Macau

Host City – Macao: A Place of Difference
Since 20 December 1999, Macao has been a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Before reunion of China, Macao was a colony of Portugal over the passed four hundred and fifty years. It has then make Macao a perfect crossroad for the meeting of East and West cultures. The tiny SAR is growing in size, with more buildings on reclaimed land and in the number and diversity of its attractions. In 29 October 2005, Macao has been the host city of the 4th East Asian Games and in 2007 the 2nd Asian Indoor Games has also be held in Macao.

How to Reach Macao and Transportation
The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is a part of China's territory. It is located on the Southeast coast of China to the western bank of the Pearl River Delta. Bordering on Guangdong Province, it locates 60km from Hong Kong and 145km from the city of Guangzhou. Visitors have different option to arrive Macao through air, sea or land.

Air Macau – Air Macau is the official carrier of this international event. Delegates can find connected flights between Macao and many of the major international cities in Asia. Delegates are advised to make use of the international airports in Beijing, Bangkok, Manila, Taipei and Shanghai, etc to suggest to get on abroad Air Macau (Please visitwww.airmacau.com.mo for flight information). Discount airfare is available for delegates coming from overseas and China. However, this special discount rate is available for delegates who make their registry on or before the Early Bird Application and subject to the availability of offer. As the offering is a concession tickets, it is non-refundable, non-re-route-able and non-endorse-able. Date changes are permitted at administration charge for USD$30 PER PERSON PER CHANGE. Delegates will be assigned with a priority number based on your choice and time of registration.Please remember that Air-Macau cannot guarantee a 100% allocation due to the limited of seats available. E-ticket will then be issued upon the completion of your payment. Delegates from China can pay either in Visa, Master or visit Air Macau ticket office at different cities in China.

Due to the non-refundable nature, passengers taking concession tickets are recommended to buy travel insurance with policy covering cancellation resulted from unexpected events - such as sickness, compassionate and other emergency.

Other Airlines and transit in Hong Kong – Delegates can make use of other airlines in arriving Macao or transit via Hong Kong International Airport to Macao.

From Macao International Airport and Macao Hong Kong Ferry Terminal to Conference Venue – Free shuttle bus services are available at these ports running from 9.30 am to 9.30 pm .

From Hong Kong International Airport to Macao – Scheduled ferry service is available at Hong Kong International Airport. Delegates are encouraged to visit different web site for information. Airport bus (Route A11) is available just outside the Hong Kong International Terminal and directs you to the Hong Kong Macao Ferry Terminal located at Sheung Wan in the Hong Kong Island (Please visit www.citybus.com.hkand www.turbojet.com.hk for information). The Turbot Jet is running 24 hours daily and takes about 1 hour to Macao from Hong Kong.

By Train – Train service is another alternative to arrive Macao. There are numerous trains running between Guangzhou and major cities in China. Participants can make use of the connected bus services running between Guangzhou and Macao.
For more details on transportation, please visit the following web-site:
https://www.macautourism.gov.mo

Time
Macao is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Currency
The currency in Macao is Pataca. By the decision of the Government the Pataca is linked to the Hong Kong dollar (HK$) which is accepted as currency in Macao. The exchange rate is about MOP$103.20 = HK$100.00. There is an acceptable variation up to 10%. Roughly 8.5 Patacas is equivalent to 1 US Dollar. Most credit cards are widely accepted in Macao.

Climate
Macao located at the west bank of Pearl River Delta in South China, is the intersection of Mainland China and South China Sea. It is also located at the south of tropic of Cancer. The winds directions in winter and summer are opposite. In July, Macao is in the summer season. The summer in Macao is longer than the other seasons. Because of hot and wet conditions, bad weather such as thunderstorm and heavy rain always occur from May to September. Waterspout can be seen occasionally. The weather forecast is available at www.smg.gov.mo
Macao's water is supplied directly from Mainland China and is purified. Chlorine is added for extra protection. Distilled drinking water is supplied in all hotel rooms and in restaurants.

Electricity
Electricity in Macao is at 220V, 50c/s. The power plugs used in Macao are of the three-pin, square-shaped type. Should your equipment require different voltage, an electrical transformer will be needed.

