Photo ID and personal information needed from Olympic ceremonies ticket buyers

(BEIJING, January 14) -- To ensure security, eradicate fake tickets, control speculative ticket reselling, and safeguard the lawful interests of the majority of the buyers, a real-name entry system will be applied for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Under these circumstances, ticket purchasers are required to submit their personal photograph and identification to facilitate the examination of their tickets' authenticity and effectiveness.

In the days to come, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) will start gathering the photo and ID of buyers through the following procedures:

1) Members of the public living on the mainland of the People's Republic of China who have successfully bought tickets for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games must submit their photo and ID information.

2) The submission time frame is from January 15 to January 31, 2008.

3) BOCOG will send out a registration form to the buyers, who are required to fill it in, stick a personal photo onto the form, and send it back through an outlet of the Bank of China, together with a duplicated copy of their identification card. The materials must be sent in person or through a trustee, any posted mail is invalid.

When the documents are submitted in person, the buyers must show their original identification card. If they are submitted through a trustee, the buyer and trustee should sign a letter of trust and attach this to the registration form. The agent must then show his or her own original identification card plus its duplicated copy.

The registration form can be downloaded from the official ticketing website of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (http://www.tickets.beijing2008.cn) or sought from an outlet of the Bank of China.

4) The photo submitted must have not been taken earlier than August 2006. The picture should be a 2-inch (48mm x 33mm) frameless color photo of the buyer, hatless, with a white or even-colored backdrop.

The identification card should be identical to the one attached to the ticket order form. The duplicated copy should be on a piece of white A4 paper, with the ID number, photo, and the issuer clearly identifiable. Both sides of the ID card of the resident of the People's Republic of China should be duplicated. If any other personal card is provided, the holder's name, photo, and the card's serial number, issuer and expiration date should be duplicated.

5) Legal Statement

The submission of the buyer's personal photograph and information is part of a necessary procedure to buy tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games; hence, the buyer should guarantee the authenticity and accuracy of his or her photo and ID. If a buyer cannot submit the materials on time or the materials do not meet the requirements as outlined by the BOCOG, organizers are entitled to deprive the buyer of his tickets.

For inquiries, please call the Beijing 2008 Olympic Marketing Call Center -- (010)952008.