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Registration

Practising Certificate

Section 22(1) of the Midwives Registration Ordinance (“the Ordinance”) (Cap. 162, Laws of Hong Kong) stipulates that “a registered midwife shall not practise as such unless the midwife is a holder of a current practising certificate”.

An applicant who has successfully obtained a certificate of registration from the Midwives Council of Hong Kong (“the Council”) is also required to apply for a practising certificate from the Council before he/she may practise in Hong Kong. The application should be accompanied by:-

  1. the prescribed fee for the issue of a practising certificate; and
  2. a declaration signed by him/her stating whether he/she has been convicted of a criminal offence that is punishable with imprisonment, in Hong Kong or elsewhere and, if positive, giving details of the conviction.

Validity of Practising Certificate

A practising certificate is valid for a period not exceeding 3 years and ending on 31 December. Registered midwives are obligated to renew their practising certificates before the due date if they intend to continue to practise midwifery in Hong Kong.

Renewal of Practising Certificate

Registered midwives whose practicing certificate are due for renewal are invited to renew their practising certificates and informed of the application procedures by the Central Registration Office under the Department of Health in around September every year. Submission of renewal application to the Central Registration Office may be made by fax, by post or via the online platform.

For online applications, applicants are required to have an “iAM Smart+” account for digital signing the electronic application form in order to complete the whole process. An applicant who does not have an “iAM Smart+” account may fill in the application form electronically and settle the payment online but he/she will be required to print and sign on the completed application form and then submit it to the Central Registration Office by fax or by post.

Payment of the prescribed fee may be made by one of the following ways:-

  1. Online payment through :
    • Credit Card (Visa Card, Master Card, JCB and China UnionPay);
    • Faster Payment System (FPS);
    • Alipay (Mainland China) (Authentication using Mainland China ID Card);
    • WeChat Pay; or
    • UnionPay Mobile QuickPass.
  2. Settling the General Demand Note through:
    • Internet Payment;
    • Automated Teller Machines (ATM) of local banks;
    • Faster Payment System (FPS);
    • Payment by Phone Service (PPS);
    • Phone Banking;
    • "Pay e-Cheque" portal;
    • Cash payment at post offices or convenience store (e.g. 7-Eleven, Circle K, VanGO Convenience Store and U Select, etc.); or
    • Cheque/bank draft/cashier order sent to the Treasury (address: P.O. Box No. 28000, Sham Shui Po Post Office, Hong Kong).

For details, please refer to the website of the Treasury. Payment status of the demand notes may be checked vide the Treasury Hotline (at 2845 8866) or the website of the Treasury.

Deeming Provision

A registered midwife shall be deemed to have obtained the certificate when he/she had duly applied and paid the prescribed fee for the issue of the practising certificate.

Failure to Renew Practising Certificate

Section 6(3) of the Ordinance provides that the Council may direct the removal from the register of midwives of the name of any registered midwife who is not practising midwifery in Hong Kong. In this connection, if a midwife does not apply for the practising certificate, it would be assumed that he/she is not practising midwifery in Hong Kong and the Council may proceed with the removal of his/her name from the register of midwives without further notice.

If a person’s name is removed from the register of midwives, he/she will cease to be a registered midwife. It is a criminal offence under section 17(1)(a) and (b) of the Ordinance if a person, who is not a registered midwife, uses the name or title of midwife, either alone or in combination with any other expression; or uses any name, title, description, uniform or badge, implying that the person is a registered midwife.

Authentication Features of E-practising Certificate

E-practising certificates have the same legal standing as paper practising certificates. For verification purpose, the e-practising certificate carries a digital signature and an encrypted QR code. Scanning the QR code will direct the enquirer to the website of the Council where he/she may verify the contents in the e-practising certificate (click here for a specimen e-practising certificate and the verification information to be shown).