Tourist visas for Guangdong – Macau to restart on August 26

The rest of mainland China is scheduled to be granted visas from 23 September

China will resume issuance of tourist visas for visitors coming in from Guangdong province to Macau, which includes visas for packaged tour trips and individual visas under China’s Individual Visit Scheme (IVS). 

In an announcement by the National Immigration Administration, visas from the Mainland will be restored in stages. Tourists from Zhuhai have been granted visas mid this week, while the rest of the province will be able to secure visas starting on 26 August. 

Meanwhile, the rest of mainland China is scheduled to be granted visas from 23 September. 

The announcement also include cancellation of the 14-day quarantine protocol for all travelers coming from Macau to the mainland starting this week. 

However, reinstatement of tourist visas will not include mainland China residents coming from “mid to high” risk of Covid-19 infection areas and those who have travelled in said areas in the last 14 days.  

Access to Macau from the province, through the IVS program, was banned last January, to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus, with tour group visas suspension following immediately after. Mid last month, Macau has required visitors coming in from Guangdong to present a negative nucleic acid test certificate before entry. Later that month, the 14-day quarantine was lifted from visitors coming back to Guangdong from Macau, which saw an increase in visitors to 2,000 a day.  

Macau’s gaming revenue are largely driven by the Chinese market. The gaming industry suffered massive losses brought about by border restrictions and limited visitations from Mainland.  

Last year’s record show that 50 percent of the visitors in Macau came from Guangdong province, making it the largest source of income for Macau casino operators.  

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