ENG-2008 — Page 485

Population and Immigration | 409

Personal Documentation

Travel Documents

The Immigration Department started to issue the HKSAR electronic passport (HKSAR e-Passport) on February 5, 2007. The HKSAR e-Passport is embedded with a contactless integrated chip containing the holder's personal data and facial image as the biometric identifiers in accordance with the standards specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Issuance of the HKSAR passport is controlled strictly by the Immigration Department. The HKSAR Passports are issued only to Hong Kong permanent residents who are Chinese citizens having the right of abode in the HKSAR and are holding Hong Kong permanent identity cards.

Applications can be made by post or in person. Those from overseas can be sent to the Immigration Department through Chinese diplomatic or consular missions. Eligible applicants aged 18 or above may submit their applications through the internet or through the self-service kiosks which were installed in August at the Headquarters and immigration branch offices. During the year, 504 404 HKSAR passport applications were received, including 6 715 from overseas.

The HKSAR Passports Appeal Board handles appeals against rejections of applications for HKSAR passports. It received five (two overseas and three local) appeals in 2008.

The Immigration Department continued to lobby for greater immigration convenience such as visa-free access for HKSAR passport holders. The Dominican Republic agreed in 2008 to grant visa-free access to holders of HKSAR passport. By year-end, a total of 136 countries and territories had granted visa-free access or visa- on-arrival to HKSAR passport holders.

Other travel documents issued by the Immigration Department include Documents of Identity for Visa Purposes (Doc/ls) and Re-entry Permits (REPs). Doc/ls are issued for international travel. They are also issued to Hong Kong residents who are not eligible for the HKSAR passport and who are unable to obtain a passport or travel document of any other countries or territories. REPs are issued to Hong Kong residents for travelling to the Mainland and Macao. During the year, 43 882 Doc/ls and 110 004 REPS were issued.

Identity Cards

The Immigration Department also issues identity cards to Hong Kong residents. There are two types of identity cards: the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card issued to residents who have the right of abode in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Identity Card issued to residents who do not have that right.

Except those who are required to obtain Certificates of Entitlement, people who claim to have the right of abode in the HKSAR must apply for verification of their eligibility for a permanent identity card. In 2008, 54 085 applications were received and 45 895 were approved.