Who may be exempted from registration？

Under the Registration of Persons Regulations, the aged, the blind or the infirm who satisfy a registration officer that their personal attendance for registration of Hong Kong identity cards will injure their health or the health of others are not required to register or apply for the issue or renewal of an identity card. They can instead apply for a Certificate of Exemption, which is issued free of charge. If the application is approved, the applicant or his/her representative will be asked to collect the Certificate of Exemption at the Registration of Persons Office he/she has chosen. The applicant's identity card, if any, should be returned to the Registration of Persons Office upon collection of the Certificate of Exemption.

However, as persons not residing in Hong Kong are not required to register for Hong Kong identity cards, they are not required to apply for the Certificate of Exemption. The Certificate of Exemption is not a travel document and cannot be used for immigration clearance.

Once health permits, holders of Certificate of Exemption should apply for a smart identity card by returning their Certificates of Exemption to any Registration of Persons Office. However, when they apply for an identity card, they will need to pay for the replacement if their identity cards had been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced before they applied for the Certificate of Exemption.

For details regarding Application for Certificate of Exemption, please visit: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/hkid/appforcert.html.