Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Macau, you are subject to its laws.  Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own.  Persons violating Macau laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned.  Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Macau are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.  In Macau, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you or if you take pictures of certain buildings (please pay attention to “no photography” signs in casinos in particular).  Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs could land you immediately in jail.  If you break local laws in Macau, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted in the United States for engaging in sexual conduct with children or for using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country regardless of the legality of these activities under that country’s laws.  Counterfeit and pirated goods are illegal in the United States and if you purchase them in a foreign country, you may be breaking local law as well. 

Arrest notifications in Macau: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in that country, others may not.  To ensure that the U.S. government is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.  Also please note that if you do not enter Macau using your U.S. passport, Macau authorities will not notify the U.S. consulate if you are arrested, and may restrict our consular access to you.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:  

Currency: There are no currency restrictions for tourists in Macau.  Although the pataca is the official currency in Macau, Hong Kong currency is commonly used and widely accepted in transactions, especially in tourist areas.  If you are visiting Macau from Hong Kong, you may wish to bring sufficient Hong Kong dollars to cover your expenses.  Credit cards and ATM network debit cards are widely accepted in Macau.  Banks and major hotels accept traveler's checks.

Customs Regulations:  Macau customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from Macau of items such as firearms, ivory, certain categories of medications, and other goods.  Please see the Macau Customs Service website for further information.

You should know that the importation into the United States of counterfeit brand-name items, such as watches, compact discs, computer software, and clothing, is prohibited by U.S. law. 

Please see our Customs Information sheet.

Dual Nationality:  According to the PRC nationality law, if one or both of a child’s parents are Chinese nationals, , the child is considered to be a PRC citizen.  However, under an agreement between the United States and the People's Republic of China, all U.S. citizens entering Macau on their U.S. passports, including such persons as may be considered PRC nationals by the PRC authorities, are considered by the Macau SAR authorities to be U.S. citizens for purposes of ensuring U.S. consular access and protection during their initial legal stay of up to 30 days in Macau.  This would be the case even if a child also qualifies for U.S. citizenship. 

If you are a dual national entering Macau or contemplating onward travel into mainland China you should strongly consider which passport you will use to enter and exit these jurisdictions.  The U.S. embassy and consulates general in the PRC are not able to provide you with consular protections if you do not use your U.S. passport to enter or exit China.  In addition, Macau authorities might not notify the U.S. consulate general of the arrest of a dual national U.S. citizen travelling on the passport of another nationality, and they might not provide U.S. consular access to that citizen.   

In addition to being subject to all Macau SAR laws affecting U.S. citizens, dual U.S.-Macau nationals may be subject to laws of Macau that impose special obligations on Macau citizens.  For further information on consular protection and dual nationality, please refer to our information on dual nationality.

Language: The official languages in the Macau SAR are Chinese (Cantonese) and Portuguese; however, English is spoken in tourist areas.

Typhoons: During the typhoon season (July through September), the Macau Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau issues typhoon warnings on an average of six times a year.  The Bureau has a good notification and monitoring system.  General information about natural disaster preparedness is available from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations between consenting adults (age 16 and above or the organization of LGBT events in Macau.  For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Macau you may review the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.  For further information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in Macau, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from in the United States.

The People's Republic of China, including the Special Administrative Region of Macau, is signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Macau law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, or the provision of other state services.  The government generally enforces these provisions.  The law mandates access to public buildings, usually in the form of a ramp, for persons with physical disabilities.  Cross-walks are also required in Macau, and they generally include audible signals for hearing-impaired and raised-treading for visually-impaired pedestrians. Handicap-accessible parking is mandated in publically owned parking lots. The Social Welfare Bureau is primarily responsible for coordinating and funding public assistance programs to persons with disabilities.

In general, the historic part of Macau is hilly and the pavement uneven, but the newer parts, particularly around the CoTai strip, are flat, and the streets and sidewalks are wide.  The airport is accessible, and the ferries from Hong Kong to Macau are accessible with assistance from the staff.  Major hotels and casinos, taxis, and public transportation offer widely available shuttle buses, but none is equipped with special equipment to accommodate the physically disabled.  For Macau residents who are mobility impaired, the Social Welfare Bureau offers free transportation to medical appointments by accessible van through the Caritas Rehabus or the Red Cross’ Medical Transfer Service.  Accessible van rental and Macau tours for the mobility impaired are available through Viagens Acessiveis (tel. +(853) 2840-3315, e-mail: barrierfreemacau@gmail.com.