smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
Macau
| Macau overall | This Advice is current for Monday, 07 July 2008. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be alert to own security | Exercise caution | High degree of caution | Reconsider your need to travel | Do not travel |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information under Entry and Exit Requirements (visa requirements). The overall level of the advice has not changed.
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Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
The incidence of violent crime in Macau is low. However, petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag snatching occurs, particularly in crowded shopping areas, markets, the airport and near casinos.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are only allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. You can find out more information at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website. Similar restrictions apply to flights in an increasing number of countries. Contact your airline for further information.
If you have concerns about the safety standards of a particular airline or aircraft, we recommend you research the airline or aircraft through organisations such as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has published fact sheets on security for air travellers. When staff at Australia's overseas missions are advised not to use particular airlines due to safety concerns, this will be included in the travel advisory.
The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that are subject to operating bans or restrictions within the EU. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through its foreign assessment program focuses on a country's ability, not the individual airline, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by ICAO.
Typhoon season is between June and September. You should keep informed of regional weather forecasts and plan accordingly. Macau has a well-developed severe weather alert and monitoring system. Further information is available from the Macau Observatory or the Humanitarian Early Warning Service.
If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities.
Australians are advised to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Check with your bank whether your ATM card will work overseas.
Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or childcare facilities in Australia.
Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
When you are in Macau, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
Australians arrested in Macau may face imprisonment for up to six months before being charged with a crime.
Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in illegal drugs include lengthy jail sentences and heavy fines.
You should avoid taking photographs of military installations in Macau.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia.
Under Chinese law, dual nationality is not recognised. However, Macau's basic law allows dual nationals of Chinese descent to register their Australian nationality with the Macau Identification Bureau (Direccao dos Servicos de Identificacao), if they wish to be considered as a national of Australia and receive access to Australian consular services if required. If you are an Australian/Macau dual national, you are advised to seek further information on completing a Declaration of Change of Nationality, and the consequences of this, from the Macau Identification Bureau:
Macau Identification Bureau
Largo do Senado No. 18
Edificio Comercial China 2.0-5.0 Andares, Macau
Telephone (853) 2835 6615
Our brochure on Travel Information for Dual Nationals provides further information for dual nationals.
Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with separate visa and entry administration to that of mainland China.
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. We strongly encourage you to seek information from the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the People's Republic of China or the Macau Immigration Services (Servico de Migracao on (853) 2872 5488) for the most up-to-date information, well in advance of travel. Cantonese and Portuguese speakers can visit the Macau Immigration Services website. You should be aware more stringent visa issuing requirements have been introduced.
Australians of Chinese descent who were born or have resided in Macau should obtain an appropriate visa to enter the Macau SAR on their Australian passport, declare their Australian nationality to the Macau Immigration Services and present themselves as Australians at all times to access Australian consular services if required.
If you plan to enter mainland China from Macau, you should be aware that Chinese authorities have implemented more stringent visa issuing requirements. Authorities have also tightened the enforcement of documentation requirements for tourist (L) and business (F) visa applications, while the number of multiple entry visas issued has been reduced. You are strongly encouraged to contact your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate for detailed information. We strongly recommend that you get an appropriate visa for China before leaving Australia. You should also read our travel advice for China.
If you travel to Macau SAR from mainland China you may require a new Chinese visa if you intend to re-enter mainland China.
As a preventative measure against SARS, local quarantine measures on entry into Macau include a body temperature check. Depending on results, further medical examinations may be required.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for staying healthy and travelling with medicines while overseas.
The standard of medical facilities in Macau is adequate, however in the event of a serious illness or accident, medical evacuation to Hong Kong may be considered necessary due to the availability of specialists and high standard of medical care. Private hospitals in Macau will insist on confirmation of insurance cover, guarantee of payment or an up-front deposit prior to admitting patients.
Outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illness dengue fever occur from time to time. We recommend you take measures to avoid mosquito bites, including using insect repellent.
Water-borne, food-borne and other infectious diseases (including tuberculosis, hepatitis and HFMD (hand, foot and mouth disease)) are prevalent with more serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. We encourage you to consider having vaccinations before travelling. We recommend that you avoid raw and undercooked food. In rural areas, it is recommended that all drinking water be boiled or that you drink bottled water, and that you avoid ice cubes. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: There has been an outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in several provinces, particularly in eastern and southern regions of China, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. HFMD can be caused by a number of different enteroviruses (including EV 71, which can lead to more severe symptoms) and mainly affects small children. HFMD is transmitted via respiratory droplets and is characterised by fever, blisters and rashes on the hands, feet and buttocks. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information on preventative measures.
Avian influenza: There have been human cases of avian influenza in mainland China since October 2005. The Department of Health and Ageing advises Australians who reside in Macau for an extended period to consider, as a precautionary measure, having access to influenza antiviral medicine for treatment. Long term residents are at a greater risk of exposure to avian influenza over time. You should seek medical advice before taking antiviral medicines. Australians intending to travel to Macau for shorter periods are at much lower risk of infection but should discuss the risk of avian influenza with their doctor as part of their routine pre-travel health checks.
If the avian influenza virus mutates to a form where efficient human-to-human transmission occurs, it may spread quickly and local authorities could move quickly to impose restrictions on travel.
Australian travellers and long-term residents in Macau should be prepared to take personal responsibility for their own safety and well-being, including deciding when to leave an affected area and ensuring they have appropriate contingency plans in place. Australians in Macau should monitor the travel advice and bulletin for updated information and advice, and ensure that their travel documents, including passports and visas for any non-Australian family members, are up to date in case they need to depart at short notice.
The Australian Government has decided as a precautionary measure to hold a limited supply of the antiviral medicine oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and protective face masks at most of its overseas missions. The antivirals would primarily be used to protect emergency staff providing consular and other essential services in the event of a widespread outbreak of avian influenza amongst humans. Australian missions will not be in a position to provide influenza antiviral medicines to Australians in affected areas. It is the responsibility of individual Australians to secure their own supply of such medicines (such as Tamiflu or Relenza), if required.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.
Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Macau. You can obtain consular assistance, including for lost and stolen passports, from the nearest Australian Consulate-General which is in Hong Kong at:
Australian Consulate-General
23/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong
Telephone: (852) 2827 8881
Facsimile: (852) 2585 4457
Website: http://www.hongkong.china.embassy.gov.au.
If you are travelling to Macau, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency-whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the Consulate-General you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
