[Photo by Zou Zhongpin/China Daily]

"But now apparently it will take only 10 seconds to get through a checkpoint. All I need to do is to swipe the smart card and press my fingers on a scanner for verification of my fingerprints."

The 42-year-old woman, who visits Hong Kong and Macao about 10 times a year on shopping trips, said she plans to go to Hong Kong this month because of the introduction of the e-permit.

Guangdong has completed 30 percent of the work to install and test its self-service checkpoints, according to Guangzhou-based newspaper Yangcheng Evening News.

"I think the e-permit is also safer than a paper permit because it contains my fingerprints. I don't need to worry that someone else will use my paper permit and identity," Deng added.

Chen Jianyi, deputy director of Guangzhou's exit-and-entry police, said that with fingerprint verification, the e-permits will make it easier to regulate exit and entry points.

She said that last year authorities at checkpoints found 10 cases in which photos on paper permits didn't match the holders' appearance. In some cases, the cardholder carelessly used a photo of his or her sibling with a similar appearance. In other cases, the paper permits were used illegally.

In 2013, mainland visitor arrivals to Hong Kong increased by 16.8 percent year on year to about 40.5 million, while arrivals to Macao increased by 10 percent to more than 18.63 million, according to Xinhua News Agency.