IREX

Article 1: Purpose

1.1

Macao 2026 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition shall be held for the following purposes:

To promote friendly relations and maintain close co-operation amongst the philatelists and stamp collectors throughout the world.
To promote philately and stamp collecting at the highest international level.
To promote Youth Philately among other classes.

Article 2: Organization, Venue and Date

2.1

Macao 2026 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition (hereafter referred to as “MACAO 2026”) is organized by Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau & Clube Filatélico de Macau (hereafter referred to as “CTT-CFM”) in accordance to Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) General Regulations for Exhibitions. “MACAO 2026” is managed and run by an Organizing Committee.

2.2

“MACAO 2026” will be held at the Venetian Macao, Cotai Expo Hall A (Estrada da Baiá de N. Senhora da Esperança, s/n, Taipa) in Macao.

2.3

“MACAO 2026” will be held from June 26 to July 01, 2026.

Article 3: Patronage, Auspices and Applicable Regulations

3.1

“MACAO 2026” is a “Specialized World Stamp Exhibition” with the Patronage of the Féderation Internationale de Filatélie (FIP) officially granted by the 77^th FIP Congress in Shanghai, China, on December 03, 2024.

3.2

“MACAO 2026” will also be held under the Auspices of the Federation of Inter-Asia Philately (FIAP).

3.3

The following regulation shall be generally applicable to “MACAO 2026”.
The General Regulations of the FIP for Exhibition (GREX).
The General Regulations of the FIP for the Evaluation of Competitive Exhibits at FIP Exhibitions (GREV).
The Special Regulations of the FIP for the Evaluation of Competitive Exhibits at FIP Exhibitions (SREVs).
The Individual Regulations of “MACAO 2026” (IREX) (GREX Article 3.10).

Article 4: Conditions of Participation

4.1

Competitive Exhibits Classes:
Exhibitors from Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) member federations and Federation Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP) member federations who are not FIP members thereof shall be eligible to participate in “MACAO 2026”.

4.2

Non-Competitive Class:
Entries in non-competitive class (Court of Honour) shall be by special invitation at the discretion of the Organizing Committee.

Article 5: Exhibition Classes

5.1

Non-Competitive Exhibits
Court of Honor (By invitation)

5.2

Competitive Exhibits Classes

Class 1: Traditional Philately

National - China
Asia, Oceania and Africa
Europe
America

Class 2: Postal History

National - China
Asia, Oceania and Africa
Europe
America

Class 3: Postal Stationery

Class 4: Thematic Philately – Exhibits will be classified under:

Nature
Culture
Technology

*Please indicate clearly in the Exhibit Application Form as to the sub-class (A, B or C) the exhibit is entering.

Class 5: Revenue

Class 6: Modern Philately (from 2001’s to date)

Class 7 : Picture Postcards

Class 8: Promotional Class

1)

One-Frame Narrow Theme Exhibit:
An extract from a past International award winning multiple frame exhibits (5-8 frames) to One-Frame is not allowed. Exhibits will be classified under:

Traditional
Postal History
Postal Stationery
Thematic
Revenue
Modern Philately
Picture Postcards

*Please indicate clearly in the Exhibit Application Form as to the sub-class (A, B … or G etc) the exhibit is entering.
Awards are presented by Points (60 points to 100 points) and awarded by certificates only. No award medals (for example, Silver Bronze, etc.) will be given. Certificate of Participation will be given to exhibits attaining less than 60 points.

2)

Non-Standard Frames (1-2 Frames) Exhibit
Exhibit in this Class are non-standard frame exhibits, that is, 1-2 frames, which will be judged in their respective Classed which will be classified under:

Traditional
Postal History
Postal Stationery
Thematic
Revenue
Modern Philately
Picture Postcard

*Please indicate clearly in the Exhibit Application Form as to the sub-class (A, B … or G etc.) the exhibit is entering.
Awards are presented by Points (60 points to 100 points) and awarded by certificates only. No award medals (for example, Silver Bronze, etc.) will be given. Certificate of Participation will be given to exhibits attaining less than 60 points.

