The applicant must be a Hong Kong Resident who possess a valid Hong Kong Identity Card, a valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (i.e. 'Home Return Permit'), as well as driving licences in Hong Kong and the Mainland (if the applicant is one of the designated drivers).
The applicant must be the registered owner of the private car concerned.
The Scheme is designed for non-commercial private cars. Therefore, the vehicle must be registered under the name of an individual. Besides, the vehicle must be in seating capacity of eight or below (including the driver), and must be less than six metres in length. The approved vehicle will be issued with Closed Road Permit by the Transport Department and electronic vehicle licence by the Mainland authorities.
According to the "Guangdong Province Administrative Measures for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to the Mainland via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge" ("Administrative Measures"), applicants are required to submit Certificate of Roadworthiness for Hong Kong private cars registered (or aged) 6 years or more.
Each applicant may designate no more than two drivers (one of the drivers could be the applicant) to drive the private car concerned between Hong Kong and Guangdong.
Designated drivers must be a Hong Kong resident who possess a valid Hong Kong Identity Card. Besides, designated drivers must possess a valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (i.e. "Home Return Permit"), or foreign passport with valid visa/endorsement (or residence permit, permanent resident card), or other international travel documents with valid visa/endorsement (or residence permit, permanent resident card), etc.; and possess driving licences for private cars in Hong Kong and the Mainland.
Note- Applicant will NOT be appointed as one of the designated drivers by default. If applicant would like to appoint himself / herself as a designated driver, he / she will have to indicate the option in the application form and upload the color images of both the front and side page of his/her Mainland Driving Licence as supporting documents.
The duration of stay in the Mainland must not exceed the validity period of the relevant permits/ licences. The applicant's vehicle may stay for no more than 30 consecutive days upon each entry to the Mainland and no more than 180 days within a year in aggregate.
The applicant must fulfill the insurance requirements of the two places, including purchasing the qualified Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles (i.e. "Compulsory Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles" or "unilateral recognition" insurance) in the Mainland for the private car concerned.
After receiving notification from the Mainland authorities, the applicant would be required to arrange vehicle inspection at designated location in Hong Kong as required by the Guangdong Provincial Government. The vehicle concerned is not required to go to the Mainland for separate inspection. Before arranging vehicle inspection, applicants are reminded to read Points to Note on Vehicle Inspection for “Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles” and Samples on Vehicles Failing Vehicle Inspection prepared by the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department (only Simplified Chinese version is available) (the Points to Note and Samples are for reference only. The vehicle inspection bodies own the right of final decision on vehicle inspection result).
Starting from March 1, 2024, vehicle inspection will be exempted if the applicant re-submit applications for “Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles” within two years of passing the vehicle inspection, within the validity of the Mainland Electronic Vehicle Licence and meeting the following criteria:
- Applicant remain unchanged;
- Vehicle remain unchanged, including the Hong Kong Registration Mark, Chassis No. / V.I. Number., Engine Number, and colour, etc.; and
- Designated drivers remain unchanged, including the number of designated driver(s) and the Hong Kong Identity Card No. of the designated driver(s), etc.
Note: According to the Mainland government authorities, both The China Inspection Company Limited and China Travel Service (HK) Limited provide vehicle inspection services. Website of The China Inspection Company Limited: http://vic.cichk.com; Website of China Travel Service (HK) Limited: https://gcbs.ctsmep.com.
Note- Number of vehicle in an application: Each applicant could only apply in the name of one private car even if the applicant has more than one vehicle registered under his name.
- Vehicles which have obtained quota under "Regular Quotas for Cross-boundary Private Cars travelling between Guangdong and Hong Kong" or "Ad Hoc Quotas for Cross Boundary Private Cars" are not eligible to apply for the Scheme.
- Applicants should to first liaise with the Traffic Management Bureau of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department (Telephone Number: 11183 and 020-83311536) and Shenzhen Customs (Telephone Number: 0755-12360) to confirm if the vehicle concerned had obtained any quota under “Regular Quotas for Cross-boundary Private Cars travelling between Guangdong and Hong Kong”. If affirmative, the original quota holder should make application to the Traffic Management Bureau of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department for cancelling the quota before registering for ballot.
