Many residents choosing to book for ID renewal in person for good reason

Once described as a major part of government efforts to make the administration more high-tech, the renewal system of the Macau Identification Cards (ID) and online booking is falling short of expectations. Many residents are seen daily lining up at the Identification Services Bureau (DSI) looking to book a slot for the handling of their IDs.

Looking for an explanation, the Times spoke to some of these residents as well as with the DSI to learn why the expansion of online services has not been working.

According to the users, people prefer attending in-person as bookings through online platform such as the Macao One Account are limited.  Instead, they can easily and more quickly find a time slot to renew their documents if they get a ticket from the DSI counter.

‘Fully booked’ is not really full

The Times had the opportunity to test this theory with one of these residents. The Macao One Account mobile application showed all time slots as “fully booked” for several days (almost three weeks), but the person managed to get an in-person ticket for the following day.

“You see, coming here I can save up to three weeks on the time to renew my ID,” the resident explained, noting that their current card would expire if they waited three weeks.

One of the DSI staff on duty at the ticket distribution counter explained that, apart from the online tickets distributed through the One Account system, there are other two kinds of ticket distribution: “daily online tickets” and “daily in-person tickets.”

The same staff member handed the Times a photocopy of a notice posted at the ticket counter that asks users to either attempt to get a daily ticket online via a DSI app (by scanning the provided QR Code) or to come in person to the DSI.

Online distribution starts at 7 a.m., while in-person service starts daily at 8:30 a.m.

Questioned on the topic, the DSI further explained, in a written response to the Times, that “to secure the needs of persons who are ineligible for electronic application, the Identification Services Bureau launched [the] ‘secured tickets’ measure starting from December 5, 2023. Based on ordinary appointment quotas, extra quotas are reserved as ‘secured tickets’ every day for the above-mentioned persons to use as higher priority,” DSI said, adding that such tickets apply to “first-time identity card applicants, identity card renewal applicants who are under 5 years old on the latest issuance day of identity card, non-permanent resident identity card renewal, change to permanent resident status from non-permanent resident status, loss of document, and travel document applicants who are below 5 years old on the latest issuance day of identity card.”

The DSI also explained that “the elderly who have reached 60 years old are covered by ‘secured tickets’ in all types of application[s].”

After this, and if there are still any remaining quotas of these tickets “they will be distributed to citizens via internet, kiosks and service counters on [a] working day as ‘number tag of the day’.”

Questioned on whether this approach contradicts or undermines the making of the service available to citizens fairly and more easily, the DSI chose not to answer, stating instead that to facilitate the replacement of identity cards of permanent residents the DSI has launched seven 24-hour Self-service Centers that allow the eligible users to go through the application formalities and collect documents at any time of the day or night.

According to the DSI, approximately 90% of residents are eligible to use self-service kiosks to renew identity cards with the DSI suggesting all eligible persons prioritize electronic means while lodging applications.

Over 2,600 new ID cards already in circulation

The Identification Services Bureau (DSI) has introduced, from December 15, 2023, a new version of the Macau Special Administrative Region Resident Identity Card (Macau ID).

The DSI told the Times that, according to the most recent data made available from January 4, 2024, during this period approximately 2,600 residents have already collected the new version of the Macau ID card. It added that a much higher number of applications have been logged and are currently in process.

According to information previously provided by the DSI director Chao Wai Ieng in early December, it is estimated that in the first year, the new model will replace about 50,000 IDs.