Macao SAR Resident Identity Card

Issuance Arrangement

Press Release

13th November, 2002

 

  

Table of Contents

 

1.   Type, validity date, format and characteristics

2.   Replacement

 (i)     The compulsoriness of replacement

 (ii)    Length of the whole process

(iii)   Effectiveness of  the current Macao Resident Identity Card

 (iv)   External Service

(v)    Replacing old  Identity Card according to ID number

 (vi)   Special ID application

 (vii)  Appointments

 (viii) Formalities

 (ix)   Progress Announcement

3.   1st time Application

4.     Renewal

5.     Office hours for application processing and ID collection

6.     Photo

7.     Fee

(1)   Processing fee

(2)   1st time application and renewal

(3)   Express Service

(4)   Special Express Service

8.     Loss of Identity Card

9.     Collection Date

10.   Declaring Macao as the permanent residence

11.   ID number

12.   Name

13.   Method of recording place of birth

14.  Data of contact person or organization

15.  Change in marital status

16.  Declaration of death

17.   PIN usage

18.   Realization plan of the functionality of Identity card

          (1)Identity verification

          (2) Other uses

19.   Enquiry

As regulated by Article 24 of “Basic Law of the Macao SAR”, the Government needs to issue permanent identity cards of the Macao Special Administrative Region to the permanent residents of the Macao SAR, and issue Macao identity cards to non-permanent residents of the Macao SAR. Moreover, before Macao’s reunification with China, the Chinese Government and the Portuguese Government made the agreement of not putting a validity date on the Macao Resident Identity Card (hereinafter also referred as BIR) to assure successful transition. In fact,  except for the elderly, since the physical characteristics of people will change with age, identity card which carries no validity date should not be used as a long-term identity document.

 

In addition, the current Macao Resident Identity Card uses the technology in the early 80’s, thus, the security features are not advanced. In order to enhance the security function of the Macao SAR Resident Identity Card, ensure the benefit of the cardholder and the stability of the society, the Macao SAR must issue new electronic identity card.

 

 

As regulated in Administrative Regulation No. 8/2002 and No. 23/2002, DSI will start issuing  Macao SAR Resident Identity Card on 4th December, 2002.

 

 

1. Type, validity date, format and characteristics

 

Macao Special Administrative Region Resident Identity Cards (hereinafter also referred as Macao SAR Resident Identity Card or Macao BIR) are divided into two types:

 

(i)   Macao Special Administrative Region Permanent Resident Identity Card (hereinafter also referred as Macao SAR Permanent Resident Identity Card or Macao SAR BIRP), issued to MSAR permanent residents; and

(ii)  Macao Special Administrative Region Non-Permanent Resident Identity Card (hereinafter also referred as Macao SAR Non-Permanent Resident Identity Card or Macao SAR BIRNP), issued to MSAR non-permanent residents.

 

For residents who are not restricted by their temporary residence permit, the validity of the Identity Card is:

 

       1.    5 years, if the applicant has not reached the age of 18 on the issue date;

       2.   10 years, if the applicant has reached the age of 18 but is under 60 years old on the issue date;

       3.    permanently valid, if the applicant has reached the age of 60 on the issue date.

For residents who are restricted by their temporary residence permit, the validity of their Identity Card should not exceed the length to which their Temporary Residence Permit allows.

 

The size of MSAR Resident Identity Card is the same as credit card. The card will contain advanced security measures, including Guilloche design, microprinting, rainbow printing, UV printing, laser engraving, tactile surface element, multiple laser image, asymmetric encryption technique, etc.

 

Words of “ Macao SAR Permanent Resident Identity Card ” or “ Macao SAR Non-Permanent Resident Identity Card ” is printed on the back of the Identity Card. Moreover, 3 OCR lines are also printed at the back.

 

2.  Replacement           

 

(i) )更The compulsoriness of replacement

 

Replacement of the Macao Resident Identity Card by the Macao SAR Resident Identity Card is compulsory.  Residents holding Macao Resident Identity Card should make their application according to the ID replacement plan laid down by DSI.

強制性

 

(ii)  Length of the whole process

           

4 years’ time is planned to replace all current Resident Identity Card with Macao SAR Resident Identity Card.

 

 

(iii) Effectiveness of  the current Macao Resident Identity Card

 

As regulated by Article 15 of Law No. 8/2002:

　

       1. The identity documents which are still valid when this Law is passed will remain valid until they have been substituted by the Macao SAR Permanent Resident Identity Card or Macao SAR Non-Permanent Resident Identity Card.

 

2. Not hindering the regulation of the above rule, the identity documents that are still valid when this Law is passed will lose effectiveness once the issuance process has finished and cannot be used for any other purposes, except for holders of those identity documents who are outside of the Macao SAR and need to apply for Macao SAR travel documents in order to return to Macao.”

 

In other words, the current Resident Identity Card will remain valid in the 4 years of the replacement process. Once the replacement process has finished, the current Resident Identity Card will lose effectiveness, and can only be used by the overseas Macao residents for applying Macao SAR Travel Document. Nevertheless, this does not mean that one will lose the Macao Resident status if he or she has missed the 4 years ID card replacement period; the cardholder can still come to DSI to apply for the Macao SAR Resident Identity Card. When the replacement process has finished, the current Resident Identity Card will lose effectiveness and will be collected by the administrative and police authorities.

  

 

(iv) External Service

 

For this time’s ID card replacement, the method of DSI sending staff to school and organizations to receive and process ID card applications will be used mainly in the early stage, and the date for receive and process ID card applications by ID number will be decided in the middle of next year(2003).

 

DSI will work with DSEJ and IAS throughout the process of the External Service, and will first receive and process the applications of students and faculty staff of primary and secondary school and social service facilities (homes/centres). Some days ago, DSI has organized an explanation seminar with representatives from schools and social service facilities.

 

DSI’s area  of external service includes:

 

·         School: Including students and faculty staff

 

·         Home for the elderly (rest home, elderly home): including the elderly and staff

 

·         Day care centre for the elderly (care centre): including the elderly and staff

 

·         Orphanage

 

·         Service centre for the disabled: Including service centre for the deaf and dumb, centre for the blind, centre for the mentally disabled, sanctuary.

 

·         Rehabilitation centre for drug addicts

 

·         Nursery school: infant and staff

 

·         Dorms for the elderly

 

·         Jail and Informatory for the minor

 

·         Public service organization: including electricity company, water company, telecommunication company, bus company, etc.

 

·         私人Middle-size private enterprise (initially set at over 30 staff): including banks, newspaper office, television broadcast, radio broadcast, factory, etc. (by means of Macao Chamber of Commerce)

 

·         Government departments

 

由社團

 

 

 

(v) Replacing old Identity Card according to ID number

 

In the 2nd half year of 2003, DSI will set the initial date for replacing Macao Resident Identity Card according to the ID number.

 

At the beginning of each week, DSI shall announce the ID numbers of the applicants that should come to DSI to lodge their application for morning and afternoon office hours of Monday to Friday for the next week. Further details will be announced later.

 

 

 

(vi)  提早Special ID application

     Under the following conditions, Macao resident can request DSI to specially arrange the time of receving and processing his/her Macao SAR Resident Identity Card replacement application:

 

       

         - will study, work or reside abroad, and intended not to come back to Macao for the next 4 years;