HK & Macao roll out friction-free face-scan border clearance
發佈日期: 2025-11-05 20:08
TVB News
Another step towards more frictionless travel across the border between Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China.
Multiple checkpoints have introduced facial-recognition border clearance from today, allowing eligible travellers to cross by scanning their faces, with more streamlined border inspection procedures at the Hengqin port bordering Macao.
At the Hengqin port, travellers only need to present their identity documents the first time to register.
After that, they just need to look into the camera at the gate, go through biometric scanning of their face and fingerprint before gliding through automated barriers -- and they're done, completing border clearance checks for both Zhuhai and Macao in one go.
This Macao resident says it's about 30 seconds to one minute faster than previously because it took time to dig out your ID and wait for the machine to run.
This Hengqin citizen says assuming you forget to bring your ID card, you could still cross with the face scan -- which is much more convenient.
Hong Kong, meanwhile, has begun facial recognition clearance at Shenzhen Bay since November last year.
The National Immigration Administration recently announced that the biometric service will be extended to other mainland ports, covering Lo Wu, Huanggang and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
In the morning, at the Lo Wu border, some travellers tried the document-free lane.
While some say it's faster... others are still adjusting, like this woman who says it took some time for her to figure out how the new procedure works.
The system applies to Hong Kong and Macao residents aged 14 or above with a valid Home Return Permit, as well as mainland residents with valid travel permits to Hong Kong and Macao.
