All foreigners in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) who have been inoculated with vaccines against COVID-19 recognised by the Macau Health Bureau (SSM), with valid vaccination certificates issued by the bureau, can apply for all visa categories to enter the Chinese mainland, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the MSAR said in a statement on its website yesterday.
The statement was issued in response to the following question listed in the office's FAQ on Visa Applications section: "If I have been inoculated with BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19, can I apply for China's mainland visa at your office?".
Previously, the office only recognised Chinese vaccines for visa applications.
People in Macau can choose between China's Sinopharm and Germany's BioNTech jabs.
According to SSM figures, Macau's COVID-19 vaccination rate stood at 67 percent as of Thursday afternoon, i.e., about two-thirds of the population has received at least one jab.
Macau's COVID-19 tally stands at 77. No novel coronavirus deaths have been reported in Macau. Macau confirmed its first COVID-19 case on January 22 last year.
Foreign nationals without the right of residence in Macau have been barred from entering the MSAR since March last year. Only a small number of exceptions to the rule has been granted by the government.
