General Information on Macau  

In the early 1550s the Portuguese reached Ou Mun, which the locals also called A Ma Gao, "place of A Ma", in honour of the Goddess of Seafarers, whose temple stood at the entrance to the sheltered Inner Harbour. The Portuguese adopted the name, which gradually changes into the name Macau, and with the permission of Guangdong's mandarins, established a city that within a short time had become a major entrepot for trade between China, Japan, India and Europe.

Macau is now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since 20 December 1999, and, like Hong Kong, benefits from the principle of "one country, two systems". The tiny SAR is growing in size - with more buildings on reclaimed land - and in the number and diversity of its attractions. The greatest of these continues to be Macau's unique society, with communities from the East and West complementing each other, and the many people who come to visit.

The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is a part of China's territory. It is located on the Southeast coast of China to the western bank of the Pearl River Delta, at latitude 22º 14' North, longitude 113º 35' East. Bordering on Guangdong Province, it locates 60km from Hong Kong and 145km from the city of Guangzhou.

The Macau Special Administrative Region has an area of 29.2 sq. km, comprised of the Macau Peninsula (with 9.3 sq. km and connected to Mainland China), the islands of Taipa (6.7 sq. km) and Coloane (7.6 sq. km) and the reclaimed area COTAI (5.6 sq. km). The three bridges connecting Macau to Taipa are Nobre de Carvalho (2.5 km long), the Friendship Bridge (4.5 km long) and Sai Van Bridge (2.2 km long). The longest one (Friendship Bridge) leads directly to Macau International Airport located on the Island of Taipa. The Sai Van Bridge, which was opened on 9 January 2005, is the first cable-stayed bridge in Macau. The double deck bridge has six lanes in the upper deck and two in the lower, which will open under inclement weather conditions. The islands are connected by a causeway which is 2.2 km long.

View Macau in a larger map

The most comfortable and fastest method of getting to Macau is by Helicopter (approx. 16 minutes flight). However the most popular method is by jet catamaran. Hong Kong has two major terminals for Macau-bound travelers: Shun Tak Centre located at Hong Kong Island and China Ferry Terminal located on the Tsimshatsui, Kowloon. Tourists can find quite a number of jetfoils, Catamarans and ferries available, run by TurboJET, the Cotai Strip CotaiJet™ and First Ferry.

Shun Tak Centre Macau Ferry Terminal is located in the Sheung Wan district of Hong Kong Island and this is the main ferry terminal most frequently used and has more scheduled departures.

The above map is provided as courtesy and serves for reference puropses only and may not be entirely up-to-date. MJ Travel will not assume responsibility for any inaccuracies within.

The China Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal is located on the Tsimshatsui waterfront alongside Harbour City, on the Kowloon side of the harbour. It is used for Catamaran sailings to and from Macau, and is convenient for visitors staying in Tsimshatsui hotels.

All visitors to Macau must be holding a passport or a valid travel document.

Visas are required by all visitors to Macau except for the following:

a) Nationals of Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Croatia, Czech, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania and the United Kingdom(6 months) for a stay up to 90 days;

b) Nationals of Australia, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United States of America and Uruguay for a stay up to 30 days;

c) Holders of  "Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" or "Hong Kong SAR Re-entry Permit"; Valid "Hong Kong Identity Card" holders are required to bring their valid passport or travel documents when they enter Macau.

d) Nationals of China with valid Macau entry / depart documents;

e) Holders of Consulate / Diplomatic documents issued by the Macau SAR or Hong Kong SAR;

f) Holders of Diplomatic Passport;

g) Holders of "Laissez Passer" issued by the United Nations; in the course of duty;

h) Holders of travel document issued by the Portuguese authorities for the foreign citizens.

Visas can be obtained from the Immigration Services through Embassies/Consulates of the PRC and should be used within the validity. The visa is expired after the valid date.

Visas are also available on arrival in Macau at the Immigration Services for a period of 30 days.
There are three types:

Individual
Family Passport
Group

The above information is for reference only. For latest information on entry formalities, please call the Macau Immigration Services: (853) 8798 5327

Download a list of countries that enjoy visa-free entry to Macau here. This document is provided courtesy of the Macau immigration website and is meant for reference purposes only. We can not be liable for any inaccuracies or outdated information represented within. Please use the information at your own liability. Macau visa-free list

- You will be leaving Hong Kong territory, so make sure you bring your travel documents with you. There is a Duty-free store inside the ferry terminal, after clearing immigration where you can pick-up some tax-free liquor and cigarrettes.
- There are 3 main ferry terminals in Hong Kong and 2 main ferry terminals in Macau, so make sure you know which ferry terminal you need to get to before purchasing your ferry tickets.
- Many of the casinos provide complimentary shuttle bus transfer services between the ferry terminal and their casino/hotel. You can make use of these free services and save money on transportation.
- Ferry schedules are classified into "Day" and "Night" schedules. Sailings after 17:00 are considered "Night" schedules and will cost more than "Day" schedules.
- If you want to take an earlier ferry scheduole than the ticket you bought, it is possible to line-up in the stand-by queue (subject to availability) however, if you are late for your ferry, your ticket will become void and you will need to purchase new ferry tickets as there is no refund.
- If you get seasick easily, avoid the foremost front rows of the ferry as the bow experiences the most movement in choppy conditions. Seats located in the middle of the ferry tend to be more stable and experience the least movement.
- The favourite local souvenirs to buy in Macau are their almond biscuits and beef/pork jerky.