- Since the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Link Road is designated as closed road, applicants are required to apply for a Closed Road Permit (CRP) for vehicles entering the Guangdong Province. The Scheme only accepts online application. Applicants are required to submit application, together with relevant supporting documents (see table below), to the theme page of the Scheme and the application will be jointly assessed by the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong. The Transport Department will conduct preliminary vetting based on submitted information and the Mainland authorities will also process the applications. Applicants will be notified by email or SMS about the application status and required formalities by the Mainland authorities via the e-mail address or Mainland mobile number they provided in the application form. After receiving notification, applicant can access the "Mainland Information System" to enquire on application status and upload qualified Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles (i.e. "Compulsory Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles" or "unilateral recognition" insurance).
- Current applicants may register for computer ballot within 30 days before the expiry of their CRP. Successful applicants with application ballot allocated can submit fresh applications of the Scheme via the theme page of the Scheme within designated time and pay the Transport Department online for CRP application. In case applicant has to amend the information of applicant, vehicle and / or designated driver(s) when submitting a new application, upon the expiry of your electronic vehicle licence, the Transport Department may be required by the Mainland authorities to put up a request to cancel the previous record before passing the current application data for Mainland authorities’ further vetting. The process will take around 2 weeks’ processing time, please wait patiently.
- To achieve implementation of the Scheme in an orderly manner, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong agreed to introduce limit on the number of applications to be processed. A computer ballot will be introduced to allocate the number of applications to be processed. The limit for first week after open to receiving applications is 200 applications per working day and the limit from second week will be 300 applications per working day.
- Applicants are required to register for computer balloting via the theme page of the Scheme.
- The period of application submission will be randomly assigned by the computer system. Successful applicants should submit applications within designated 72 hours allotted by ballot in general.
Balloting timetable (April to August 2024)
- The timetable regarding application for computer ballot and submitting application for the Scheme is listed below. The timetable for subsequent months will be announced in due course.
| Registration for computer ballot | Announcement of ballot result | Successful applicants will be allotted with a 72-hour application period during the following period |
|---|---|---|
| April 8 (10.00 am) to April 11 (11.59 pm) |
April 12 (10.00 am) | April 15 to April 27* |
| April 22 (10.00 am) to April 25 (11.59 pm) |
April 26 (10.00 am) | April 29 to May 11* |
| May 6 (10.00 am) to May 9 (11.59 pm) |
May 10 (10.00 am) | May 13 to 25* |
| May 20 (10.00 am) to May 23 (11.59 pm) |
May 24 (10.00 am) | May 27 to June 8* |
| June 3 (10.00 am) to June 6 (11.59 pm) |
June 7 (10.00 am) | June 11 to 22* |
| June 17 (10.00 am) to June 20 (11.59 pm) |
June 21 (10.00 am) | June 24 to July 6* |
| July 1 (10.00 am) to July 4 (11.59 pm) |
July 5 (10.00 am) | July 8 to 20* |
| July 15 (10.00 am) to July 18 (11.59 pm) |
July 19 (10.00 am) | July 22 to August 3* |
| July 29 (10.00 am) to August 1 (11.59 pm) |
August 2 (10.00 am) | August 5 to 17* |
| August 12 (10.00 am) to August 15 (11.59 pm) |
August 16 (10.00 am) | August 19 to 31* |
| August 26 (10.00 am) to August 29 (11.59 pm) |
August 30 (10.00 am) | September 2 to 14* |
Applicant (Registered Vehicle Owner)- Hong Kong Identity Card
- Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (i.e. Home Return Permit)
- Hong Kong Vehicle Registration Document
- Certificate of Roadworthiness for the vehicle (only applicable to Hong Kong private cars aged 6 year or more and the certificate is issued by designated car testing centres in Hong Kong.)
Driver#- Hong Kong Identity Card
- Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (i.e. Home Return Permit), or foreign passport with valid visa/endorsement (or residence permit, permanent resident card), or other international travel documents with valid visa/endorsement (or residence permit, permanent resident card)
- Hong Kong full driving licence
- Mainland Driving Licence
#: Every designed driver is required to fill out and sign an "Declaration for the Designated Drivers" in indicating their agreement on being a designated driver for vehicle under "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles", complying with the relevant regulations and giving consent on the use of personal data.
- The application fee for the Closed Road Permit is HK$540 per year or HK$45 per month required by the Transport Department.
- Fees are required for RFID device installation and vehicle inspection. Members of the public are advised to stay tuned to announcement made by the Mainland related authorities in due course.
- Please note that applicants will not be required to pay or provide credit card information online by the Mainland authorities.
