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Personal Documentation HKSAR
passports are issued to Chinese citizens who have the right of abode in
the HKSAR and who hold Hong Kong permanent identity cards. During 1998,
Applications for HKSAR passports may be submitted
either by post or in person. Persons residing outside Hong Kong should
submit their applications to the local Chinese diplomatic or consular
mission for onward transmission to the HKSAR Immigration Department. Prepared
passports will be despatched to the Chinese diplomatic or consular mission
for issue to the applicants. During the year, The HKSAR passport is in a machine-readable format. There are two types: the regular size (32 pages) and the jumbo (48 pages). The passport is normally valid for 10 years for persons 16 years of age or over and five years for children under 16. The HKSAR Passports Appeal Board was established in September 1998 to handle appeals from persons whose applications for HKSAR passports were refused. From September to December 1998, the board handled 76 appeals. At the end of 1998, 56 countries had agreed to grant visa-free access to HKSAR passport holders. The HKSAR Government will continue to seek visa-free access for HKSAR passport holders from more countries. The issuing of Hong Kong Certificates of Identity ceased on July 1, 1997, and most holders may now apply for the HKSAR passport. However, Certificates of Identity have a 10-year validity and are valid travel documents until their expiry. The demand for re-entry permits decreased by 8.5 per cent.
There are two types of identity cards: the
Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card, issued to persons who have the right
of abode in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Identity Card issued to residents
who do not have that right. In 1998, |