Class 9: Youth Philately (All ages as of January 01, 2026)

A)

Group A: collectors aged 10-15 years

B)

Group B: collectors aged 16-18 years

C)

Group C: collectors aged 19-21 years

*Please indicate clearly in the Exhibit Application Form as to the age group (A, B, or C) the exhibit is entering.

Class 10: Philatelic Literature

A)

Philatelic books and research papers (published on or after January 01, 2021)

B)

Philatelic magazines and periodicals (the whole annual volume issued after January 01, 2024)

C)

Catalogues (published after January 01, 2024)

*Please indicate clearly in the Exhibit Application Form as to the sub-class (A, B, or C ) the exhibit is entering. In addition, exhibitors are also requested to fill in the particulars stated in the “Philatelic Literature Exhibit Information Form”.

Article 6: Judging of Exhibits and Awards

6.1

Exhibits in the Competitive Classes will be judged by appointed and accredited FIP judges in accordance with the principles laid down in the GREV and SREVs. Any deviation in judging system has to have the prior approval of the FIP Board.

6.2

Exhibits in Non-Competitive Class will receive suitable commemorative awards.

6.3

For Competitive Classes (except Class 8 & 9) , the awards are as follows:

1) Large Gold medals;
2) Gold medals;
3) Large Vermeil medals;
4) Vermeil medals;
5) Large Silver medals;
6) Silver medals;
7) Silver Bronze medals;
8) Bronze medals.

*All medals will be awarded with appropriate certificates.
For Promotional Class (Class 8), awards are presented by certificates only.
For the Youth Philately Class (Class 9) in age groups A and B medals may be awarded up to Large Vermeil level, in age group C up to Gold level.
Certificate of Participation will be given to exhibits attaining less than 60 points.

6.4

There are two Grand Prizes for the “MACAO 2026”: the Grand Prix International and the Grand Prix National.

6.5

The Jury’s decision will be final, hence, objections will not be considered.

6.6

Special Prizes provided by the Organizing Committee and donated by the organizations and people of participating countries and regions, will be placed at the disposal of the Jury. Any particular wish expressed by a donor should be observed in making awards, if possible.

6.7

The Jury may express felicitations for those exhibits demonstrating outstanding philatelic research or originality.

Article 7: Frame Size and Allotment of Frames

7.1

The exhibition frame at “MACAO 2026” shall be 100cm × 120cm (width × height). Each frame shall have a capacity for 16 (four sheets in four rows) album pages, 23cm × 29cm each in size (maximum) including their protective mount. Album pages slightly exceeding the said size shall be accepted if the pages can be overlapped in the frame, in which case, the Organizing Committee shall not be responsible for any loss of, or damage to, the pages. In addition, the other FIP recommended allowable exhibit sheet sizes will be accepted, namely:

46cm × 29cm (A3) : 8 sheets (two sheets in four rows)
31cm × 29cm : 12 sheets (three sheets in four rows)

7.2

All exhibits must be mounted on white pages. No exhibit mounted on dark colored or black pages will be accepted.

7.3

The original copy of Expertizing Certificate must be placed at the disposal of the Jury by inserting it at the back of the page. A small letter © is to be denoted at the right bottom corner of the display sheet.

7.4

Every exhibit shall be allowed five (5) or eight (8) frames (with the exception of the classes 8, 9 and 10) according to GREX Articles 6.3 and 6.4.

    Class 8: Promotional Class
    1) One-Frame Narrow Theme Exhibit 1 frame
    2) Non-Standard frame Exhibit 1-2 frames

     Class 9: Youth Philately
     Group A: 1-3 frames
     Group B: 2-4 frames
     Group C: 3-5 frames

Article 8: Application and Acceptance

8.1

Exhibitors shall submit one Exhibit Application Form for each exhibit applied through their respective Commissioners, as provided for in Articles 11 and 21 of GREX.

8.2

The Organizing Committee, in consultation with the FIP Consultant, shall have the authority to accept or reject entries without specifying the reason therefore.

