Caring arrangement

In view of the demographic changes of Hong Kong and to make the arrangement of the Hong Kong Identity Card (HKIC) replacement more convenient to the public, particularly those persons in need, a series of new facilitation measures have been introduced in the Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise. Details of the respective caring arrangement and related requirements for replacement of identity card are set out below.

HKIC Replacement with the Elderly
Holders of HKICs who have been called up under their age groups may bring along two family members or friends aged 65 or above to replace their smart HKICs together during the same visit, so that those elderly persons need not proceed to the Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres (SIDCCs) separately on their own when their respective age groups are called up for HKIC replacement at a later stage.

HKIC Replacement with Persons with Disabilities (PwDs)
Starting from 18 February 2020, the above measure will be extended to PwDs. An eligible applicant may bring along up to two PwDs, in addition to two elderly persons aged 65 or above, to replace HKICs during the same visit. PwDs shall bring along their old form of smart HKICs and provide relevant documentation or information to the Immigration Department as proof of their PwDs identity upon replacement, for instance:

Registration Card for People with Disabilities issued by the Labour and Welfare Bureau;
Proof on recipient status of the Disability Allowance ;
Proof on membership of PwDs service units ;
Proof on student status of a special school ; or
Related medical proof (e.g. appointment slip), etc.

Upon replacement of HKICs, parents or legal guardians of PwDs aged 18 below shall bring along relevant documentation of the applicant and his/her proof of identity. For details, please click here.

Please note that HKIC holders born in 2008 to 2011 or 2001 to 2004 will respectively reach the age of 11 or 18 during the Replacement Exercise (i.e. from 2019 to 2022). These HKIC holders are required to apply for a juvenile or adult HKIC at one of the six Registration of Persons Offices upon attaining the age of 11 or 18 respectively. Nine Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres will only process applications for the new smart identity card in replacement of the old one. Thus, any application for adult or juvenile identity card (upon attaining the age of 11 or 18 respectively) ; replacement of identity card due to loss, destruction, damage or defacement; amendment of registered particulars on identity card; or identity card applications from new arrivals are only processed by the Registration of Persons Offices. Please click here for details regarding these applications.

On-site Identity Card Replacement Service
On-site Identity Card Replacement Service will be provided in phases to over one thousand residential care homes (RCHs) for the elderly persons and persons with disabilities (PwDs) across the territory. In addition to replacing their HKICs at any one of the SIDCCs in the period specified for their age groups, residents of those RCHs may choose to have their HKICs replaced on-site at the RCHs. Delivery service of new HKICs will also be provided so that the residents can collect their new HKICs at their RCHs. This service covers the following RCHs,

(1) RCHs for the elderly persons with a licence or certificate of exemption issued under the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance (Cap. 459);
(2) RCHs for PwDs with a licence or certificate of exemption issued under the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Ordinance (Cap. 613); and
(3) The institutions specified in Schedule 3 of the Registration of Persons (Application for New Identity Cards) Order 2018, including Yan Chai Nursing Home, Home of Loving Faithfulness, Buddhist Li Chong Yuet Ming Nursing Home for the Elderly, Po Leung Kuk Wong Chuk Hang Extended Care Home, The Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society Jockey Club Cancer Rehabilitation Centre, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Nursing Home, Pok Oi Hospital Tuen Mun Nursing Home, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Nursing Home, Jockey Club Home for Hospice, Haven of Hope Sister Annie Skau Holistic Care Centre and Haven of Hope Nursing Home.

For the RCHs for the elderly and RCHs for PwDs (i.e. RCHDs) under the above-mentioned Ordinances, please access the following websites of the Social Welfare Department(SWD) for information.
SWD Elderly Information Website : https://elderlyinfo.swd.gov.hk/en/ltc_search/rcs
SWD Information Website for RCHDs : https://www.rchdinfo.swd.gov.hk/en