Online Application for Certificate of Exemption
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. However, as residents 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. Applicants or their representatives (such as a family member, relative, social worker from the Social Welfare Department or supervisor of elderly homes) can apply for a Certificate of Exemption by completing the online application form. After you have read the following instructions and have your application documents ready, you can access the online service by clicking the following link.
Online application for Certificate of ExemptionDocumentary Requirements
If the application is made by the applicant, you need to:
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(1) |
complete and upload the signed online application form; |
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(2) |
upload a supporting document on the present health condition of the applicant (not required if the applicant is aged 70 or over). Each application will be considered on its own merits; |
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(3) |
upload a copy of the applicant’s identity card or other identity document; and |
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(4) |
upload a recent photograph of the applicant. |
If the application is made through a representative, you need to (Representative must have attained 18 years of age):
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(1) |
complete and upload the signed online application form; |
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(2) |
upload a supporting document on the present health condition of the applicant (not required if the applicant is aged 70 or over). Each application will be considered on its own merits; |
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(3) |
upload a copy of the applicant’s identity card or other identity document; |
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(4) |
upload a recent photograph of the applicant; |
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(5) |
upload a copy of identity document of the representative; and |
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(6) |
upload relationship proof between the application and the representative. |
Additional documents or information may also be required, if necessary.
Acceptable file formats of digital photograph and supporting documents are listed below:
Acceptable File Format of Digital Photograph for Application through the Internet
Image type: JPEG
File size: 5MB or below
Acceptable dimension:
Captured by scanner (600dpi) - Photograph size: 40 mm(W) x 50 mm(H)
Captured by digital camera - Image size: at least 1200 px(W) x 1600 px(H)
Acceptable File Format of Supporting Document Copies for Application through the Internet
Image type: JPEG or TIF (CCITT-G4)
File size: 2Mbytes or below for each file
Payment Method
No fee is payable for the issue of the Certificate of Exemption. However, when such person applies for an identity card upon improvement of his/her health condition, he/she will need to pay for the replacement if his/her identity card had been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced before he/she applied for the Certificate of Exemption.
Collection of Certificate of Exemption
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. Please note that when the health of the applicant permits, he/she should apply for a new identity card by returning his/her Certificate of Exemption to any Registration of Persons office. The Certificate of Exemption is not a travel document and cannot be used for immigration clearance.
Please refer to the following link for the addresses and working hours of Registration of Persons Offices. (Please note collection service is not available on Saturday. Offices are closed on Sunday and public holiday.)
Addresses and working hours of Registration of Persons Offices
Assistance and Further Information
If you need technical assistance in using the online service, you can call the Immigration e-Services Hotline at (852) 3128 8668 between 7 am and 11 pm daily.
For general enquiries, please call (852) 2824 6111 during office hours (from 8:45 am to 5:15 pm, Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 12 noon on Saturday, except public holidays), send a fax to (852) 2877 7711 or send an email to enquiry@immd.gov.hk.
Further information on the online booking service is available in a set of helpful frequently asked questions (FAQs).
FAQs about online application for certificate of exemption