Macau, China, June 11, 2026 (Lusa) - The Macau government announced on Thursday that it will hand out 5,000 patacas (€536) per month to residents undertaking internships at companies in mainland China that do business in Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries.
According to the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), the programme will last 12 weeks and has 15 places available in areas such as commercial operations, human resources, management, finance and legal affairs.
The internships will take place in the neighbouring Hengqin Special Economic Zone (Mountain Island), which falls under the jurisdiction of Zhuhai Local Authority, at “high-quality” companies with a presence in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking markets, to “strengthen the linguistic and professional skills of young people in Macau”.
Macau residents under the age of 35, who are graduates or will graduate in 2026, may apply, provided they possess the skills required for the internship positions and a travel permit to enter mainland China.
Portuguese nationals with resident status in Macau are therefore excluded from the internships, as this travel permit is only granted to people holding Chinese nationality.
The DSAL will provide each intern with a monthly living allowance of five thousand patacas (€536) plus a one-off allowance of 500 patacas (€36) for return travel and travel insurance.
Participants will also be entitled to accommodation and a lunch allowance during the internship period, with all other personal expenses to be borne by them.
Applications for the programme open on 15 June, in an initiative co-organised by the DSAL and the Directorate of Livelihood Affairs of the Guangdong-Macau Deepened Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and organised by the Centre for Economic and Commercial Services between China and Portuguese and Spanish-speaking Countries (CECPS), established in 2025.
“With this measure, the Macau Government seeks to consolidate the region’s role as a bridge between China and Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries, whilst investing in the training and employability of local young people,” the DSAL stated.
In 2003, China defined Macau as a bridge between the country and Portuguese Language Countries, a role that has been expanded by the new head of the Macau Government, Sam Hou Fai, to also encompass the 21 countries where Spanish is the official language.
In April, during his first overseas visit since taking office, Sam Hou Fai visited Lisbon and Madrid, where he signed 43 cooperation agreements in areas such as technology and sport.
He also made a point of emphasising that Macau wishes to use the Sino-Lusophone platform to expand into Spain and Spanish-speaking markets as well.
Macau’s existing integration and cooperation plans with Guangdong Province and the Hengqin Special Economic Zone, established to aid the city’s economic diversification, also offer a pathway for companies from Spanish-speaking countries to enter China.
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