PRC eases visas for travellers to Macau, HK

China’s Ministry of Public Security has introduced a new measure for some categories of mainland citizens to apply for exit-entry permits to visit Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan, Macao Daily News reported yesterday.
The new system allows some Chinese visitors to apply for a visa under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) through the mainland China cities where they currently live instead of having to do so in their home town, as was previously required.
The system, which will take effect tomorrow, implies that the applicant holds a ‘residence permit’ for the place of their current abode.
However, the ministry says that not all domestic migrants will take advantage of the IVS scheme as it will only be available in cities above county level that issue residence permits to domestic migrant workers.
The ‘hukou-free’ application rules do not apply to other types of outbound visa applications such as Shenzhen residents seeking multiple-entry IVS permits to go to Hong Kong; or to any mainland China resident applying for permanent residency in Taiwan.
As the Times reported yesterday, the Macau government is not seeking an increase in visitor arrivals from the mainland nor “actively requesting” the expansion of the IVS policy.
Casino industry investors have been paying more attention to trends and developments in the IVS as the spending power of these visitors are more likely to be higher than mainland tourists arriving on package tours. Such visitors are also apt to spend more at casino tables and slots.
The number of mainland Chinese travelling to Macau under the scheme fell 11.5 percent year-on-year last month. Staff reporter