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Eligible applicants aged 18 and over will be able to apply for a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport on the internet in Hong Kong or overseas as from Saturday (December 22).
Those who apply for a HKSAR passport for a person under the age of 18 may not submit the application online and must apply through existing channels. Applications for a replacement HKSAR passport due to loss or damage of passport should be made in person and not online.
At present, applicants for a HKSAR passport must submit their applications in person, by post, or to the drop-in boxes at the Immigration Department.
To apply for a passport online, an applicant needs to go to the website (www.gov.hk/passport); fill in an application form on the Internet; upload a recent colour photograph taken against a white background, upload the necessary supporting documents; and make the passport fee payment by PPS or by VISA or MasterCard.
An online HKSAR passport application without a standard photograph, full supporting documents or payment will not be processed. Information on photograph requirements, the required supporting documents and passport fees is available on the website (www.gov.hk/passport). Once an online application is accepted to be processed by the Immigration Department, the applicant will be notified by email or by post when and where the new passport may be collected. Applicants who make an online application either locally or overseas should collect the passport in person in Hong Kong.
In general, the processing time for an application for a HKSAR passport takes 10 working days after receipt of all necessary documents. For applications not submitted in person, two to three more working days may be required.
Ends/Thursday, December 20, 2007
Issued at HKT 19:26
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