Frequently asked questions
- In the examination of an application for Special Authorization to Stay or Residence Authorization, from which other supervising or document issuing entities can the Public Security Police Force ask for opinions besides the Labour Affairs Bureau and the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute?
- Who can apply for Special Authorization to Stay for the reason of family reunion?
- I am a holder of Special Authorization to Stay and have several addresses in Macao. Which one should I declare?
- Persons granted Special Authorization to Stay for over 90 days should specify to the Public Security Police Force their contact address and habitual residence address in Macao. What should be done if the address is changed in the future?
- Under what circumstances will the Public Security Police Force reject my application for Special Authorization to Stay outright?
- What is the daily fine for overstaying in Macao? Is excess of stay considered subject to imprisonment?
1. In the examination of an application for Special Authorization to Stay or Residence Authorization, from which other supervising or document issuing entities can the Public Security Police Force ask for opinions besides the Labour Affairs Bureau and the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute?
For example, for the purpose of granting Special Authorization to Stay to an arbitrator, the Public Security Police Force can request the arbitration supervising entity to provide opinions when necessary. In another example, for the purpose of granting Special Authorization to Stay to a traditional trader, the Public Security Police Force can seek opinions from the Municipal Affairs Bureau if necessary.
2. Who can apply for Special Authorization to Stay for the reason of family reunion?
The reuniting kindred of the following persons can apply for Special Authorization to Stay on the basis of family reunion:
(1) Holders of a Macao Resident Identity Card;
(2) Holders of a Special Stay Permit;
(3) Skilled workers employed by a local employer owing to their educational background, professional qualification or working experience.
3. I am a holder of Special Authorization to Stay and have several addresses in Macao. Which one should I declare?
The requirement to declare the contact address and habitual residence address in Macao serves the purpose of facilitating contact, hence enhancing the processing of an application and protecting the rights of the person concerned and public interests. Therefore, if you live in Macao, a valid address for contact will do. For details, please refer to Website Information.
4. Persons granted Special Authorization to Stay for over 90 days should specify to the Public Security Police Force their contact address and habitual residence address in Macao. What should be done if the address is changed in the future?
If there is any change in the contact address and habitual residence address in the future, persons who are granted Residence Authorization or Special Authorization to Stay for over 90 days, including non-resident workers, their dependants and non-resident students, should update the Public Security Police Force within 45 days from the date of change. For details, please refer to Website Information.
5. Under what circumstances will the Public Security Police Force reject my application for Special Authorization to Stay outright?
Unless otherwise stipulated, the Chief of the Residence and Stay Affairs Department of the Public Security Police Force should give reasons in his written instructions to reject an application for Special Authorization to Stay outright in any of the following situations:
(1) The remaining validity of the interested person’s passport, travel document, return document or other documents accepted for the purpose of immigration control does not meet the requirement;
(2) The interested person is interdicted from making applications for Special Authorization to Stay at the time;
The application is not written in any of the official languages, but applications written in English with no difficulty caused to the Public Security Police Force in the interpretation are excepted.
6. What is the daily fine for overstaying in Macao? Is excess of stay considered subject to imprisonment?
According to Law No. 16/2021 “Legal Regime of Immigration Control, Stay and Residence Authorization of the Macao Special Administrative Region”, persons who still remain in Macao after their Authorization to Stay expires and persons who do not leave Macao within the designated period after their Authorization to Stay is revoked are regarded as overstayers. Overstay is an administrative infraction.
According to the law, an overstayer will be fined MOP500 to 800 per overdue day. The fine should not exceed MOP15000 and should be paid within the statutory 10 working days. The status of an overstayer who overstays for not more than 30 days, pays the fine upon giving himself or herself to the police or immediately after he or she is discovered and has never been fined for the same infraction in the past year can be normalized. Otherwise, the overstayer will be deported and interdicted from entry. In addition, application for Residence Authorization and Special Authorization to Stay will not be permitted for 2 years counting from the date the entry interdiction expires. (For details, please refer to the relevant law and regulation)