From today, eligible residents of both SARs can cross between Macao and Hong Kong without showing any physical documentation.
A launch event for the new scheme was held in Macao on Thursday. The plan is designed to ease travel at checkpoints between the two territories.
Travellers can now use a combination of encrypted QR code, facial recognition technology and fingerprinting at immigration checkpoints to verify their identities, provided they have pre-registered.
[See more: Portuguese passport holders can now get automated clearance at Macao’s borders]
Macao residents can sign up for the programme via their Macao One Account mobile app, while Hong Kong residents should use the contactless e-channel mobile app.
At yesterday’s launch, the director of Hong Kong’s Immigration Department, Benson Kwok, told media the new service would “further improve the quality of immigration clearance services on both sides to integrate into the important national strategy of the Greater Bay Area.”
The service is only available for those aged 11 and over and those using it are advised to still carry identification documents.
