Macau will further simplify cross-border procedures by officially rolling out Smart Immigration Clearance at the joint inspection automated channels of Qingmao Port and the Zhuhai-Macao Hall of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Port on June 26th, according to a statement from the Macau Public Security Police Force.
The service allows eligible passengers to clear immigration through facial recognition, replacing the traditional “card scan” process with “face scan” clearance. The system supports document-free inspection, although users must still carry their physical identity documents for verification by border inspection officers when required.
The expansion follows the launch of Smart Immigration Clearance at Hengqin Port on November 5th last year. As of June 24th, 310,000 people had registered for the service at Hengqin Port, with more than 6.21 million passengers recorded. The figure accounted for 42 percent of all clearances through the joint inspection automated channels at that port.
Following the launch at Qingmao Port and the Zhuhai-Macao Hall of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port, Macau will have 204 joint inspection automated channels supporting face-scan clearance across all its joint inspection ports.
The two new locations completed stress tests from April 22nd to 24th and began trial operations on May 11th and 12th. As of June 24th, 170,000 passengers had registered at the two ports, with usage exceeding 1.72 million.
Eligible users include registered passengers aged 14 or above who are Macau residents, Hong Kong permanent residents or Mainland residents. Registered Taiwan residents may use the service only at Hengqin Port and the Zhuhai-Macao Hall of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port.
