards for residents born in certain years starting in May 2025, although the cancellation would not affect the right of abode status of the holders.
It said about 90 per cent of Hong Kong identity card holders had obtained a new version of the document with improved security features under a replacement exercise that began in December 2018.
Deputy Director of Immigration Tai chi-yuen said an estimated 182,000 locals had yet to replace their ID cards, and he believed most of them were living overseas.
The invalidation of old ID cards would be carried out in two phases.
“Those who were born in or after 1970, their old ID cards will be invalidated on May 12, 2025,” Tai said.
For those born in or before 1969, their old ID cards will be cancelled on October 12 next year.
“About 90 per cent of Hongkongers have replaced their ID cards up until last month, which was slightly lower compared with the [92 per cent in the] last replacement exercise in 2003,” Tai said.
He explained there were many reasons behind the drop, including travel restrictions during the pandemic, when many Hongkongers could not return to the city to replace their cards.
“Though the invalidation of ID cards would not affect the right of abode of the citizens, it [the invalidated ID] could not be used to apply for new passports,” he said.
The department said that five of its offices, including a temporary one in Kwun Tong, were able to process up to 12,600 replacement applications every week.
Candy Lam, 60, a retiree who went to Tseung Kwan O office to replace her card on Tuesday afternoon, said that she had emigrated to Canada 30 years ago and returned to Hong Kong on Monday.
“I returned to Hong Kong as I needed to visit my relatives, and I booked the appointment of replacing my ID card around one month ago,” she said.
Lam added that the procedure went smoothly and took less than 15 minutes.
The replacement programme was expected to be completed in four years, but it was extended from 2022 to 2023 due to the pandemic.
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