Facial recognition clearance extended to Qingmao port and HZMB

Today marks the rollout of Smart Immigration Clearance at Qingmao Port and the Zhuhai-Macao Hall of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), extending the facial recognition-based system to additional cross-border checkpoints following its earlier launch at Hengqin Port last year.

The initiative, which replaces physical document checks with facial recognition technology, was first piloted at Hengqin Port on November 5 last year.

The Public Security Police Force (PSP) and the Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau, working alongside the Zhuhai General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection and the Economic Development Bureau of the Cooperation Zone, upgraded the joint inspection automated channels to allow travelers to simply glance at a scanner rather than use their ID cards.

The shift from “card scan” to “face scan” has been widely welcomed by frequent cross-border commuters, who now breeze through checkpoints in seconds.

As of June 24, some 310,000 individuals had registered for the service at Hengqin Port, with cumulative usage surpassing 6.21 million passenger trips. That figure represents 42% of all clearances processed through the port’s joint inspection automated channels.

Following more than six months of stable operation at Hengqin, authorities decided to extend the service to two additional ports. The Qingmao Port and the HZMB Zhuhai-Macao Hall underwent stress tests from April 22 to 24, followed by trial runs on May 11 and 12.

As of June 24, 170,000 travelers had registered at these two locations, and more than 1.72 million trips have been processed using the new system. The smooth trial runs provided authorities with the confidence to proceed with the full-scale rollout.

With today’s expansion, all 204 joint inspection automated channels across Macau’s “joint inspection” ports will now support face-scan clearance.

The technology simplifies the clearance process significantly, but authorities stress that travelers must continue to carry their physical identity documents at all times. Border inspection officers may still request to see these documents for verification purposes when necessary.

Eligibility for the service is limited to specific traveler categories. Macau residents, Hong Kong permanent residents, and mainland Chinese residents aged 14 or above may use the system at all three ports after completing a one-time registration.

However, due to the restricted categories of travelers permitted to use Qingmao Port, registered residents from the Taiwan region are only eligible to use the service at Hengqin Port and the HZMB Zhuhai-Macao Hall.

Officials have indicated that further enhancements, including potential expansion to additional traveler groups, are being studied as part of ongoing efforts to improve the cross-border travel experience.