Using Iris Recognition for Immigration Clearance Extended to Hong Kong SAR Permanent Residents

Along with the accelerated development of the Greater Bay Area, the exchange between Hong Kong and Macao residents is becoming increasingly frequent.  To further facilitate the Hong Kong residents to travel to Macao, following the successful implementation of the“Mutual Use of QR Code between Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR Clearance Service” in August last year, the Public Security Police Force is going to extend the eligible groups for using iris recognition for immigration clearance to the Hong Kong SAR permanent residents who have registered for the Macao automated passenger clearance service starting from 12:00 noon on 11 June 2025.

At present, a total of 81 iris automated channels are located at the six checkpoints of Macao namely the Border Gate, Hong Kong-Zhuhai Macao Bridge (Hong Kong-Macao Hall), Airport, Taipa Ferry Terminal, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal and Inner Harbour Ferry Terminal respectively, 71 of them are equipped with the second-generation recognition device, which have added the face tracking function, enlarged screens, as well as improved voice functions.  Since the Public Security Police Force and the Macao Security Forces Affairs Bureau have jointly launched iris recognition for immigration clearance for Macao residents in October 2023, iris recognition does not only solve the problem of some people who are unable to use automated immigration clearance owing to their unreadable fingerprints, but it also enables fast and hygienic contactless immigration clearance with using My Border Crossing QR Code, and its speed is also one to two seconds faster than the traditional form of automated immigration clearance. There are currently 300,000 Macao residents who have registered their iris biometrics for immigration clearance, as of end May 2025, the accumulated number of persons using this service is more than 15,780,000, the utilisation rate in recent months is 42 % of the number of Macao residents using traditional automated clearance channels, which shows that the service is highly efficient and convenient, and is widely welcomed.

How to register and use iris recognition for immigration clearance?

Hong Kong SAR permanent residents who are aged 11 or above and have registered for the automated passenger clearance service in Macao SAR, may register their iris biometrics by the following methods:

a.Passegers aged 18 or above may register their iris biometrics when using the “iris automated channels” equipped with the registration function for the first time, it generally takes about 25 seconds.

b.Minors aged 11 to 17 (Note 1) and passengers who fail to register their iris biometrics at the “iris automated channels” can go to the locations below (Note 2) for manual registration of their iris biometrics.

Note 1: Minors aged 11 to 17 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian for registration. The minor and the accompanying parent or guardian should produce proof of their identity and proof of their relationship.

Note 2: Registration for the Macao automated passenger clearance service can be done at the above locations. See https://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/eng/psp_top7_sm_1_1.html for the details of registration for the Macao automated passenger clearance service for Hong Kong residents.

Continuous Review to Support Greater Bay Area Development

The Public Security Police Force will add 71 “iris automated channels” at the above six checkpoints within this year, and will continue to review the use of channels and explore the expansion of eligible users to, for example, non-resident workers and non-resident students who are long-term stayers in Macao.

As the immigration authority, the Public Security Police Force will conscientiously implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important speeches during his visit to Macao, adhere to the Chief Executive’s governance philosophy of “Striving Together, Upholding Integrity and Innovation” and actively align with the SAR Government’s development positioning of “One Centre, One Platform, One Base”. By strengthening collaboration with relevant Macao, Mainland and Hong Kong authorities, enabling continuous clearance mode innovation through technological empowerment and staying committed to the people-oriented concept for enhancing clearance experience, the Public Security Police Force aims to facilitate the exchange of people and support the integrated development of Macao, Hong Kong and other Greater Bay Area cities.