Smart ID for HK entry
By Miranda Lau

The Smart ID is to be used for Hong Kong entry.

The Macao and Hong Kong Governments have reached a common consensus on the issue of allowing Macao citizens to enter Hong Kong with only a hi-tech identity card, known as the Smart ID card. The new rule is planned to be implemented this year.

Although there is not yet a confirmed timetable about the implementation of this new regulation, the Identification Department admitted that the Macao Government has been working hard to achieve the goal, and only a few details remain to be discussed with the Hong Kong Government.

A boutique owner, Joe Lei, said that this new regulation was good news. "I usually go to Hong Kong to get the stock at least once a week, and I think using the Smart ID card instead of a passport can reduce the time of passing through Customs," said Lei.

Filipe Lok, a civil servant working in the Tourism Department agreed. "If this rule is adopted, we can go to Hong Kong anytime, and we don't need to worry about the passport being expired." Lok also believed that this new service can bring convenience to many Macao people, since the two places are so close that many of them have friends or relatives in both cities.

Ron Kong, a Year 3 student in the Polytechnic Institute, thought that the new regulation is a milestone in achieving equal treatment for Macao people who visit Hong Kong. "At all times Hong Kong citizens can pass through Macao's immigration by simply presenting their ID cards, but we, the Macao citizens, have never been able to enjoy this kind of convenience," said Kong.

At present, Macao citizens can go to Hong Kong either on a visitor’s permit, which has to be applied in advance or a Portuguese passport. On the other hand, non-permanent residents have to live in Macao for two years in order to qualify to get a visitor’s permit to Hong Kong.

However, due to the limited number of Smart ID card holders in Macao at the moment, not all the legal citizens can enjoy this travel privilege if the new rule is to be adopted this year.

The Macao Identification Department started the programme to replace old identity cards with Smart ID cards early last year. According to the Identification Department, only 78,316 Macao citizens received the Smart ID by the end of last year.