Residents’ close family allowed to enter from Monday

Non-resident spouses and underage children of Macau residents will be able to enter the region from Monday (May 30), the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center announced yesterday during the weekly briefing on the situation of Covid-19 in Macau. 

The announcement, made by coordinator of the local Center for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Leong Iek Hou, brings an end to the ban put in place over two years ago on the reentering of all foreign nationals that, according to several reports, has been separating families.

Leong explained that the entry is conditional on prior approval from the Health Bureau (SSM) who will evaluate the eligibility of the applicants as well as the fulfillment of several requirements.

Among requirements is the need for documented proof of a relationship between the foreign applicants and the relevant resident of Macau. These documents must be submitted to the SSM via the special page for Covid-19 prevention and control.

The documents may be submitted in PDF or Image files together with an application form.

Leong explained that the SSM will then respond to the applicant within 15 days. If the application is approved, the applicant can print an authorization document that will be used to book the flight, quarantine hotel, and nucleic acid tests (NAT) as normally required.

The other requirements are the same as those that apply to every other person, such as the completion of a vaccination program and payment of the NAT during the quarantine period, depending on the individual’s travel history.

Leong justified these measures by pointing out that the risk of infection is lower now than before, allowing the government to ease restrictions.