Two More Mainland Cities to Join HK, Macao Individual Visit Scheme

Starting March 6, citizens of Xi'an in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province will be eligible to visit the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions on an individual basis, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Friday.

The State Council has added the two cities to the Individual Visit Scheme for tours to Hong Kong and Macao, bringing the total number of such cities to 51.

According to the NIA, under the scheme, eligible residents from the two cities can apply for individual travel endorsements for Hong Kong and Macao. Holders of these endorsements will be allowed to stay in Hong Kong or Macao for a maximum of seven days per visit.

Currently, 49 cities on the Chinese mainland, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shenyang, are covered in the Individual Visit Scheme.

The Individual Visit Scheme for Hong Kong and Macao was introduced 2003.