Macau, China, Aug. 18, 2026 (Lusa) - Non-Chinese residents of Macau - including Portuguese nationals - can, from Tuesday, cross three borders into mainland China by car more easily, using just one document instead of two.
The measure applies to Macau residents and permanent residents of Hong Kong, «including those of non-Chinese nationality», for border crossings in both directions, said the local Public Security Police (PSP).
Residents can use the travel permit to enter mainland China – without also having to show their Macau identity card – at automated full-inspection lanes and vehicle inspection lanes, the PSP explained.
«The new measures to facilitate border crossings for the public are intended to simplify entry and exit formalities and enhance the cross-border travel experience for passengers,» the police emphasised on Monday evening.
The measure covers the border posts at Hengqin (Mountain Island), Qingmao and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, the world's largest sea crossing, the PSP explained in a message posted on social media.
«It is sufficient to ‘queue once, have your documents scanned once and undergo biometric data verification once' to complete all border inspection formalities for Guangdong and Macau,» the police added.
Access to the vehicle lanes at the Hengqin border post has also been extended to foreign nationals holding a multiple-entry visa valid for more than six months, including residents of Taiwan.
According to the PSP, in the first half of the year, 42 million people crossed the borders into Macau, a daily average of 235,000, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
Of these crossings, 43.8% were by Macau residents and 2.2% were by Hong Kong residents, an increase of 12.4% and 12.2% respectively compared with the same period last year.
From September 2024, foreign permanent residents of Macau and Hong Kong will be able to apply for a permit to drive vehicles from the two semi-autonomous regions in the neighbouring province of Guangdong.
Two months earlier, the Chinese National Immigration Administration announced that foreign permanent residents of Macau and Hong Kong would be able to apply for a permit to enter mainland China, valid for a maximum of five years.
The measure applies to members of the Portuguese community who are permanent residents of Macau and who, until then, had been required to apply for a visa to travel across the border.
The 2021 census figures indicate that there are more than 2,200 people born in Portugal living in Macau.
The latest estimate provided to Lusa by the Consulate-General of Portugal put the number of Portuguese passport holders amongst the residents of Macau and Hong Kong at around 155,000.
JW/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
