Field day for scalpers as ID card walk-ins end

Eunice Lam

No more walk-in quota will be provided for people to renew their smart identity cards from today, the Immigration Department said, as scalpers sold walk-in quotas for panicking residents.

Rumors spread by scalpers have sent hundreds of people queuing outside the replacement centers with some rushing from overseas to change their ID cards.

The department has extended the deadline to March 3 for ID card renewals.

Officials said the new measure came after scalpers sold the walk-in quota tags and spread rumors saying those who failed to renew their ID cards would face a fine of HK$5,000.

The department said people have to make appointments in advance online, or by 24-hour telephone booking hotlines, or via its mobile app, as the centers will not handle applications without appointments from today.

But for people who have an urgent need to replace their ID cards that have been lost, destroyed, damaged, or defaced, the centers will offer assistance based on individual circumstances.

The department said people need not rush back to Hong Kong for the renewal as they could go to the Registration of Persons Offices in Wan Chai within 30 days upon arrival, adding that their old ID cards will not expire.

Outside the Immigration Tower, dozens of people lined up along the footbridge since midnight hoping to replace their ID cards. At one point the queue reached Wan Chai MTR station.

Staff from the department gave out same-day tickets from 7 am, which were distributed within 30 minutes.

Lee, who was in the queue said she wanted a daily quota for her domestic helper.

"I got no choice but to queue up here, as my domestic helper can't work in Hong Kong without an ID card. I may have to stay in the queue overnight," she said.

Lee said it was outrageous that "queuing gangs" were also in line.

A woman, Chan, said she was lucky enough to get a same-day ticket.

"I missed the replacement deadline as I have been on the mainland due to the pandemic, and I need to take care of my elderly family member," she said.

Sukatti from Indonesia, who is in her 40s, worked as a domestic helper for nine years, but she didn't know about the ID card replacement until a friend told her.

"I didn't know I needed to make an appointment before going here [and] the staff [in the replacement center] didn't tell me what to do," Sukatti said.

In response to a surge in appointments, the department said it had added more quotas to the online booking system, while reminding people not to buy tickets from "queuing gangs."

At 7 pm yesterday, people could still make appointments for Saturday at the Wan Chai center, while other centers still have quotas on weekdays available at the earliest for February 9.

In Macau, ID card and passport centers also saw crowds in the past month after anti-Covid measures were lifted, with more than 30,000 people seeing their ID cards expire.