Following an easing of the entry tax threshold for mainland Chinese travelers to Macau that was announced on Friday, the Chinese Exit and Entry Administration said Monday that non-Chinese permanent residents of Macau would also now be allowed to apply for a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents.
The new measure relaxes visa restrictions for non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau. Under the new policy, non-Chinese Hong Kong or Macau permanent residents can apply for a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents (non-Chinese permanent), which is valid for five years and allows them to travel to and from the mainland multiple times during the period, with a stay of up to 90 days each time.
Previously, non-Chinese Macau permanent residents could only apply for visas on a one-off basis for traveling to the mainland.
In response to Monday’s announcement, the Macau SAR Government stated, “The new policy will encourage and make it more convenient for non-Chinese Macau residents to visit the mainland for investment, visiting relatives, traveling, business, study and exchanges.
“The new policy will further promote exchanges, economic and trade relations and mutually beneficial co-operation between people from the mainland and Macau.”
Beijing has recently introduced a number of measures conducive to the development of Macau’s tourism industry. Last Friday it was revealed that the tax exemption amount for mainland residents purchasing goods in Macau and Hong Kong to bring back home would be raised from the RMB5,000 to RMB12,000.
In addition, the mainland announced earlier this year that 10 new mainland cities had been added to the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) for Hong Kong and Macau, and that mainland tour group travelers are now allowed to make multiple round trips between Hengqin and Macau via the Hengqin control point within a seven-day period.
