Each registration and renewal will be valid for three years. The registration will be lapsed automatically if no renewal application is made. (Please also see de-registration below.)
Registered tree management personnel who wish to apply for renewal of registration have to produce:
Application for renewal can be made at the earliest six months in advance of and at least ten weeks before the expiry of the registration.
Registered Tree Risk Assessors who do not have recognised academic or professional qualification in the first time registration are required to acquire relevant recognised academic and professional qualifications and submit their documentary proof for renewal of registration.
Please read Application for Renewal of Registration - Notes to Registered Tree Management Personnel.
The minimum CEA hours for the first time renewal of respective types of registered tree management personnel for compliance with the essential CEA hours in key job functions and optional hours are as follows –
| Registered Tree Management Personnel | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arborists | Tree Risk Assessors | Tree Work Supervisors | Tree Climbers | Chainsaw Operators | |||
| Key Job Functions (JF) | QF4 Note | QF5 or above Note | QF3 or QF4 Note | QF5 or above Note | - | - | - |
| 1. Arboriculture & Horticulture (A&H) project administration and management | 3 | 3 | - | - | 3 hours (in JF1 or JF4) |
- | - |
| 2. Occupational safety and health for A&H | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 3. Plant selection, cultivation and propagation | 3 | 3 hours (in any one JF) |
3 | Total 6 hours (including at least 3 hours in JF6) |
- | - | - |
| 4. Planting, caring and management of plants | 3 hours (in JF1 or JF4) |
- | 3 | ||||
| 5. Diagnosis and treatment of pests and diseases | 3 | 6 | - | - | - | ||
| 6. Survey, inspection and risk assessment | - | 3 | - | ||||
| Total No. of Essential CEA Hours |
12 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Total No. of Optional CEA Hours |
18 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 6 |
| Total No. of CEA Hours | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 15 | ||
| Note: | QF3 denotes Level 3 in the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework QF4 denotes Level 4 in the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework QF5 denotes Level 5 in the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework |
Optional CEA hours should cover course or seminar relevant to the work of the registered personnel type which can enhance their knowledge, skills and techniques necessary for providing quality arboriculture services.
Please also read Recognised CEA Courses, ISA Hong Kong Chapter – International Conference 2024 and Hong Kong 2024 International Urban Forestry Conference to obtain the total number of essential or optional CEA hours.
Upon successful renewal for the first time, the requirements on minimum essential CEA hours on key job functions will be changed to optional CEA hours. Apart from the requirement to produce a minimum of 1.5 years in-service records in the immediate past three years before expiry of the current registration, registered tree management personnel is only subject to optional CEA hours and they have to produce records of compliance of the requirements on optional CEA hours in the same period for the subsequent renewals of registration as follows –
| Registered Tree Management Personnel | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arborists | Tree Risk Assessors | Tree Work Supervisors | Tree Climbers | Chainsaw Operators | |
| Optional CEA Hours | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 15 |
Relevant registered tree management personnel as listed below attending the full day ISA Hong Kong Chapter - International Conference 2024 can earn essential continuing education in arboriculture (CEA) hours in specific key job functions. For details of the programme, please click ISA Hong Kong Chapter’s website. After attending the ISA Hong Kong Chapter - International Conference 2024, please complete the Record Form of CEA Courses (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) and keep the attendance record.
| Date | Session | Essential CEA hours | Key Job Function | Types of Registered Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Conference 4 October 2024 (Friday) |
Full Day | 3 hours | Key Job Function 3 Plant Selection, Cultivation and Propagation |
Arborists Tree Risk Assessors |
Workshop 5 October 2024 (Saturday) |
Full Day | 3 hours | Key Job Function 6 Survey, Inspection and Risk Assessment |
Arborists Tree Risk Assessors Tree Climbers |
Other types of registered tree management personnel not listed in the above table can earn optional CEA hours after attending the ISA Hong Kong Chapter - International Conference 2024 as follows –
| Date | Session | Optional CEA hours | Types of Registered Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
Conference 4 October 2024 (Friday) |
AM | 2.5 hours | Tree Work Supervisors Tree Climbers Chainsaw Operators |
| PM | 3 hours | ||
Workshop 5 October 2024 (Saturday) |
AM | 2 hours | Tree Work Supervisors Chainsaw Operators |
| PM | 3 hours |
All five types of registered tree management personnel attending the following session(s) of the Hong Kong 2024 International Urban Forestry Conference (IUFC) in person can earn essential continuing education in arboriculture (CEA) hours in specific key job functions or optional CEA hours. For details of the programme, please click IUFC’s website. After attending the seminar, please complete the Record Form of CEA Courses (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) and keep the attendance record.
| Date/Time | Program | Essential CEA hours in Key Job Function | Optional CEA hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 April 2024 (Wednesday) AM |
Plenary Session (1): International Horizon of Urban Forestry | - | 3 hours |
| 10 April 2024 (Wednesday) PM |
Plenary Session (2): Synergising Urban Forests in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area | 3 hours Diagnosis & treatment of pests & diseases |
- |
| 11 April 2024 (Thursday) AM |
Plenary Session (3): Crafting Sustainable Urban Forests: Landscape Planning and Design | 3 hours Plant selection, cultivation and propagation |
- |
| 11 April 2024 (Thursday) PM |
Plenary Session (4): Building Sustainable Urban Forests with the Community | 4 hours Planting, caring and management of plants |
- |
| 12 April 2024 (Friday) AM |
Plenary Session (5): Nurturing Sustainable Urban Forests - Talents, Technology and Management | 3.5 hours Survey, inspection and risk assessment |
- |
In the first renewal, apart from the requirement of 1.5 years in-service records, you also have to meet the requirements on CEA hours. Registered Tree Risk Assessors who do not have recognised academic or professional qualification in the first time registration are required to acquire relevant recognised academic and professional qualifications and submit their documentary proof for first time renewal.
