Mandatory quarantine will become a thing of the past, and nearly all other travel restrictions are being lifted.

The iconic Ruins of Saint Paul’s in Macau. (Photo: luxizeng/iStock)

Macau has been closed off from the much of the world for the past three years, but that is about to change as the former Portuguese colony known for its casinos, UNESCO-listed heritage architecture, and East-meets-West heritage cuisine gears up to welcome back foreign visitors. From midnight on January 8, hotel and home quarantine for all arrivals will be scrapped, though a negative result from a PCR test within 48 hours of departure is a must. The territory is also ditching its health codes; travelers no longer need to fill out a health declaration form or obtain prior approval from the city’s heath bureau ahead of time.

Visitors entering from Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan will be exempt from the testing requirement, but if they plan on continuing to Zhuhai across the border, a negative PCR test result less than 48 hours prior to leaving for the mainland is still needed. Those returning to Hong Kong from the gambling and entertainment hub will be subject to the same rules. Anyone aged three or above must either take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of the scheduled arrival time in Hong Kong or a PCR test no more than two days beforehand.

From Sunday, restrictions on high-speed ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau will be lifted entirely, with vessels allowed to operate 24 hours a day. At Macau International Airport, transit traffic has resumed. Scoot is ramping up frequencies for its nonstop flights between Singapore and Macau in a big way: these will go daily from January 29, compared to the current schedule of three times a week. This is in addition to a twice-weekly service being added on January 23.