Non-Chinese residents of Macao can now visit the Chinese mainland for up to 180 days, according to a notice published yesterday on the website of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao.
The new rule, which takes effect immediately, applies to both permanent and non-permanent foreign residents of the SAR and covers trips for “tourism, trade, visiting relatives … and other activities.”
The amendment doubles the 90-day maximum stay originally granted to foreign permanent residents under the visa-free Mainland Travel Permit scheme introduced in July.
[See more: What to know about the Mainland Travel Permit for non-Chinese permanent residents of Macao and Hong Kong]
Foreign non-permanent residents can also enjoy the longer maximum stay under 5-year, multiple-entry visas. According to the notice, they “are exempted from submitting round-trip air tickets (train tickets, boat tickets) and hotel reservations when applying for visas to China.”
Foreign residents with queries can call a visa consultation hotline at the commissioner’s office on 8791 5126, between 2:30 pm and 6:30 pm on business days, or dial the Chinese Visa Application Center on 8799 8117. The address given for email enquiries is [email protected].
The mainland has been actively liberalising its visa rules in recent months in a bid to revive tourism. Passport holders from several countries – including Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain – are now allowed visa-free visits of up to 15 days.
