Hong Kong and Macau residents may travel between the two cities with a QR code for automated immigration clearance from Friday. They would not be required to present an identity card, the Immigration Department has announced.
The new measure would enhance the immigration service quality in both cities in line with the strategy for the development of the Greater Bay Area, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok said at a joint press conference with Macau authorities on Thursday.
“Tomorrow when we roll out the Mutual Use of QR Code between Hong Kong and Macau Clearance Service, it will definitely bring a better travelling experience to Hong Kong and Macau residents who use this service, and increase their happiness,” Kwok said in Cantonese.
Under the new measure, eligible Hong Kong residents may obtain an encrypted QR code from the “Contactless e-Channel” mobile application, after successfully registering for Macau’s Automated Immigration Clearance Service. When they reach immigration, they can present the QR code at the automated clearance channel and scan their fingerprint.
Hongkongers can enrol for the automated clearance service for free at the enrolment offices and kiosks at various checkpoints.
Eligible Macau permanent residents may also generate an encrypted QR code through the “Macao One Account” mobile application to access automated immigration clearance.
Ng Wai-han, director of the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau of Macau, told the press on Thursday that using a QR code for immigration clearance could speed up the process by “two seconds.” The main enhancement brought by the new measure was that residents would not have to pull out their wallet and present their identity card, she said.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong and Macau governments have been seeking ways to further simplify immigration procedures for their residents, Macau’s Identification Services Bureau Deputy Director Chao Wai-leng said. The policy that took affect on Friday would enhance “personnel circulation,” marking an important step in immigration cooperation between the two governments, he said.
Since December 2009, eligible permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau have been able to use automatic immigration clearance after registration. In 2016, the service was expanded to cover non-permanent residents of the two cities.
Hong Kong residents aged 11 or above and who hold a valid Hong Kong permanent ID card, or a Hong Kong ID card containing “*,” ”***” or “R,” are eligible for the automated immigration clearance in Macau.
Authorities estimated that around 2.5 million Hong Kong residents and close to 300,000 Macau residents would benefit.
