[Aritaurus]

I've read that if you have a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card or a Hong Kong Identity Card with " *** , * or R " , you can enter Macau for up to one year without showing your passport.

How exactly does it work ? I'm sure many of you have done it before. Do they hand you a tourist card of some sort that you have to give back to them upon leaving ?

[PDLM]

You just go in and out as you wish; no paperwork involved. There are many places in the world where you don't get any record of crossing a border (within the EU for example).

[comingtohk]

really? can anyone work in macau with their HK ID ?

[PDLM]

Er, no. Sorry - maybe the EU analogy wasn't exactly precise.

[fsklee]

There is a border. There are records. The HK Immigration knows whether you are in or out of HK.

[PDLM]

True now with SmartID although I don't think it was for Permanent Residents before they were introduced was it? (Not sure because I've only become one since then)

[chicagolife]

Last I used my HKID ("R") upon entering Macau, I was able to get in fine. Then, when I was leaving macau that same day, they asked to see my passport on the way out. Can I use only my HKID?

[Aritaurus]

Originally Posted by chicagolife

Last I used my HKID ("R") upon entering Macau, I was able to get in fine. Then, when I was leaving macau that same day, they asked to see my passport on the way out. Can I use only my HKID?

They shouldn't do that. I have an "R" HKID and I've never had any problems going in or leaving Macau from the Zhu Hai border and the Hong Kong Macau Ferry terminal.

There have a been a few times where the immigration officer wasn't sure if " R " was permanent so they asked the immigration officer beside them if " R " is okay. Once they get that clarified, they let me in.

My guess is that they don't get many people with the right to land coming into Macau so some of these immigration officers are not sure if it's okay or not. I've seen a person with a " C " HKID thinking he could come in with their HKID alone and in the end , he got sent back to Hong Kong on the next ferry. That shouldn't happen to us.

[HKFella]

Originally Posted by Aritaurus

I've read that if you have a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card or a Hong Kong Identity Card with " *** , * or R " , you can enter Macau for up to one year without showing your passport.

How exactly does it work ? I'm sure many of you have done it before. Do they hand you a tourist card of some sort that you have to give back to them upon leaving ?

To answer the original question, fill in the usual arrival card and hand it over (with your permanent HKID card) to the officer at Macau entry who will arrival-stamp both parts and hand you the departure copy which you keep on your person. Present it with your HKID card on the way out (if you'd lost the copy, I suppose they'd let you write one up right there). This is how it still was in Jan08 at ferry terminal in Macau for direct travel from and to HK when I last did that trip. No need to carry passport if one has perm HKID card.

Can't say about border procedure at other entry/exit points, i.e., Macau airport and Zhuhai land border.

[Aritaurus]

From the Macau Tourism Website:

e) The "Hong Kong Identity Card" (with symbol “*”, “***” or “R”), "Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" or "Hong Kong Reentry Permit" holders may stay in Macau for a maximum period of one year.

================================

So that means that the following non-permanent HKID holders can enter Macau on the same basis as HKPIC holders.

1) Chinese nationals of the mainland who have been granted unconditional stay in Hong Kong and eligible for a Hong Kong re-entry permit.

***UX or *UX ( Or with a Hong Kong re-entry permit if they're under the age of 11)

2) Stateless people who have been granted unconditional stay in Hong Kong and eligible for a Hong Kong re-entry permit.

***UO or *UO (Or with a Hong Kong re-entry permit if they're under the age of 11)

3) People with the right to land in Hong Kong.

RO or RZ

I never had problems using my "R" HKID to enter Macau. There has been a few times where the immigration officer was not sure if they could stamp my arrival card with a non-permanent HKID. They'll usually just ask their supervisor or their co-worker next to them if "R" is ok. Once they get a "yes" , they'll stamp my arrival card. This happened to me last week at the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal.