Macao and Hong Kong have announced a significant enhancement to travel between the two SARs, lowering the eligible age for automated immigration clearance between the two territories from 11 to seven years old.
The new facilitation measures come into effect today and cover both Hong Kong’s e-Channels and Macao’s traditional two-gate automated channels.
Minors must complete enrolment in person at a port office in the destination SAR, accompanied by a parent or guardian and with necessary documents. Once successfully registered, they can use the automated channels approximately 30 minutes later. Eligible minors will also be able to use joint inspection channels and iris recognition channels at designated locations.
Meanwhile, adult non-permanent residents of the SARs can also benefit from the new rules. After a successful pre-enrolment, residents can begin using the automated channels within about three hours.
Non-permanent residents of Macao aged 18 or above can enrol for the Hong Kong e-Channel service via Macao government self-service kiosks or at the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s e-Channel Enrolment Offices.
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Non-permanent residents of Hong Kong aged 18 or above can pre-enrol for Macao’s automated clearance service at self-service kiosks at designated control points and all Registration of Persons Offices in Hong Kong.
Non-Permanent Residents aged 11 to 17 must still attend enrolment offices at the ports of the other side in person, accompanied by a parent or guardian.
For details about the facilitation measures on immigration clearance between Hong Kong and Macao, please visit the webpage of Macao’s Identification Services Bureau or the Q&A section on the website of the Public Security Police Force. For the locations of self-service kiosks, click here.
Details about the e-Channel service in Hong Kong can be found at the website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
