Starting from Dec. 28, Korean nationals will be able to make use of automated clearance services (pictured) when visiting Macau. The same applies to tourists from Macau visiting Korea.
The immigration and customs process between Korea and Macau is about to become more convenient, thanks to the adoption of the Korean automated immigration clearance system.
The Ministry of Justice and the Macau Special Administrative Region made an agreement to implement the "smart entry service" starting Dec. 28, which allows pre-approved travelers to process the immigration clearance by themselves, using their passports and fingerprints.
To make use of the automatic immigration clearance service in Macau, travelers need to first register their passport, photo and fingerprints at the airport service center (pictured). The same process applies at Korean airports.
Koreans wishing to use the service must be 11 years old or older, and hold a Korean passport valid for at least 30 days. Before using the service, travelers need to register their photo and fingerprints at the Macau International Airport or ferry terminal enrollment centers. Renewed passports or passports with name changes need to be re-registered before use.
The process is similar for Macau nationals visiting Korea, except that Macau residents need to be 17 or older and hold a valid Macau SAR electronic passport, valid for at least 30 days. Travelers from Macau can register at enrollment centers at Incheon International Airport, and at other major airports across the country.
The agreement between Korea and Macau was made to make it easier for large numbers of tourists to travel between their cities. According to the Ministry of Justice, some 554,000 Koreans visited Macau last year, a 40 percent increase from the 400,000 Koreans that travelled to Macau in 2011.
"The smart entry service is already up and running in Hong Kong, and with the launch of the service in Macau, Koreans could potentially travel between Korea, Hong Kong and Macau without needing to line up for immigrations and customs. We hope to expand Korea's automated immigration clearance system to more countries in the years ahead," said an official at the Ministry of Justice.
By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Ministry of Justice
hlee10@korea.kr
