Macao non-resident worker
employment authorisation and Non-resident Worker ID Card
Employers in Macao hire foreign staff as non-resident workers. The employer first needs an employment authorisation (with the Labour Affairs Bureau consulted), and the worker then gets a Non-resident Worker's Identification Card from the PSP Residence and Stay Affairs Department. The card is renewed with the employment authorisation and changes if the worker moves to an approved new employer.
Life in Macao SAR China
Money
3
Currency
Macanese Pataca
MOP
Macanese Pataca
Cost of living
62
Price level · US = 100
World Bank price levels, 2025
Tax
7–12%
Income tax (national)
Professional tax at 7%-12% on annual income above a MOP 144,000 exemption (MOP 198,000 for over-65s/disabled); the 2026 Budget Law 13/2025 sets a 30% deduction on the calculated tax, and residents get a 60% refund of prior-year tax up to MOP 14,000.
Your edge here Members
What gives you an edge here: passports, visas and permits you hold, work, study, language and family ties
Who it’s for
Foreign workers hired by a Macao employer.
Eligibility
Employer authorisation
The employer must hold a valid employment authorisation for the worker.
Worker status
The worker must meet entry, stay and residence rules, hold a valid passport or travel document and not be in a restricted status.
A sneak peek at what's inside
- Document checklistApplication form PS-1477A
- FeesNon-resident Worker ID card
- Steps to applyThe employer obtains employment authorisation
The full requirements are for members
Create an account and subscribe to see every requirement, the full document checklist, fees, steps, processing times and conditions, and how your profile compares.
- 3 documents
- 1 fee
- 3 steps
- Processing times and conditions
Places to visit in Macao SAR China
Attractions picked for you, based on your profile and interests.
Finding places for you…
Official sources
Other routes to Macao SAR China
All routes to Macao SAR China →Work permits in other countries
- MaltaSingle Permit (combined work and residence permit) – Identità Expatriates Unit
- MauritiusOccupation Permit - Professional
- MaldivesWork permit (Entry Pass) and Work e-Visa
- MalawiTemporary Employment Permit
- MalaysiaEmployment Pass (EP) Categories I, II and III
- MozambiqueHiring of foreign nationals (work authorisation, quota, approved-investment-project and short-term regimes) with work visa
