Transport Bureau (DSAT) Director Lam Hin San said yesterday that with the aim of further facilitating transport between Macau and Guangdong, the local government, in conjunction with its counterpart in Guangdong, has implemented the policy of allowing private cars from Macau to enter and leave the mainland via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) Zhuhai Port.
Lam added that he expected about 80,000 local cars to be eligible to apply for a permit for the so-called “Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles”.
Lam made the remarks during a press conference yesterday at DSAT headquarters on Estrada de D. Maria II.
According to Lam, there are about 100,000 cars in Macau, of which nearly 20,000 are dual licence plate vehicles or have a single licence plate permit that can travel within Hengqin.
Lam noted that local residents who have reached the age of 18 and hold a “Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents” may apply for their local private car to enter and leave the mainland without any investment tax and special status restrictions, adding that each application can be for two drivers per car.
Local cars that have been issued licences will be able to enter Guangdong via the HZMB Zhuhai Port at 0:00 on January 1 at the earliest after making an appointment, Lam noted.
The validity period of the electronic temporary entry permits should be the same as that of the “Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Macau Cross-border Vehicle Mainland Compulsory Insurance Equivalent Insurance” purchased, with the longest not exceeding one year, Lam stressed, adding that registered cars may enter or leave Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Zhuhai Port multiple times, but the duration of stay should never exceed the validity period of the licence.
The term “port” in this context means checkpoint.
Lam underlined that after entering Guangdong, the consecutive length of each stay should never exceed 30 days, and that the annual cumulative length of stay should not exceed 180 days.
Drivers of vehicles that have been granted the “Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles” policy are entitled to a “guarantee-free” policy, i.e., they do not have to provide a deposit or bank guarantee to the mainland’s customs administration, and are entitled to an “equivalent pre-acknowledgement” policy for cross-boundary vehicle insurance, according to Lam, who pointed out that in terms of customs clearance, the Macau and Zhuhai border checkpoints (“ports”) of the HZMB will share an electronic identification label for customs clearance.
Applications and appointments can be made via the “Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles” website: https://macaoapply.singlewindow.gd.cn/, or through its mobile app: https://macaoapply.singlewindow.gd.cn/#/poster/home.
Moreover, according to the bureau, the application, which runs daily from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m., will take about 10 working days in the mainland to be processed.
When asked whether the mainland’s odd-even licence plate restriction policy, by which residents can only drive their cars on either odd or even days, based on the last digit of their licence plate numbers, is also required for local cars travelling in the mainland, Lam underlined that there was no such restriction when the two governments signed the agreement.
Lam described the “Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles” and the “Mutual recognition of driving licences between Macau and the mainland” as “twins”, as they facilitate the integration of Macau residents into the “life” in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA). He added that the latter was in the signing process, which would not take long to be implemented.
Insurance for cross-border vehicles
Meanwhile, Vong Lap Fong, a committee member of the Macau Monetary Authority (AMCM), said yesterday that the insurance products for cross-border vehicles from Guangdong and Macau comprise “Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Macau Cross-border Vehicle Mainland Compulsory Insurance Equivalent Insurance” and “Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Cross-border Vehicle Commercial Insurance for Macau”, in which the former is compulsory and Macau vehicles can only be driven in the mainland after purchasing it, while the latter is optional, i.e.,owners can choose whether to buy it according to their own needs.
In the first phase, Vong pointed out, six insurance companies will offer insurance products for cross-border vehicles from Guangdong and Macau, with the hope of arranging short-term insurance policies, with an initial coverage period of no less than one month.
The press conference was also attended by Macau Customs Service (SA) senior official Ip Wa Chio and Public Security Police (PSP) Traffic Department Investigation and Support Division acting chief Leong Wa Chi.
Ho thanks mainland authorities
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng expressed his sincere gratitude to the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government (CPC) in the Macau SAR, relevant ministries and commissions of the state, the Provincial Committee of the CPC and the Government of Guangdong Province for their valuable guidance and strong support regarding the implementation of the “Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles” policy, which will create new opportunities for local residents to choose where to live, while helping Macau participate in developing the GBA and accelerating Macau’s integration into the overall national development, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday.
Ho said in the statement that the announcement of the “Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles” policy by the Central Government was a positive response to its concern for Macau residents, following its announcements on September 23 of a series of measures to benefit Macau, such as economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the developments of Macau’s accelerated infrastructure and appropriate economic diversification. He added he believed that the policy would provide more convenience and new living space for residents to take short-term business trips, to study, to work, to live and to travel in the mainland, especially in the GBA, while facilitating exchanges between cities in the GBA regions, the statement noted.
Public Security Police (PSP) Traffic Department Investigation and Support Division acting chief Leong Wa Chi (from left to right), Macau Monetary Authority (AMCM) committee member Vong Lap Fong, Transport Bureau (DSAT) Director Lam Hin San, and Macau Customs Service (SA) senior official Ip Wa Chio look on during yesterday’s press conference at the DSAT headquarters on Estrada de D. Maria II. – Photo: Yuki Lei
