Hong Kong progressively resumes normal travel with the Mainland

閱讀中文版本

The border re-opening between the SAR and Mainland China will resume in phases starting 8 January 2023.

The HKSAR government has announced that, having reached a consensus after deliberation and co-ordination with the Central Government, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, and upon obtaining approval from the Central Government, the normal travel of persons between Hong Kong and the Mainland will be resumed in phases starting 8 January 2023.

The aim is to resume normal travel with the Mainland in a progressive, orderly and comprehensive manner.

Certain boundary control points (BCPs) covered in the first-phase resumption include:

1. The Hong Kong International Airport (flights between Hong Kong and the Mainland)
2. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
3. The Shenzhen Bay Control Point
4. Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal
5. The China Ferry Terminal
6. Man Kam To Control Point
7. Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian Control Point

Normal operating hours and prescribed daily numbers of persons who can pass through certain BCPs:

Detailed arrangements for the first-phase resumption are as follows:

Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors to Hong Kong are required to successfully make online bookings before they can travel to the Mainland from Hong Kong via the following BCPs. Similarly, the Shenzhen Municipal Government has launched an online booking system for Mainland residents to successfully make bookings before they can travel to Hong Kong from the Mainland via the following BCPs:

• Shenzhen Bay Control Point
• Man Kam To Control Point
• Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian Control Point
• Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (Zhuhai) {applicable to drivers and passengers of private cars and cross-boundary hire car services only; no booking required for passengers of shuttle buses (Gold Buses)}

Mainland residents are not required to make any booking for returning to the Mainland. Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors returning to Hong Kong from the Mainland are also not required to make any booking.

For drivers of private cars and cross-boundary hire cars bound for the Mainland or Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and their passengers, if they belong to those required to make bookings online, they will be required to successfully do so before travelling via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. 

The online booking system of the HKSAR Government remains open 24 hours a day. The booking time slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. A successful booking will be directly confirmed with an SMS notification sent to the applicant. If an applicant has an upcoming appointment, the system will not allow him/her to make any further booking. Each applicant can make a booking together with up to three accompanying persons.

The online booking system of the HKSAR Government will open up available time slots of eight weeks (from 8 January 2023 to 4 March 2023). Starting 15 January 2023, a new week's time slots will be made available for booking every Sunday at 9am (i.e. time slots for the week from 5 to 11 March to be available on 15 January, and so on).

A person who has successfully made a booking should arrive at the specified BCP at the time slot (morning, afternoon or evening) selected on the booking date, and bring along the booking confirmation (either a printed version or an electronic version stored on a mobile phone) together with the documents used for the booking for checking by BCP personnel.

Under the first-phase resumption of normal travel, all persons entering the Mainland from Hong Kong, or entering Hong Kong from the Mainland, are required to undergo a polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid test for COVID-19 within 48 hours prior to the scheduled time of flight departure (for those entering via the airport) or the time of arrival (for those entering via other BCPs) and obtain a negative result. Travellers should hold the applicable nucleic test report for checking by BCP personnel.

Cross-boundary persons with a valid test result report, i.e. the testing was conducted within the past 48 hours, may use the same report to cross the boundary for more than once without the need to conduct multiple nucleic acid tests. This arrangement also applies to the test result reports issued by the Mainland COVID-19 nucleic acid testing institutions.

The Government has set up more than 80 community testing centres/community testing stations (CTC/CTSs) in various districts across the city. These CTC/CTSs provide self-paid nucleic acid testing service and issue test result reports for travel and other purposes, including for travelling to the Mainland. The self-paid testing service is provided in two ways: standard self-paid service (service price capped at $150) and express self-paid service (service price capped at $240). The Government strongly advises testees to book testing time slots online in advance and use the "Testing Registration Code" for registration.

When undergoing the nucleic acid test, testees are required to bring along the necessary identification documents (such as a valid Hong Kong identity card), the documents required for entry to their destination (e.g. Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents or other travel document) and the mobile phone provided for booking for verification by the staff. 

Apart from community testing facilities, some private hospitals and private laboratories also provide self-paid nucleic acid testing service for cross-boundary travel.

Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government advises all inbound persons to conduct daily rapid antigen tests (RATs) using self-arranged RAT kits during the period between the day of arrival (i.e. Day 0) and Day 5 after arrival in Hong Kong.

The handling arrangements for inbound persons testing positive are in line with those for local cases. Relevant persons should provide information to the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health through the online platforms (for nucleic acid tests or RATs) as early as possible.

ALSO READ: Hong Kong's latest social and inbound rules Jan 2023: All you need to know

Transport arrangements

The Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Transport Department, the Civil Aviation Department and the Marine Department have co-ordinated with the seaborne, land and air transport operators to press ahead with the resumption of normal travel with the Mainland in a progressive and orderly manner, and to ensure adequate public transport services for the public travelling to and from the BCPs.

Relevant arrangements are as follows:

1. Air services: Local and Mainland airlines are gradually increasing or resuming scheduled passenger services between Hong Kong and various Mainland ports to meet the demand;
2. Ferry services: Ferry operators will resume services plying between Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and Shenzhen Shekou, as well as between China Ferry Terminal and Shenzhen Fuyong. Cross-boundary ferry services to other Mainland ports will also be gradually resumed;
3. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port: Shuttle bus (Gold Bus) services between Hong Kong and Zhuhai Port will be enhanced;
4. Shenzhen Bay Control Point: Members of the public can take franchised buses, green minibuses or taxis to the Control Point. There are also cross-boundary coach routes directly travelling to the Mainland port area from Prince Edward, Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai or Causeway Bay;
5. Man Kam To Control Point: Members of the public can take cross-boundary coaches plying between Sheung Shui and the Control Point; and
6. Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian Control Point: Members of the public can take East Rail Line, franchised buses, green minibuses or taxis to the Control Point.

See further details about the public transport services to and from the BCPs here.

The HKSAR Government said it will review the overall implementation of the first stage as soon as possible to summarise the experience gained, and maintain liaison with relevant Mainland authorities on the arrangements of any subsequent phase.

Such arrangements include covering more BCPs, raising the prescribed daily numbers of persons who can pass through relevant BCPs as appropriate, and allowing cross-boundary students to travel every day between the Mainland and Hong Kong after the Chinese New Year for face-to-face classes.

ALSO READ:

China reopens borders and lifts travel restrictions effective 8 January 2023

Macao to relax several inbound and transit rules starting 8 January 2023

Image / Shutterstock

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