Hong Kong e-Channel limited to some Macau residents
The Hong Kong immigration automated passages (e-Channel) are not equally accessible to all residents of Macau. This is due to a rule established by the Macau authorities and comes as a result of the “Joint declaration of the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Portuguese Republic on the Question of Macau” also called “Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration,” the Times learned in a response from the Identification Services Bureau (DSI) on the matter.
Non-permanent residents of Macau from all nationalities other than Portuguese or Chinese are currently unable to register their documents to use the fast channel (e-Channel) when arriving or leaving the neighboring region.
According to an inquiry from the Times to the Immigration Department of Hong Kong (IMMD), to be able to register for the e-Channel immigration simplified procedure, the non-residents of Macau must present their Macau identification cards (BIR) as well as a “Visit Permit for Residents of Macau to HKSAR.” Both must be valid for a period of not less than one month.
While there are few questions on the first document (BIR), the same cannot be said for the “Visit Permit” also known as “Grey Passport” (a document with which many people in Macau are less familiar).
Such a document, as DSI confirmed to the Times, can only be issued to those residents of Macau who possess either Chinese or Portuguese nationality, a fact that necessarily excludes residents of Macau of any other nationality from the process (and thereby the possibility of using the e-Channels).
“According to prevailing laws and regulations, holders of Macau SAR Resident Identity Cards with Chinese or Portuguese nationality are eligible to apply for the Visit Permit to Hong Kong,” the DSI said in a written reply to the Times.
“Before the handover to China, under normal circumstances, Portuguese nationals can visit Hong Kong with their Portuguese National Ordinary Passport. Macau residents of Chinese nationality can visit Hong Kong with the Visit Permit issued to Macau residents by the Hong Kong government and the Passport for Foreigners of Portugal,” the DSI added.
“After the handover to China, since the Portuguese National Ordinary Passport and the Passport for Foreigners were no longer issued, and the Macau SAR Passport and the Macau SAR Travel Permit cannot be used when visiting Hong Kong, Administration Regulation No. 10/1999 (Regulations of Issuance of Visit Permit for Macau Residents from Macau SAR to Hong Kong SAR) was promulgated in December 1999, stipulating that the Identification Services Bureau can issue the Visit Permit to HK to eligible Macau residents,” the DSI further explained.
“[The Grey Passport] aims to solve the issue of the document that Macau residents of Chinese or Portuguese nationality use to visit Hong Kong. Macau residents of other nationalities can enter Hong Kong upon obtaining prior permission from the Hong Kong Immigration Department,” DSI concluded.
In short, and after phone contact with the IMMD, it was explained that the residents of Macau who are not of Chinese or Portuguese nationality must always present their country passports to the immigration checkpoint in Hong Kong, together with their non-permanent BIR of Macau. In this case, the amount of time granted in Hong Kong will be also based on the immigration criteria for each country’s passport and will not abide by the conditions specially granted to Macau residents.
Such a situation can only be overcome after the holders of a non-permanent BIR are granted permanent residency in Macau. In this case, they can apply to use the HKSAR e-Channel directly at the DSI in Macau without the need to register with the Hong Kong authorities, the IMMD also clarified.
The IMMD reminded that in the event that eligible Macau non-permanent residents are enrolled in the service but undergo any changes to their personal information – including the obtaining of a Macau permanent identity card – they must re-enroll to continue to use the system.
HK immigration regards query to Macau residents ‘normal’
With the reopening of the borders between the two special administrative regions, Macau and Hong Kong residents alike have resumed regular visits to one another. In the process, some local residents have reported being faced with uncommon queries upon arriving in Hong Kong.
Several members of a group from a local university visiting Hong Kong said to the Times that they found it odd that the immigration officers asked them about several personal matters including the purpose of their visit and the duration of their stay.
“I have never before been asked these questions when visiting Hong Kong,” said a female member of the group who requested to remain unnamed. She added, “I was born here and I have been traveling to Hong Kong as my second home for over 35 years and I can assure you that I have never before been asked about my purpose for visiting Hong Kong or how long I was going to stay, or if I had any hotel booking. It is just weird,” she said.
Although the questions surprise some, an official named Marco from the Hong Kong Immigration Department (IMMD) told the Times via phone that such questions “are normal and acceptable to everyone entering Hong Kong.”
“Immigration officers have the right to ask these random questions to anyone. It is part of their work,” the same official said. RM
