Entering Macau

The entry and staying in Macau is controlled by the Migration Service of Public Security Police of Macau (CPSP). Following paragraphs are intended only as a guide. All visitors must hold a passport or a valid travel document for travel to Macau.

All visitors are required to have a visa except nationals of countries which are exempted from a visa or entry permit. For more information on “Visa” and “Entry Permit” Exemption, please visit the website of the Macao Immigration Services of Public Security Police Force.

A Macau visa can be obtained through the Embassies/Consulates of the PRC and should be used within its validity. Visitors may also apply for an entry permit or visa upon arrival at the immigration checkpoint. However, visitors from certain countries are required to obtain a visa in advance before their trip to Macau. For more information, please visit the website: http://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/eng/AfMV.html

Passport requirement and travel documents
  • All passengers wishing to enter Macau must have valid travel documents, with visas where required, and adequate means of subsistence to support their proposed stay and the objectives of the visit or staying in the territory.
  • "World Service Authority" issued documents are not recognized nor accepted.

Entering Macau
Visas requirement
Arriving passengers must have an authorisation to enter the territory or a Diplomatic or Consular Visa, previously obtained. However, this is not required to the holders of following valid documents:
  • Macau Resident Card (BIR)
  • Identity Card of Portuguese National Citizen (BICN)
  • Hong Kong Identity Card (HKIC) or Hong Kong Re-entry Permit, if any of these documents serve for that passenger to enter in Hong Kong.
  • Note: HKIC is only valid if holder has registered on it any of following codes *, *** or R.
  • Resident Permit
  • Identity Permit for non-resident worker
  • Visa Free Countries
Note: Holders of documents referred in d) and e) are not exempt from producing valid passports.

A. Visas are required by all visitors except:
  • Residents of Macau;
  • Nationals of Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania and the United Kingdom(6 months) for a stay up to 90 days;
  • Nationals of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United States of America and Uruguay for a stay up to 30 days;
  • Nationals of China with valid Macau entry/depart documents, including residents of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas Chinese for a stay of up to 30 days;
  • The "Hong Kong Identity Card", "Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" or "Hong Kong Reentry Permit" holders may stay in Macau for a maximum period of one year.
  • Holders of Diplomatic Passport or "Laissez Passer" issued by the United Nations.
  • Holders of Consulate/Diplomatic documents issued by the Macau SAR or Hong Kong SAR.

B. Visas can be obtained from the Immigration Services through Embassies/Consulates of the PRC and should be used within the validity, the visa is expired after the valid date.

C. Visas are also available on arrival in Macau at the Immigration Services for a period of 30 days.

There are three types:
  • Individual - MOP 100, for individual traveller for a single stay of up to 30 days in Macau, children under 12 years of age pay MOP 50.
  • Family - MOP 200 for couples, husband travelling with wife and or children (under 12 years of age) of same surname or on proof of their relationship.
  • Group - MOP 50 per person for bonafide groups of 10 or more and children aged 12 or under.

The above information is for reference only. For further information on entry formalities, please contact the Macau Immigration Services of Public Security Police Force at Tel: (Macau area code) +853 2872 5488 or email:sminfo@fsm.gov.mo, or visit their website: http://www.fsm.gov.mo.

Residency For Expats

There are two common ways to live and work in Macau. The first way is to acquire a work permit (aka, "blue card"). This process takes 3-6 months from the time you first file your work permit paperwork. You lose the right to live and work in Macau if you cease working for the employer that sponsored you. Less pleasant employers prefer this route because it gives them leverage over you. Others might just be ignorant of the temporary residency process.

Nice and well-informed employers suggest that while they start the blue card process for you, you should also go out and start your "temporary residency" process. Temporary residency is like a superset of the blue card, and allows you to continue to live and work in Macau, even if you change jobs. Unless you're Macanese, you're not legally entitled to work in Macau unless you have one of these two permits.

The temporary residency process is managed by the "IPIM" (Macau Trade and Invesetment Promotion Institute) Office. They are located in the red and silver World Trade Center building on Avendia da Amizade.

While there are 4 reasons you can request temporary residency, the one I'm going to write about is "Management staff and professional technicians" (if you're wealthy enough to do the other 3, you wouldn't be the type reading this blog!).

The first step is to go to the office and declare your intent to seek temporary residency. When you do that you receive an appointment card for an appointment at least 6 weeks after you get the card. (Now, you'll be lucky to get an appointment in 4 months time.)

Having the card is good. It is a stay of execution down at immigration - they will extend your entry visa to at least a week or two after your appointment. You will also receive the paperwork you need to fill out and some guidence notes. The notes are ALMOST complete (see below for my checklist). Even better, they are all in English, and chances are the staff you met and will meet through this process speak pretty good English.

Next is your appointment where you present all the paperwork you had to gather. The important thing here is that you most likely WILL NOT have gathered everything you need, and that's ok. So long as you have most of it, you'll pass the meeting. The people that I've dealt with at the IPIM have been VERY nice, amazingly nice compared to most government officials I've dealt with (immigration official, Heathrow airport, need I say more).

Providing your appointment is successful, you receive the all important "beige paper" titled "Gabinete Juridico e de Fixacao de Residencia". This is the magic! Take this paper down to the immigration office, and you should be able to get a 4-6 month extension on your entry visa. Plenty of time to sort out whatever you need to sort out.

Now, on to the list. I originally made up the list as a summary of the paperwork they give you at the start, and I've added a few gotchas to it as well.

Macau Temporary Residency Checklist
  1. Passport - two copies of complete passport, all pages of passport
  2. Proof of residency granted by another country (e.g., passport; yes, redundant with number 1) – two copies
  3. Departure card – one copy
  4. Non-resident worker card – one copy (original taken back by government) – only if you have a current and active card; previous ones don't matter
  5. Birth certificate – one copy
  6. Police criminal declaration - From country of origin (original) - If you have had a work permit or a temporary residency permit in Macau previously, then also one from Macau
  7. One set of original fingerprints (like the ones you used to get your criminal declaration)
  8. Photos – 5 black and white or colour photos; print your name on the back of 4 of the photos
  9. Proof of marriage – one copy
  10. Employment contract – one copy; should include all of the following:
  • employment period, remuneration, name of post
  • "the contract will take effect from the date the temporary residency is granted to the applicant" (this is important, the emplo ym ent contract must make this reference and reference to the work permit law isn't acceptable)
  • Main description of job and duties
  • Proof of education certificates
  • CV
  • Proof of professional qualifications
  • Certificate of commercial registration of organization employing or offering employment to the applicant
  • If applicant currently working in said position, Individual Professional Tax receipt should be submitted
  • Job description (must be separate from emplo ym ent contract)
If your spouse is going through the process, she also has to submit 1-9 above.