8.3

Exhibit Application Forms duly filled shall be submitted through the respective Commissioners to the Commissioner General not later than November 18, 2025. When submitting the Exhibit Application Form, the exhibitor shall attach a copy of the introductory page, in one of the FIP’s official languages.

8.4

Exhibitors may enter exhibits under a pseudonym. However, their true identities must be notified to the Organizing Committee (GREX Article 16).

8.5

Notification of acceptance or rejection shall be sent to the exhibitors through their respective Commissioners not later than January 20, 2026.

8.6

The Commissioners are to collect the participation fee from the exhibitors, and shall remit to the Organizing Committee by March 31 2026. Participation fees should reach the Organizing Committee through Commissioners. Participation Fees once paid, are not refunded.

The account of Organizing Committee is as follows:

Beneficiary’s Name:

DIRECCAO DOS SERVICOS DE CORREIOS E TELECOMUNICACOES

Beneficiary’s Account No:

001-774520-151

Currency:

USD

Beneficiary’s Bank:

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.

Bank Address:

639 Avenida da Praia Grande, Macau

SWIFT Address:

HSBCMOMX

CHIPS UID:

116866

Correspondent Bank:

HSBC Bank USA, N.A.
Head Office
HSBC Tower 452 Fifth Avenue
New York NY 10018
U S A
SWIFT address: MRMDUS33
ABA No: 021001088
A/C 000-044008

8.7

Entrants may revise the introductory page or synopsis through the Commissioners by February 13, 2026. Each exhibit shall be listed in the exhibition catalogue under its given title as stated in the application form.

8.8

When the title of the exhibit differs from the past (irrespective of minor or major changes), the previous title of the exhibit must be stated in the Exhibit Application Form. Furthermore, the FIP created Exhibitor’s Identity Number must be stated. This ID number could be obtained from the Secretary of your Federation. The FIP Secretariat circulates annually “a list of Awards and ID Numbers for all exhibitors” of the member federation concerned.

8.9

All information in the exhibit application forms shall be kept strictly confidential by the Organizing Committee and shall not be discloed to third parties or used for any commercial purposes.

Article 9: Participation Fee

9.1

There is no fee for Non-Competitive Class entries.

9.2

The participation fee for Competitive Classes (except Classe 8, 9 & 10) is USD80 per frame.

9.3

The participation fee for Promotional Class (Class 8)
1) One Frame Narrow Theme Exhibit is USD105 per frame.
2) Non-Standard Frame Exhibit is USD80 per frame.

9.4

The participation fee for Youth Philately (Class 9) is free.

9.5

The participation fee for Philatelic Literature (Class 10) is USD70 per exhibit.

Article 10: Handling of Exhibits

10.1

In the case an exhibit is delivered late or fails to be delivered, or in the case the page size does not comply with the provisions of Article 7.1, the exhibit will not be judged and the participation fee shall not be refunded.

10.2

Each exhibit page shall be placed in a transparent protective cover and numbered in a consistent manner, in the lower right hand corner margin.

10.3

The Organizing Committee shall certify the receipt of the exhibits to the Commissioners.

10.4

The Organizing Committee shall distribute exhibit envelopes and exhibit inventory forms through the Commissioners to the exhibitors.

10.5

Each and every exhibit shall be forwarded in the envelope provided (one envelope is allotted per frame). The exhibit inventory form shall be put in the envelope for the first frame.

10.6

The Organizing Committee strongly recommends that all exhibits are delivered by hand by the Commissioners. Personal delivery by hand by the exhibitor (or his/her friends) are not allowed.

10.7

Exhibitors in the Philatelic Literature Class (Class 10A, 10B and 10C) must send two copies of each title or volume – none of these are returnable. Periodicals shall exhibit a complete volume or year. Philatelic Literature exhibits must be received by the Organizing Committee no later than May 26, 2026, in order that preliminary judging may take place. The Literature exhibits will not be returned. One set each of the exhibits will be kept by the Organizing Committee.

10.8

The address to which Philatelic Literature exhibits must be sent is the Organizing Committee of Macao 2026 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition. The address of the Organizing Committee is stated under article 17.1.