- Hong Kong private cars that enter Guangdong via the HZMB must fulfill the insurance requirements of the two places, applicants are required to take out the qualified Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles (i.e. "Compulsory Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles" or "unilateral recognition" insurance).
- Applicants for the Scheme may procure, through Hong Kong insurance companies offering relevant services, qualified "unilateral recognition" insurance products or separately purchase "Compulsory Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles" in the Mainland under the prevailing one-stop service arrangement.
- "Unilateral Recognition"
- To provide greater convenience for applicants of the Scheme, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong and relevant authorities reached an agreement for implementing the "unilateral recognition" policy. The policy extends the coverage of third-party insurance policies issued by Hong Kong insurance companies to cover third-party liability in the Mainland, thereby deeming such policies as equivalent to the mandatory traffic accident liability insurance for motor vehicles in the Mainland.
- Under the "unilateral recognition" arrangement, applicants for the Scheme may procure as top-up to their Hong Kong statutory motor insurance policy an equivalent of the mandatory "Compulsory Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles" in the Mainland and choose selective top-up cover (i.e. Commercial Motor Insurance) depending on their needs.
- For details on motor vehicle insurance in Hong Kong and the Mainland, please refer to the website of the Insurance Authority ( https://www.ia.org.hk/en/infocenter/faqs/faqs_13.html ) and the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers ( https://minisites.hkfi.org.hk/hzmb/index.html ).
- The validity period of electronic vehicle licenses will be aligned with the validity period of the qualified Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles (i.e. "Compulsory Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles" or "unilateral recognition" insurance). Since the validity period of Closed Road Permit issued by the Transport Department will be aligned with the electronic vehicle license issued by the Mainland authorities, applicants are advised to ensure same validity period is selected for Closed Road Permit application and the Mainland compulsory traffic accident liability insurance for motor vehicles.
- According to the Mainland government authorities, Zhuhai Traffic Police will only process applications with a valid Mainland vehicle insurance (i.e. "Compulsory Traffic Accident Liability Insurance for Motor Vehicles" or "unilateral recognition" insurance). If the Mainland vehicle insurance is valid at the time of uploading to the Mainland Information System, Zhuhai Traffic Police process the application accordingly. If the Mainland vehicle insurance is not valid, Zhuhai Traffic Police will only process the application after the Mainland vehicle insurance come into effect. Applicants are reminded to observe relevant requirements before taking out Mainland vehicle insurance.
To achieve implementation of the Scheme in an orderly manner, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong agreed to introduce a cap on the number of travelling vehicles per day.
Applicants who have obtained the relevant licences for the Scheme from the Transport Department and the Mainland authorities may book for travelling within a designated period in the subsequent month via the online booking system starting from the middle of each month.
For example:
Applicants can reserve specified dates for travelling in July starting from mid-June.
Applicants can reserve specified dates for travelling in August starting from mid-July.
Applicants are required to reserve the specified date and time before 12:00 noon on the day before the reserved day in advance via the "Specified Dates Booking System". If applicants wish to cancel the reserved specified date and time, they must cancel the booking via the "Specified Dates Booking System" before 12:00 noon on the day before the reserved day.
If any vehicle is found to have been violating the travelling regulations, the Transport Department may deprive them from reserving the specified date and time through the "Specified Dates Booking System" or revoke the CRP.
Subject to the number of booking, there may be a need to allocate designated dates for northbound vehicles through computing balloting. If the number of applications has not reached its cap, applicants may make the booking via the system on a first-come-first-served basis.
The Transport Department (TD) anticipates that the traffic at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port and Zhuhai Port as well as connecting roads will be relatively busy during long weekends and festive periods. TD hereby appeals cross-boundary private car owners who intended to use the HZMB for returning to Hong Kong during long weekends and festive periods to plan their journeys ahead.
Cross-boundary private car owners are advised to pay attention to special traffic and transport arrangements implemented by Mainland and Hong Kong authorities depending on the actual traffic conditions and the latest traffic announcement issued by relevant authorities, be patient when driving in the vicinities and follow on-site instructions.
Applicants and designated drivers are reminded to read the "Guangdong Province Administrative Measures for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to the Mainland via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge" ("Administrative Measures") (http://www.gd.gov.cn/zwgk/wjk/qbwj/yfb/content/mpost_4173613.html) and "Gongbei Customs Administrative Measures for Hong Kong and Macao Private Cars Travelling to the Mainland" (http://gongbei.customs.gov.cn/gongbei_customs/374280/fdzdgknr19/4262598/xxyx30/5124562/index.html) in order to understand relevant rules and regulations concerning the implementation of the Scheme in the Mainland before submitting applications.
