The National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced in a statement yesterday that starting from next Monday, May 6, multiple trips between Macau and Hengqin will be allowed for mainland tour groups within seven days via the Hengqin checkpoint with a special endorsement.

Moreover, according to the statement, mainlanders who apply for a multi-entry endorsement to Hong Kong and Macau for business purposes can use smart equipment to get a quick-access endorsement, and the duration of stay for business endorsement holders to Hong Kong and Macau will be extended from the current seven days to 14 days, also starting next Monday.

Meanwhile, a new type of multi-entry endorsement will be issued to mainlanders allowing them to travel to Macau for multiple purposes within one year, including participating in exhibitions, seeking medical treatment and performing at art events.

The NIA statement announced a host of measures to facilitate mainlanders’ trips to Macau, including measures on diversifying application channels for exit and entry documents, optimising the application procedures, and extending the stay period.

On behalf of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng expressed his sincere gratitude to the Central People’s Government, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council, the NIA as well as other relevant central government ministries and commissions, according to a GCS statement yesterday.

Ho said the central government’s introduction of a host of measures to benefit Macau will further consolidate Macau’s position as a World Centre for Tourism and Leisure, further facilitate the territory’s integration into national development, and create more favourable conditions for the promotion of its appropriate and diversified economic development.

Updated endorsement for mainland talent

In addition, the NIA statement said, the municipalities of Beijing and Shanghai will be added from next Monday to the policy of issuing multi-entry endorsements with a validity of one to five years for six designated categories of talent – namely, outstanding talent, scientific research talent, educational talent, healthcare talent, legal talent and management talent – to travel to Hong Kong and Macau, with a duration of stay less than 30 days for each trip.

The talent exit endorsement has already been implemented in the mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) on a pilot basis since February 20 last year to facilitate GBA mainland talents’ travel to Hong Kong and Macau.

Under the new policies, talents in the mainland’s GBA cities, Beijing and Shanghai who meet the eligibility criteria set by the mainland authorities can apply for a talent exit endorsement with a validity period of five years, three years or one year. They can travel to and from Hong Kong or Macau multiple times within the validity period of the exit endorsement and stay in Hong Kong or Macau for a duration not exceeding 30 days during each visit.

In the GCS statement yesterday, Ho said that the Macau government was ready to welcome more mainland tour groups and to bring more mainland talents to Macau for exchanges, in order to promote the appropriately diversified development of the MSAR economy.

Meanwhile, apart from Ho, various other local government entities yesterday also expressed their gratitude for the new measures announced by the NIA. 

This photo taken early this month shows the Macau-Hengqin joint checkpoint. – Photo: Tony Wong