Residents of Macau will soon be able to use electronic identification markers on their mobile devices to cross borders as soon as the end of June.
A draft bill aimed at upgrading the Macau ID card system is currently under review by the first standing committee of the Legislative Assembly (AL).
If the bill is passed, it will take effect on 15 December this year, as reported by public broadcaster TDM. Some provisions, such as the use of electronic identification, however, may come into effect as early as 30 June.
According to legislator Ella Lei Cheng I who talked to media after Tuesday’s review, the Identification Services Bureau (DSI) and security authorities are fully prepared for the implementation of electronic identification for immigration purposes anytime soon.
The bill, which comes about a decade after the city turned to smart ID cards, will digitalise existing physical ID cards on the Macau One Account mobile app, making the application of local identification documentation more convenient in public services.
It also seeks to reduce some of the information shown on physical documents, such as height and first issuance date. Moreover, the bill proposes to make the illicit use of electronic identification documentation a criminal offence.
