A resident from Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province applies for administrative services related to residency registration, or hukou. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Residents in Ningbo, Shaoxing, Zhoushan, and Taizhou are able to apply for 33 administrative services related to residency registration, or hukou, from any of the four cities starting from March 1, according to local media reports.

The services include reporting the loss of identity cards and applying for new ones, as well as transferring and cancelling residency in the region.

Applications can be filed via the special windows established by public security authorities from a city, and the data will be sent back to authorities where the applicant's hukou is registered for review, which should be completed in half an hour, according to regulations.

The move comes as part of the four cities' efforts to bolster integrated development in administrative services.

The governments of Ningbo, Zhoushan, and Taizhou recently unveiled an action plan to promote the construction of the Ningbo metropolitan region, which encompasses the aforementioned three cities, as well as Xinchang county and the county level city of Shengzhou in Shaoxing.

According to the plan, the area aims to be a city cluster with a high degree of openness, an international transport hub, a global shipping and trade center, a national innovation powerhouse in smart manufacturing, as well as a key node in Asia-Pacific cultural exchanges.