After your first renewal of registration is successful, the CEA hour requirement on key job functions will be changed from essential hours to optional hours. Therefore, in your subsequent renewals, you have to produce a minimum of 1.5 years in-service records in the immediate past three years before expiry of the current registration, and records of compliance of the requirements on optional CEA hours in the same period.
For details, please see Application for Renewal of Registration - Notes to Registered Tree Management Personnel of the Scheme’s website.
To facilitate the registration renewal of the registered tree management personnel, the requirement in CEA hours for the first time renewal of registration have been enhanced since February 2024. The number of essential and optional CEA hour have been adjusted with the total number of CEA hour requirement unchanged.
For registered Arborists and Tree Risk Assessors, the number of essential and optional CEA hour for the first renewal will depend on the Hong Kong Qualification Framework (QF) Level of their academic qualification in relevant discipline.
A summary of the enhanced CEA hour requirement with the changes highlighted in red is as follows –
| Registered Tree Management Personnel | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arborists | Tree Risk Assessors | Tree Work Supervisors | Tree Climbers | Chainsaw Operators | |||
| Key Job Functions (JF) | QF4 Note | QF5 or above Note | QF3 or QF4 Note | QF5 or above Note | - | - | - |
| 1. Arboriculture & Horticulture (A&H) project administration and management | 3 | 3 | - | - | 3 hours (in JF1 or JF4) |
- | - |
| 2. Occupational safety and health for A&H | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 3. Plant selection, cultivation and propagation | 3 | 3 hours (in any one JF) |
3 | Total 6 hours (including at least 3 hours in JF6) |
- | - | - |
| 4. Planting, caring and management of plants | 3 hours (in JF1 or JF4) |
- | 3 | ||||
| 5. Diagnosis and treatment of pests and diseases | 3 | 6 | - | - | - | ||
| 6. Survey, inspection and risk assessment | - | 3 | - | ||||
| Total No. of Essential CEA Hours |
12 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Total No. of Optional CEA Hours |
18 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 6 |
| Total No. of CEA Hours | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 15 | ||
| Note: | QF3 denotes Level 3 in the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework QF4 denotes Level 4 in the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework QF5 denotes Level 5 in the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework |
For example, for the first time renewal of a registered Arborist who has an academic qualification at Hong Kong Qualifications Framework Level 4 in relevant discipline, the optional CEA hour requirement is 18 and he/she has to obtain 3 essential CEA hours in JF1, 3 in JF2, 3 in either JF3 or JF4, and 3 in either JF5 or JF6, making a total of 30 CEA hours.
The optional CEA hour requirement for the first time renewal of another registered Arborist with an academic qualification at Hong Kong Qualifications Framework Level 5 in relevant discipline is 21 and he/she has to obtain 3 essential CEA hours in JF1, 3 in JF2, and 3 in any one JF from JF 3, JF4, JF5 and JF 6, making a total of 30 CEA hours.
Yes. The enhanced CEA hour requirements are applicable to the respective type of registered tree management personnel in the first renewal of registration irrespective of the date of their first registration.
You may apply for extension of the validity period of your current registration for specific personnel type(s) for six months by sending a written request to the Registration Unit at rstmp@devb.gov.hk or in writing stating the reason(s) for applying for the extension of validity period of registration for specific personnel type(s), your registration number and your name. Application for extension of validity period of registration can be made between six months and ten weeks before the expiry date of the current registration.
Application for renewal has to be successful within the extended validity period of the registration. Upon successful renewal of registration, the commencement date of the renewed registration will start from the day following the original expiry date of the last registration. Each registered tree management personnel can apply for one extension only for each registered personnel type in each term of registration.
Registered personnel who apply for renewal have to meet the renewal requirements and submit your renewal application to the Registration Unit between six months and ten weeks before the expiry of your registration. For details of the application procedures, please see the Application for Renewal of Registration - Notes to Registered Tree Management Personnel of the Scheme’s website.
If the Registration Unit does not receive your renewal application ten weeks before the expiry date of your registration, or if you do not meet the renewal requirements of specific personnel type(s), your registration for the specific personnel type(s) will be lapsed upon the expiry of the registration and you will be de-listed from the register for the specific personnel type(s). Once de-listed from a specific personnel type, you can only apply for registration on the same personnel type again one year after the date of de-list.
A registered tree management personnel may apply for extension of the validity period of his/her current registration for specific personnel type(s) for six months by sending a written request to the Registration Unit at rstmp@devb.gov.hk or in writing stating the reason(s) for applying for the extension of validity period of registration for specific personnel type(s), the registration number and his/her name. Application for extension of validity period of registration can be made at the earliest six months in advance of and at the latest ten weeks before the expiry date of the current registration. The Registration Unit will normally process the application for extension of the validity of the current registration upon receipt of all necessary information within six weeks and will notify the applicant of the result of the application in writing.
After the grant of the extension and upon successful renewal of registration, the commencement date of the renewed registration will start from the day following the original expiry date of the last registration before the grant of the extension. Each registered tree management personnel may be granted one extension only for each registered personnel type in each term of registration.
The registration of a registered tree management personnel will be lapsed automatically if no renewal application is made or the registered tree management personnel fails to fulfil the renewal requirement(s) in one or more than one personnel type(s) (including after the expiry of extension of validity period of registration, if applicable). In such case, the registered tree management personnel will be de-listed from the register for the specific personnel type(s). Once delisted from a specific personnel type, he/she can only apply for registration on the same personnel type again one year after the date of de-list.