The health code for incoming travellers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and other foreign destinations has now been updated to a required five days of self-health management. 

Alongside this, the region has now abolished the requirement for incoming tourists to take a nucleic acid test (NAT) upon entry, or three days after arriving.  

However, incoming tourists are still required to provide proof of a negative NAT no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival. 

In addition, as part of the region’s new self-health management guidelines, tourists must still take rapid antigen tests for each of the five days, beginning on the day after entry. All results must be uploaded to the Macau health code.  

The news of these recently relaxed quarantine requirements will come as a huge boost to the region, which is due to begin its new concession period on 1 January 2023.  

Recently, the region’s six current concessionaires all had their licences extended for 10 years, and they’ll be hoping this new period marks the start of renewed recovery from 2023 onwards. 

The region’s new licences were signed off by Macau’s Chief Executive Ho lat Seng, with representatives of each operator present at the formal ceremony. 

Per the new contracts, Macau’s concession holders must maintain issued capital of MOP 5bn ($623.9m) throughout the duration of their licence, while a Managing Director must possess 15% of their company’s share capital and reside in Macau.  

Alongside the signing of these concessions, Macau passed updated laws on a new legal framework for junkets. Long touted, these laws mean junkets can only partner with one of Macau’s concession holders, and they cannot run operations on the same property as their operating partners.