Application for Recognition

Under the Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap. 553) ("ETO"), an application shall be submitted to the Commissioner for Digital Policy ("CDP") for recognition in any one or more of the following situations :

for recognition as a recognized certification authority ; or
for renewal of recognition as a recognized certification authority; and/or
for recognition of certificates.

Applicant shall complete this Application Form and provide information on the particulars and documents as specified in the Notes to Application Form.

(Regarding the assessment report mentioned in paragraph 2(ix) of the Notes to Application Form, please note that this report shall contain an assessment as to whether the certification authority ("CA") is capable of complying with the provisions of the ETO and of the Code of Practice for Recognized Certification Authorities ("Code of Practice") (such provisions are specified under paragraph 1 of Appendix 2 of the Code of Practice). The report shall be prepared by a person approved by the CDP as being qualified to make such report.)

Please refer to the following links for the corresponding details of application for recognition:

Application in Respect of Qualified Person (i.e. An Assessor)
Submission of Application
Application Fee
Performance Pledge of Application

Application in Respect of Qualified Person (i.e. An Assessor)

A CA shall apply to the CDP for approval that the person whom the CA intends to engage for the preparation of an assessment report under section 20(3)(b), 27(5A)(b), 43(1)(a) or 43A(1)(c) of the ETO is a qualified person, and furnish the CDP with the required documents and information in respect of the application. Qualifications of the person are set out in section 12 of the Code of Practice.

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Submission of Application

The application form and relevant documents can be submitted in person or by post / fax / electronic mail to the following address –

In Person or by Post

Certification Authority Recognition Office
Digital Policy Office
17/F, The Hub, 23 Yip Kan Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

Fax No.

(852) 2802 4549

E-mail Address

caro@digitalpolicy.gov.hk

Electronic submissions can be submitted in the following manner : -

through a digitally signed electronic mail to the designated e-mail address (caro@digitalpolicy.gov.hk); or
in cases of CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or USB Mass Storage Device, to Certification Authority Recognition Office, Digital Policy Office,, 17/F, The Hub, 23 Yip Kan Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong.

For application for recognition, the application form in PDF format shall be used with the digital signatures properly applied onto the specified locations of the form.
For any of the particulars and documents being part of an application for recognition (see "Notes to Application Form") and/or for engagement of a qualified person (see "Documents and Information Required for Application to Engage A Qualified Person under the ETO" ), they shall comply with the requirements stipulated under section 11(2) of the ETO. In this connection, please refer to the latest Gazette Notice for details.

Note: Some of documents (e.g. statutory declaration) that need to be submitted in the application for recognition could not be submitted in electronic means as they are excluded from the application of the ETO (see Schedule 1 to the ETO for details).

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Application Fee

The following fee information has been specified in the Electronic Transactions (Fees) Regulation (Cap. 553A).

Application in respect of which a fee is payable

Fee

Application for recognition / application for renewal of recognition as a recognized certification authority

HK$28,450

Application for recognition of a particular certificate or a particular type, class or description of certificate:

if the application is made simultaneously with an application for recognition / an application for renewal of recognition as a recognized certification authority

HK$2,850

if the application is not made simultaneously with an application for recognition / an application for renewal of recognition as a recognized certification authority

HK$6,460

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Performance Pledge of Application

The following performance pledges for processing applications in relation to recognition under the ETO are based on the assumptions that:

all the particulars and documents required for an application have been submitted and are complete and in order; and
there is no specific issue in an application that renders the related performance pledge not achievable.

Type of Applications

Performance Pledge

To approve or otherwise an application for approval as a qualified person to prepare an assessment report on a CA under section 20(3)(b), 27(5A)(b), 43(1)(a) or 43A(1)(c), provided that:

The professional organisation or association which the person belongs to has been considered by the Commissioner for Digital Policy as meeting the requirements set out in paragraph 12.5 of the Code of Practice.

3 weeks

ii.

To approve or otherwise an application for recognition as a recognized CA, including any concurrent application for recognition of certificates.

4 weeks

iii.

To approve or otherwise an application for renewal of recognition as a recognized CA, including any concurrent application for recognition of certificates.

4 weeks

iv.

To approve or otherwise an application for recognition of certificates which is not submitted concurrently with an application for recognition or for renewal of recognition as a recognized CA.

3 weeks