The Macau government said yesterday that as of last week, around 42,000 Macau residents had obtained a mainland car driving licence without having to take a driving test there, in the year since the implementation of the reciprocal driving-licence recognition agreement between the mainland and Macau, which took effect on May 16 last year.
The local government signed the agreement with the Ministry of Public Security in February last year.
The mutual driving-licence recognition only applies to cars, not other motor vehicles.
According to the agreement, Macau permanent residents holding a Macau driving licence can obtain a mainland driving licence without having to take a driving test. The mutual driving-licence recognition does not cover Macau non-permanent residents.
Eligible Macau driving licence holders intending to obtain a mainland driving licence need to visit a police or traffic service point in the mainland, where they are required to present various documents such as their Macau ID card, Macau driving licence, certificate of physical fitness, and headshot photo.
Application procedures slightly differ among cities across the mainland.
A statement by the Macau Transport Bureau (DSAT) yesterday said that as of Wednesday last week, i.e., 12 months after the reciprocal driving-licence recognition agreement took effect, 42,320 Macau permanent residents had obtained a mainland driving licence, without a driving test, from police or traffic service points across the mainland.
According to the agreement, mainland residents holding a mainland driving licence can drive in Macau for up to 14 days after entering the special administrative region without the need to obtain a Macau driving licence.
However, those intending to drive in Macau after the 14-day period have to register with the Macau Public Security Police (PSP) Traffic Department. After registering with the PSP Traffic Department, they can drive in Macau for up to one year. Eligible mainland driving licence holders have to present their paper driving licence when formalising their registration at the PSP Traffic Department, which will then issue them with a one-year driving permit.
Those who have registered with the PSP Traffic Department have always to carry their mainland paper driving licence with them, as well as the one-year driving permit issued by the PSP Traffic Department, while driving in Macau.
Moreover, the reciprocal driving-licence recognition agreement also allows Macau residents without a Macau driving licence but holding a mainland driving licence to obtain a Macau driving licence without having to take a driving test here. In other words, the beneficiaries are Macau residents without a Macau driving licence who have obtained a mainland driving licence after passing a driving test there.
Yesterday’s statement also said that as of Wednesday last week, over 4,600 Macau residents holding a mainland driving licence had obtained a Macau driving licence, without a driving test, from the Macau Transport Bureau.
This photo taken in March shows vehicles travelling on the busy Avenida do Nordeste in Areia Preta district. – Photo: Tony Wong
