To enhance convenience for mainland China residents applying for travel permits to visit Macao, the Bureau of Exit and Entry Administration of the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China will from 1 November 2022 commence operating the smart-travel permit application system at exit and entry administration counters throughout the country. The counters will accept and process applications for visits to Macao. On behalf of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government, the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Central Government and relevant ministries and departments, for their full support on the matter.

The Chief Executive said that the measure would offer greater convenience to mainland China residents who apply for travel permits to visit Macao, thus contributing to the recovery of Macao’s economy and its tourism industry.

As Macao’s economy had suffered deeply from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MSAR Government had been striving to implement a series of policies and measures to facilitate economic recovery. Boosting the numbers of tourists is one of the key factors for economic recovery. Resuming smart-travel permit applications for visits to Macao, and Macao-bound package tours from “four provinces and one municipality” (Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, and Shanghai) would definitely supply critical momentum to Macao’s economic recovery.

In September, the Central Government held a special meeting to discuss and determine how to support and accelerate Macao’s tourism recovery and infrastructure development, and actively responded to the concerns of Macao people. With the strong backing of the Central Government, as well as support via coordination work by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, and of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR, the MSAR Government had closely liaised with the relevant ministries and departments on the details of work required to achieve such recovery. As part of that process, the MSAR Government had intensively studied and assessed the development of various contingency plans to help combat the pandemic.

The Chief Executive expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR; the Ministry of Public Security; and the National Immigration Administration, for their invaluable guidance and support.