Tourist in Macao Special Administrative Region in September of 2022 Photo: IC

Chinese mainland residents will be able to travel to Macao Special Administrative Region by registering on an online travel permit system from November 1, one of the latest efforts to facilitate travel endorsements as the epidemic situation in Macao SAR is relatively stable, and travel demand is increasing, according to the National Immigration Administration on Monday.

Mainland residents who apply for group and individual travel to Macao SAR can use the smart machines to apply for travel endorsements, with an exit-entry permit for travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, rather than submitting paper application materials, said the immigration administration. 

Relevant civil servants and other personnel under the relevant law and regulations are still required to apply in person. Those residents who are from COVID-19 risky regions are not allowed to use the smart machines, according to the authorities.  

The move aims at facilitating the travel endorsement for mainland residents to Macao SAR, and the travel endorsement will be issued on site after the submitted materials are approved.

The use of an online travel permit system to handle travel applications is an important measure taken by the administration to firmly implement the coordination of epidemic prevention and control and the economic and social development, also one of the major measures to support appropriate economic diversification in the region, according to the immigration administration. 

The new measures will increase the number of tourists and provide new impetus for the trade and exhibition activities in the region, according to Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute. The promotion institute will strengthen exchanges and cooperation between mainland exhibition merchants and local ones covering several sectors and boost recovering.

Macao tourism administration said that it will cooperate with relevant measures, strengthen the tourism promotion and is ready to welcome tourists, as a way to boost tourism. It's expected that the tourists will increase and more tourism products and relevant services will be promoted to attract more consumers. 

The health authorities of Macao SAR recently rolled out COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines as group tourism from the Chinese mainland to the SAR is expected to resume. The guidelines offer suggestions on the matters to pay attention to about travelling including limitations on the number of tourists in each group and details about the movement during the travel.

A Shenzhen resident surnamed Fan told the Global Times on Monday that she welcomed the relevant measures and expected to travel to Macao SAR soon.