Insurance
Please check the validity of your own insurance. The conference organizers cannot accept liability for either personal injury sustained or loss of, or damage to, property belonging to delegates of the conference (or their accompanying persons) either during or as a result of the conference.

Links

1. Macau Government Tourist Office：https://www.macautourism.gov.mo/

2. University of Macau：https://www.um.edu.mo/

3. Macau Climate
	1) Actual Weather Report：https://www.smg.gov.mo/www/cvm/actualweather/fe_actualweather.htm
	2) 7 day forecast：https://www.smg.gov.mo/www/dm/report/fe_forecast7day.htm

4. Macau Transportation
	1) Public Bus Information Station：https://www.dsat.gov.mo/bus/en/search_index.aspx
	2) Destination Enquiry：https://www.dsat.gov.mo/bus/en/bus_stop_search.aspx
	3) Point-to-Point Route Search：https://www.dsat.gov.mo/bus/en/bus_ptp.aspx

5. Macau Currency https://en.macautourism.gov.mo/plan/practical_info_detail.php?id=1

6. Macau Accommodation
	1) Macau Hotels：https://en.macautourism.gov.mo/plan/hotels.php
	2) Macau Budget Hotels：https://en.macautourism.gov.mo/plan/budget_accommodation.php
	3) Macau Budget Hotels Website：https://www.macau-budgethotels.org/index.do?lag=en_US

"Visa" and "Entry Permit" Exemption

Entry Requirements

Visas must be prepared in your local residence. Pls. check before your travel. Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China, benefiting from the "one country, two systems". But Macau does not share same law of "Entry Permit" with mainland China government .You must check online (https://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/eng/EDoN.html).

Nationals of the following countries are exempted in accordance with the written instruction of the Chief Executive of Macau:

Albania	Iceland	New Zea-land
Andorra	India	Norway
Australia	Indonesia	Philippines
Austria	Ireland	Poland
Belgium	Israel	Portugal
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Italy	Romania
Brazil	Japan	Russia
Brunei	Kiribati	Samoa
Bulgaria	Latvia	San Marino
Canada	Lebanon	Serbia
Cape Verde	Liechtenstein	Seychelles
Chile	Lithuania	Singapore
Croatia	Luxembourg	Slovakia
Cyprus	Macedonia	Slovenia
Czech	Malaysia	South Africa
Denmark	Mali	South Korea
Dominica	Malta	Spain
Egypt	Mauritius	Sweden
Estonia	Mexico	Switzerland
Finland	Moldova	Tanzania
France	Monaco	Thailand
Germany	Mongolia	Turkey
Greece	Montenegro	U.S.A.
Grenada	Namibia	United Kingdom
Hungary	Netherlands	Uruguay
-(a total of 75 countries)-

Visitors who are not exempted from a visa and entry permit are required to:

i.	Apply for an "Entry Permit" (aka "Visa-upon-arrival") at any of the border checkpoints of the Immigration Department of the Public Security Police upon arrival at Macao 【Note: Starting from 1 July 2010, visitors 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 details, please see "Application for Macao Visa through Chinese Embassy or Consulate"】; or
ii.	Apply, by a representative, to the Immigration Department in advance for "Authorization to Enter and Stay" 【Note: Refer to the "Authorization to Enter and Stay" Section for details】; or
iii.	Apply for a "visa" of the Macao Special Administrative Region in advance through a Chinese embassy or consulate (visa sample).

Application for an "Entry Permit" (aka "Visa-upon-arrival")

Individuals who intend to enter the Macao Special Administrative Region but have not applied in advance to any Chinese embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission for a "visa" or the Macao Immigration Department for "Authorization to Enter and Stay" can apply for an "Entry Permit" (aka "Visa-upon-arrival") at the "Visa Room" of the border checkpoint when arriving at Macao. They will be granted "Authorization to Stay" for a maximum of 30 days once the application is approved.

Fees

Type

Fee

Individual

MOP100

Family Passport

MOP200

Children under the age of 12

MOP50

Groups comprised of at least 10 people organized by a single travel manager and presenting a collective travel document

MOP50 per head

Individuals who have paid the fee for an "Entry Permit" can enjoy multiple entries within the limit of stay granted (a maximum of 30 days) without making further payments.