Cross-border families and corporate commuters will breathe a little easier from Monday, 19 January 2026. In a joint communiqué released late last week, the Hong Kong Immigration Department and Macao’s Public Security Police Force confirmed that the minimum age for using each other’s automated immigration channels will drop from 11 to just 7 years.
The policy shift is the first major upgrade to the reciprocal e-Channel scheme since the two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) fully reopened their land and sea borders in early 2023. Some 180 000 primary-school children who hold Hong Kong or Macao passports are expected to benefit immediately, slicing 10–15 minutes off door-to-door travel times for families that shuttle daily between Hong Kong’s schools, Macao’s convention venues and Hengqin’s tech parks.
For parents and employers looking to streamline documentation ahead of the switch, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers an easy one-stop service for passport renewals, visa advice and automated-channel pre-registration. The platform’s real-time tracking and expert support can shave days off paperwork headaches, ensuring kids and corporate commuters can step straight into the faster lanes on day one.
![Hong Kong and Macao cut automated-gate age to 7, easing cross-border commutes]()
Under the new rules, Macao will open its two-gate “joint-inspection” and iris-recognition lanes to Hong Kong children aged 7 to 10, while Hong Kong will extend fingerprint-based e-Channel access at all control points to Macao children in the same age bracket. Eligibility for on-site enrolment is also widened: non-permanent residents aged 18 or above may now register at self-service kiosks on either side of the boundary and start using automated lanes within three hours, eliminating weeks of paperwork for frequent business travellers.
Immigration consultants say the upgrade is well-timed. Cross-border traffic has rebounded to nearly 90 per cent of pre-Covid volumes, and recruiters report that more mainland-based professionals are taking weekend assignments in Hong Kong while living in Hengqin or Zhuhai. Faster clearance for accompanying children therefore removes a hidden cost for employers arranging family relocation packages.
Practically, travellers should check that a child’s passport carries at least six months’ validity and that the original enrolment receipt is kept handy for the first trip. Corporates coordinating group travel are advised to update travel-risk profiles and account for slightly shorter journey times when scheduling meetings.
The policy shift is the first major upgrade to the reciprocal e-Channel scheme since the two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) fully reopened their land and sea borders in early 2023. Some 180 000 primary-school children who hold Hong Kong or Macao passports are expected to benefit immediately, slicing 10–15 minutes off door-to-door travel times for families that shuttle daily between Hong Kong’s schools, Macao’s convention venues and Hengqin’s tech parks.
For parents and employers looking to streamline documentation ahead of the switch, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers an easy one-stop service for passport renewals, visa advice and automated-channel pre-registration. The platform’s real-time tracking and expert support can shave days off paperwork headaches, ensuring kids and corporate commuters can step straight into the faster lanes on day one.
Under the new rules, Macao will open its two-gate “joint-inspection” and iris-recognition lanes to Hong Kong children aged 7 to 10, while Hong Kong will extend fingerprint-based e-Channel access at all control points to Macao children in the same age bracket. Eligibility for on-site enrolment is also widened: non-permanent residents aged 18 or above may now register at self-service kiosks on either side of the boundary and start using automated lanes within three hours, eliminating weeks of paperwork for frequent business travellers.
Immigration consultants say the upgrade is well-timed. Cross-border traffic has rebounded to nearly 90 per cent of pre-Covid volumes, and recruiters report that more mainland-based professionals are taking weekend assignments in Hong Kong while living in Hengqin or Zhuhai. Faster clearance for accompanying children therefore removes a hidden cost for employers arranging family relocation packages.
Practically, travellers should check that a child’s passport carries at least six months’ validity and that the original enrolment receipt is kept handy for the first trip. Corporates coordinating group travel are advised to update travel-risk profiles and account for slightly shorter journey times when scheduling meetings.