Article 11: Mounting and Dismounting of Exhibits

11.1

The mounting and dismounting of the exhibits shall be undertaken by respective Commissioners together with the helper. In the case the Commissioner requests to mount or dismount his exhibit, the Organizing Committee shall provide the directions and conditions under which these may be undertaken.

11.2

The exhibitor or Commissioner shall pay for the costs of (a) delivering his exhibit to the Exhibition site as well as (b) collecting his exhibit at the close of the Exhibition from the Exhibition site and returning to his country/region.

11.3

Dispatching exhibits to the Organizing Committee and returning of exhibits by means of Air Cargo are not allowed.

11.4

No complaints after the dismounting and return of the exhibit from the exhibitor or Commissioner will be entertained by the Organizing Committee.

11.5

Requests for return, dismounting etc., of the exhibits during the Exhibition period shall not be accepted.

Article 12: Customs Regulations

12.1

The Organizing Committee shall establish simplified customs procedures through the customs consultative committee, and details of the applicable custom regulations shall be sent to the exhibitor through the Commissioner in each country/region.

Article 13: Security Measures

13.1

The Organizing Committee shall take all appropriate measures to ensure the security of the exhibits from arrival to return thereof. However, the Organizing Committee shall not be liable for any loss or damage to an Exhibit that might occur during the transportation to and from the exhibition; from receipt to return of the Exhibit; and during the exhibition.

13.2

After the exhibit is mounted by the Organizing Committee and the Commissioner, the Commissioner is required to check that all pages and philatelic items are intact. In the case of any missing items, the Commissioner must inform the Organizing Committee immediately. A confirmation form shall be signed by the Commissioner and returned to the Organizing Committee to confirm that the exhibit mounted is in order. This procedure is to be executed prior to the Opening day of the exhibition, except where an Exhibit is received after the Opening day when such report shall be made at the soonest opportunity.

13.3

Every exhibitor has to insure his or her exhibit at own expense (GREX Article 50.2).

Article 14: Expert Group (GREX Article 45)

14.1

An Expert Group will be appointed by the Organizing Committee of “MACAO 2026” in consultation with the FIP Consultant.

Article 15: Rights of Organizing Committee

15.1

Every exhibitor applying to exhibit at “MACAO 2026” is deemed to have accepted the stipulations of the IREX.

15.2

The Organizing Committee shall have the right to revise the IREX through consultation with the FIP Consultant. Exhibitors shall be promptly notified of any of such revisions either directly or through his Commissioner.

13.3

The Organizing Committee shall have the right to adjudicate any problems arising that are not covered by FIP Regulations or by the IREX, and its decisions shall be final.

Article 16: Acceptance of these Regulations

16.1

By signing the Exhibit Application Form, the exhibitor shall be deemed to have accepted the stipulations of the IREX, GREX, GREV and SREVs.

16.2

In the case of any discrepancies in the text arising from translation, the English version shall prevail.

16.3

Any legal cases arising shall be settled within the jurisdiction of the Court of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Article 17: Addresses

17.1

The Organizing Committee of “MACAO 2026”

Address:

Largo do Senado, CTT Headquarters Building, Macao

E-mail:

secretary_expo@macao2026.org.mo

secretary_booth@macao2026.org.mo

secretary_hotel@macao2026.org.mo

Website:

www.macao2026.org.mo

17.2

President of the Organizing Committee, Commissioner General:

Name:

Derby, Wai Meng Lau

Address:

Largo do Senado, CTT Headquarters Building, Macao

17.3

Vice President of the Organizing Committee, Deputy Commissioner General:

Name:

Huo Hui Xiao

Address:

P.O. Box 487, Macao

17.4

FIP Consultant

Name:

Abdulla M T Khoory

Address:

Post Box 4664, Dubai, UAE

Telephone:

+971 4 3146106

Email:

akhoory@f-i-p.ch

Individual Regulations (IREX)

INDIVIDUAL REGULATIONS (IREX) OF MACAO 2026 SPECIALIZED WORLD STAMP EXHIBITION

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