The government plans to add an “e-ID” function to the Macao One Account within this year, which will allow residents who lose their physical ID cards outside Macau to report the loss at a police station there and then can return to Macau with an “e-ID” certificate, government-appointed Northern District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convener Kou Ngon Fong said, quoting Identification Services Bureau (DSI) officials who attended the council’s regular meeting yesterday.
Kou made the remarks during a press briefing after the council’s closed-door meeting with DSI officials attending to introduce the situation of increasing the number of time slots to expedite the processing of renewing smart ID cards and the replacement plan for the new generation of smart ID cards.
Kou said the DSI officials stressed that the physical ID card and the “e-ID” will be co-existing, which means that having an “e-ID” does not obviate the need for a physical ID card.
Kou also noted that the new generation of smart Macau ID cards will be issued in an orderly manner starting from the end of this year, and that the renewal of ID cards would be arranged only when the current cards are nearing their expiry dates.
Normally, Macau ID cards are valid for 10 years. However, senior citizens’ ID cards do not expire.
Northern District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convener Kou Ngon Fong (centre) addresses a press briefing after the council’s closed-door meeting yesterday, as fellow councillors look on. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