If applicant or designated driver is found violating the "Administrative Measures", they could be subject to punishment by the Mainland authorities.
For the following scenarios, apart from the punishments under relevant Mainland legal provisions, vehicles owners and drivers will be subject to additional restrictions:
The punishment arrangement stated in the "Administrative Measures" are extracted below*:
- For vehicles involved in illegal or unauthorized activities, such as smuggling, transporting illegal immigrants, illegal operations, posing threat to the national security and illegal carriage of prohibited, restricted or undeclared items which should be subject to quarantine and inspection, applications would not be accepted;
- For vehicles hit-and-run in a crash, or involved in drink driving or criminal offences under the legal provisions on road traffic, applications would not be accepted;
- For vehicles involved in illegal transfer, lease or sale of the private vehicle temporary entered to the Mainland or using the vehicle for illegal operation, applications would not be accepted for two years;
- For vehicles stay for more than 30 consecutive days upon entry to the Mainland and/ or more than 180 days within a year in aggregate, applications would not be accepted for two years;
- For vehicles entering the Mainland with invalid Mainland temporary licence, applications would not be accepted for one year;
- For vehicles involving travelling beyond the boundary of the Guangdong Province or driven by a person other than the designated driver(s), application would not be accepted for one year; and
- For vehicles involved in traffic incidents or traffic offences in the Mainland, new application would not be accepted before the completion of the processing or relevant legal proceedings.
Applicants and designated drivers shall pay attention to and comply with laws and regulations in the Mainland when driving in the Mainland. In case where violation of laws and regulations, or traffic accident occurs, applicants and designated drivers involved shall handle relevant issues timely in accordance with the procedural guidelines issued by Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department (only Simplified Chinese version is available).
- Upon arrival at the Vehicles Clearance Plaza of HZMB Hong Kong Port, drivers have to choose the appropriate private car kiosk for clearance and inspection by Department of Health, Immigration Department and Customs and Excise Department (C&ED). Vehicles should remain in the kiosk until all clearance processes are completed.
- During clearance at C&ED Private Car Kiosks, drivers and passengers have to declare their possession of controlled or prohibited articles to the Customs officers.
- In case a vehicle is selected for further inspection, relevant Customs instructions will be displayed on Exit Display Board. The driver has to follow traffic signs along and way and drive the vehicle to the C&ED Inbound Private Car Examination Building.
- For more details about Customs clearance procedures, please visit C&ED Homepage (https://www.customs.gov.hk/tc/publications-useful-information/useful-information/QFS/index.html )
- The HZMB Main Bridge is located within Mainland waters and the toll plaza is also situated in the Mainland. The HZMB Authority, which is responsible for the operation of the Main Bridge, will collect tolls from vehicles using the HZMB Main Bridge in accordance with the laws of the Mainland. For details of toll levels on HZMB, please refer to the thematic website of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Section ( https://www.hzmb.gov.hk/tc/notes.html )
- The toll plaza of the HZMB Main Bridge consists of manual and free-flow electronic toll lanes. For the manual toll lanes, motorists could pay tolls of the HZMB Main Bridge in cash (only RMB is accepted), bank / credit card (including Union Pay, Master and Visa Card), Alipay and Wechat Pay etc. for electronic payment. As for the free-flow electronic toll lanes, motorists could use smartcards for non-stop payment.
- Vehicles will enter HZMB Zhuhai Port after leaving the toll plaza. Before entering the gate, all passengers (excluding the driver) are required to alight. Passengers will alight at the alighting area and walk to the passenger inspection zone for undergoing immigration procedures. Depending on the vehicle type, drivers will undergo inspection and immigration procedures at designated vehicle passages.
- Gates leading to the HZMB Zhuhai Port has been equipped with automatic vehicle registration mark recognition system. Please keep a distance between the vehicle with the one in front such that the system could recognise the vehicle registration mark. Motorists are also reminded to pay attention to the signage at the scene. Yellow lines or signage are marked on the road for some facilities indicating the distance required.
For details, please refer to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port private cars clearance guide video (prepared by the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Commerce) (Only Traditional Chinese version is available):