American Citizens Services
ACS Newsletter (January 2009)
U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau
Happy New Year and welcome to the first newsletter of 2009! Here are this month's topics:
New Topics:
Continuing Topics of Interest:
HOLIDAY HINTS FOR EASIER PASSPORT SERVICES
- Make an appointment. All non-emergency consular services require an appointment. You can make an appointment online through our website: http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_appointment.html.
- Plan Ahead for passport renewals. It typically takes 7-10 working days from the time you apply to receive a full validity passport. There is a high level of demand for appointment slots in the days and weeks before a holiday and during school vacation weeks.
- Children's Passports. Check the expiration date of your child's passport – remember that passports for children under 16 are only valid for 5 years.
- Avoiding a long wait. Consider not scheduling your appointment on Mondays or the days immediately before or after a holiday when wait times are longest.
- Personal Appearances. If you are just adding pages or renewing a passport that has expired within the last year, you can download your application from our website, complete it and send it to the Consulate with a courier.
- Check the website. You can find the answer to many common questions, as well as useful forms and instructions, on the Consulate website at hongkong.usconsulate.gov.
PASSPORT EXPIRATION – IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TRAVELERS
Many countries in the region, including China and most Southeast Asian nations, require a traveler's passport to have at least six (6) months validity beyond the dates of the planned trip. Airlines usually will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met and immigration officers will turn you around at the port of entry in these countries if you arrive without the required six months validity. Please check your passport, as well as those of family members traveling with you, at least one month prior to any planned trips. This will allow adequate time, if needed, to make an appointment for passport services, complete an application and receive a new passport in order to make your trip a hassle-free success.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE FOR 2009
The following have been designated as official holidays for 2009. The Consulate General will be closed to the public on these days:
Thursday, January 1 | | New Years Day |
Monday, January 19 | | Martin Luther King's Birthday |
Monday, January 26 | | Lunar New Years Day |
Tuesday, January 27 | | Second day of the Lunar New Year |
Wednesday, January 28 | | Third day of the Lunar New Year |
Monday, February 16 | | President's Day |
Friday, April 10 | | Good Friday |
Monday, April 13 | | Easter Monday |
Friday, May 1 | | Labor Day |
Monday, May 25 | | Memorial Day |
Thursday, May 28 | | Tuen Ng Festival |
Wednesday, July 1 | | HKSAR Establishment Day |
Saturday, July 4
(observed Friday, July 3) | | Independence Day |
Monday, September 7 | | Labor Day |
Thursday, October 1 | | National Day |
Monday, October 12 | | Columbus Day |
Monday, October 26 | | Chung Yeung Festival |
Wednesday, November 11 | | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 26 | | Thanksgiving Day |
Friday, December 25 | | Christmas Day |
SUBSCRIBING/UNSUBSCRIBING
Anyone who wishes to sign up to receive this monthly ACS email newsletter and the travel advice we provide can do so simply by going to our web page and submitting their email address in the fill-in box towards the bottom of the page. You can also unsubscribe through the web page.
New subscribers will be sent the last few messages we have sent out in a digest form to help them catch up. Back issues are on the web at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_newsletter.html.
This newsletter is published by the American Citizens Services Unit, U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau. Tel: 2841-2211, 2841-2323, 2841-2225; fax: 2845-4845; e-mail: acshk@state.gov; website: http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov. All services by online appointment only.
Last modified: January 2, 2009
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