Macao’s Public Security Police Force on 26 June switched on its “Face Scan” Smart Immigration Clearance lanes at two of the region’s busiest land checkpoints – Qingmao Port and the Zhuhai-Macao hall of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB). The expansion means that Hong Kong permanent residents, Macao residents and Mainland Chinese travellers aged 14 or above who have pre-registered their facial biometrics can now enter or leave Macao simply by walking through an automated corridor. No passport, ID card, fingerprint or QR code is required; the system verifies a traveller’s identity in about three seconds using AI-driven facial-recognition cameras. The programme was first piloted at Hengqin in November 2025 and has already processed more than 6.2 million passenger trips. With the latest upgrade, a total of 204 face-scan e-channels are operational across Macao’s three main ports, a scale officials say will absorb peak-hour traffic during the upcoming summer holiday.
![Smart ‘Face-Scan’ clearance rolled out at Qingmao and HZMB ports – Hong Kong ID holders can walk through without documents]()
For travellers who still need assistance with visas or travel documents despite the new “walk-through” lanes, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers quick, online application services and real-time status tracking for dozens of destinations—making it easier for business and leisure visitors to stay compliant as border technology evolves.
For Hong Kong, the change is immediately relevant because the HZMB hall handles a growing volume of shuttle-bus commuters and cross-border drivers who live in Hong Kong but work or gamble in Macao. Eliminating document presentation cuts queuing time by up to 70 percent, according to Macao police statistics. Travel-management experts advise corporates to encourage frequent Macao travellers – auditors, casino suppliers, event organisers and IT maintenance crews – to enrol promptly, as registration slots are limited in the initial phase. Enrolment is free and can be completed either online (for Mainland residents) or at dedicated service counters located inside each port. Once registered, users may enter the fast lane simply by keeping a normal walking pace; the system captures a live image, compares it with encrypted templates in the border database and opens the exit gate automatically if matched. From a compliance perspective, companies should update personal-data consent forms because the programme relies on sensitive biometric information that is shared between Macao and Guangdong border agencies. They should also remind staff that physical travel documents must still be carried and produced on demand – for example, during spot checks or unexpected system outages. Macao’s move dovetails with Hong Kong’s own “Seamless e-Channel” pilot at the HZMB Hong Kong Port, activated on 25 June. Together, the two technologies edge the Pearl River Delta closer to a true “walk-through” border experience, reinforcing the region’s competitiveness for meetings-incentives-conventions-exhibitions (MICE) tourism and same-day business trips.
For travellers who still need assistance with visas or travel documents despite the new “walk-through” lanes, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers quick, online application services and real-time status tracking for dozens of destinations—making it easier for business and leisure visitors to stay compliant as border technology evolves.
For Hong Kong, the change is immediately relevant because the HZMB hall handles a growing volume of shuttle-bus commuters and cross-border drivers who live in Hong Kong but work or gamble in Macao. Eliminating document presentation cuts queuing time by up to 70 percent, according to Macao police statistics. Travel-management experts advise corporates to encourage frequent Macao travellers – auditors, casino suppliers, event organisers and IT maintenance crews – to enrol promptly, as registration slots are limited in the initial phase. Enrolment is free and can be completed either online (for Mainland residents) or at dedicated service counters located inside each port. Once registered, users may enter the fast lane simply by keeping a normal walking pace; the system captures a live image, compares it with encrypted templates in the border database and opens the exit gate automatically if matched. From a compliance perspective, companies should update personal-data consent forms because the programme relies on sensitive biometric information that is shared between Macao and Guangdong border agencies. They should also remind staff that physical travel documents must still be carried and produced on demand – for example, during spot checks or unexpected system outages. Macao’s move dovetails with Hong Kong’s own “Seamless e-Channel” pilot at the HZMB Hong Kong Port, activated on 25 June. Together, the two technologies edge the Pearl River Delta closer to a true “walk-through” border experience, reinforcing the region’s competitiveness for meetings-incentives-conventions-exhibitions (MICE) tourism and same-day business trips.
