To cope with the increasing demand for cremation service, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) launched the “Online Cremation Application and Pre-paid System 1.0” on 1 September 2021 after extensive consultation with the stakeholders, with a view to expediting the processing of cremation applications to provide convenience for the applicants and their proxies / undertakers. Functions of the system include:
- Applicants or their proxies / undertakers can complete the application form and make payment online in advance, thereby saving the processing time for payment of fees at the application counter of the office;
- Each application form for cremation service is provided with a QR code. The staff at the application counter can retrieve the information filled in the form via the system by simply scanning the code, saving the time for inputting the relevant information manually;
- With the save function provided, users of the system can access their application information to make changes at any time before its submission to the FEHD; and
- By the registration for a licensed undertaker of burials account, undertakers can prefill their application forms online. Moreover, the electronic register function of the system can consolidate the information on all paid / completed cremation cases in the previous three months and generate a register in compliance with the legal requirements under the Undertakers of Burials Regulation, Cap. 132CB.
To further enhance the service, FEHD launched the "Online Cremation Application and Pre-paid System 2.0" ("OCAPS 2.0") on 1 April 2022, providing additional features for the convenience of the trade and the public. The additional features of OCAPS 2.0 include:
- In addition to the application form for cremation service (FEHB 135) of the FEHD, the applicants or their proxies / undertakers are enabled to print out the application forms for death registration of the Immigration Department and cremation permit of the Department of Health after completing the application information and payment, which is convenient and time-saving; and
- The application forms for cremation service completed through the OCAPS 2.0 undertaker account are no longer required to be stamped and signed by the undertaker.
Applicants or their proxies / undertakers who wish to avail themselves of the service need to register for an account at the "Online Cremation Application and Pre-paid System 2.0" before completing the application form and pre-paying the cremation fee online. After pre-payment, they can print out the receipt and the completed application form for cremation service (FEHB 135), with a QR code, from the system / email.
Applicants or their proxies / undertakers are required to submit the signed application form (FEHB 135), the pre-payment receipt and the originals of relevant documents (e.g. Certificate of Registration of Death, Cremation Permit, etc.) at FEHD's Hong Kong or Kowloon Cremation Booking Office to go through the cremation application formalities or apply for a token for online cremation booking. For details, please refer to the "Application for Cremation of Dead Bodies". Applicants or their proxies / undertakers can leave the office upon completion of the application procedures without the need to wait for payment.
For the convenience of the public to use the service, the "Online Cremation Application and Pre-paid System 2.0" operates 24 hours a day (except during system maintenance). Applicants or their proxies / undertakers can pre-pay the cremation fee by credit card, Payment by Phone Service (PPS), Apple Pay, Google Pay or Faster Payment System (FPS). All fees paid are non-refundable. Apple Pay, Google Pay and FPS are not supported in “Internet Explorer” browser. If you would like to pay by these payment methods, please switch to a different compatible browser. To pay by PPS, applicants or their proxies / undertakers must register as PPS users first. For details of registration and use of PPS, please visit the relevant website (https://www.ppshk.com/index_e.html).