Mainland Chinese residents will be allowed to visit Macau using an online visa system as of Tuesday, officials said, streamlining travel to the world's largest gambling hub after more than two years of pandemic restrictions.

Macau is the only place in China where casinos are legal but the pandemic has hammered its economy.

Beijing will launch an electronic visa system from November 1, China's Immigration Administration announced on Monday in a statement.

For the past two-and-a-half years, visitors from the mainland have been required to submit detailed, in-person applications to visit the territory, with approvals typically limited to essential business travel.

Monday's announcement paves the way for mainland travel groups – which once made up the vast majority of punters – to return to the roulette tables.

China's immigration authorities said they now judged the Covid situation in Macau to be "stable", despite health officials in the city locking down a large casino complex on Sunday over a handful of infections.

Macau's 700,000 residents must also take daily rapid antigen tests until Tuesday, the government said.

Meanwhile, Macau's six casino operators – Sands China, Wynn Macau, Galaxy Entertainment, MGM China, Melco Resorts and SJM Holdings – are currently awaiting a government decision on whether they will be granted new licences.

Macau executives said the decision could come as early as this week. (AFP/Reuters)