Immigration Procedures – Student Visa
For entry to the Macao Special Administrative Region, international visitors are required to meet the following requisites:
- In possession of a passport, travel document or other document accepted for the purpose of immigration control, and the document should be valid for at least 90 days* beyond the period of intended stay in the Macao Special Administrative Region;
- Possess a valid onward or return ticket or demonstrate evidence of purpose in entering Macao (Students may present your USJ acceptance letter)
- Proof of possessing at least MOP5000 as means of subsistence in Macao
*For international students who are required to switch to student visas later on, the passport should be valid for at least 6 months (180 days) beyond the period of intended study.
All visitors are required to have an entry visa except nationals of countries which are exempted from a visa or entry permit.
Nationals of the following countries are exempted from a visa or entry permit:
- Albania, Indonesia, Philippines, Andorra, Ireland, Poland, Australia, Israel, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Republic of Argentina, Belgium, Japan, Republic of Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kingdom of Morocco, Republic of Belarus, Brazil, Kiribati, Republic of Ecuador, Brunei, Korea (Republic of), Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Russia, Canada, Lebanon, Samoa, Cape Verde, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Chile, Lithuania, Serbia, Croatia, Luxembourg, Seychelles, Cyprus, Macedonia, Singapore, Czech, Malaysia, Slovakia, Denmark, Mali, Slovenia, Dominica, Malta, South Africa, Egypt, Mauritius, Spain, Estonia, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, Moldova, Switzerland, France, Monaco, Tanzania, Germany, Mongolia, Thailand, Greece, Montenegro, Turkey, Grenada, Namibia, United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Netherlands, U.S.A., Iceland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, India, Norway, Uruguay. Check this page for full details on the limit of stay: https://www.gov.mo/en/services/ps-1474/ps-1474b/
Nationals who are NOT exempted from a visa or entry permit are required to:
- Apply for an “Entry Permit” (aka “Visa-upon-arrival”) at any of the border checkpoints of the Border Control Department of the Public Security Police upon arrival at Macao; or
- Apply for a ‘visa’ of the Macao Special Administrative Region in advance through a diplomatic mission of the People’s Republic of China or a representative office accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.
Application for an “Entry Permit” (aka “Visa-upon-arrival”)
Persons who intend to enter Macao but have not applied in advance to any diplomatic mission of the People’s Republic of China or representative office accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China for a ‘visa’, can apply for Authorization to Enter and Stay (so-called ‘visa-upon-arrival’) at the Visa Room of the checkpoint upon arrival at Macao. They will also be granted Authorization to Stay for a maximum of 30 days once the application is approved. The same entry requisites listed at the top of this page applies.
Check this page for full details on applying for an entry permit: https://www.gov.mo/en/services/ps-1474/ps-1474b/
- Nationals from Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are required to apply for a Macao visa in advance through a Chinese embassy or consulate.
For more information, please visit the website: www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/eng/psp_top5_3m.html
**Please note that a Macao visa is not equivalent to a Chinese visa.
After arriving on campus and completing registration at the Academic Affairs Office (G/F of Academic Building) , international students should apply for a student visa before the expiry of their entry permit/ Authorization to Stay.
Required Documents for application:
- Completed application form (available on the website of the Public Security Police Force)
- Documents certifying enrollment at a higher institute in Macao and stating the program duration (Declaration issued by the USJ Academic Affairs Office)
- A recent 1.5-inch, full-face, no-hat, white-background, coloured or black-and-white photo of the interested person
- A copy of a valid passport / travel document (bio data page only)
- A copy of the Slip of Authorization to Stay granted in the last entry to Macao
Location of Application and Service Hours
Application Location:
Immigration Building of the Public Security Police Force
Travessa Um do Cais de Pac On, Taipa, Macao
Stay Subdivision of the Residence and Stay Affairs Department
Office Hours: Mon – Thu 9:00 – 17:45 Fri 9:00 – 17:30 Closed on Sat, Sun and Government holidays
Full information on this page: https://www.gov.mo/en/services/ps-1479/ps-1479a/
More General Information:
- All non-local students must obtain a student visa to study in the Macao SAR.
- The Macao Immigration Department normally only issues student visas to applicants enrolling in FULL-TIME study.
- Applications for a student visa require the submission of the original passport for verification plus the required documents, hence, students are recommended to apply for a student visa upon arrival in Macao.
- The duration for visa processing varies depending on your nationality. Six (6) months should be allowed for visa processing. Students can stay in Macao and study while their application is being processed.
- Students are not eligible to work in Macao with a student visa.
If you plan to transit in Hong Kong, please visit the HKSAR Immigration Department page to check if you would need a visa. If you transit in major cities of Mainland China, you may visit this page for the corresponding visa requirements.
The information listed on this page is true at the time of publication. Visa procedures can be updated any time without prior notice.
