The Central People’s Government’s measure allowing Macau cars with Hengqin entry permits to travel throughout Guangdong Province from the adjacent island is expected to be implemented later this year, according to an announcement published on its website yesterday.
Yesterday’s announcement concerns the State Council’s approval of a vehicle bond exemption for eligible Macau cars entering the rest of Guangdong from Hengqin. This policy is a necessary step for the Guangdong Provincial People’s Government and the General Administration of Customs to launch the measure allowing Macau cars with Hengqin permits to travel to the rest of the province.
The State Council, which is synonymous with the Central People’s Government, stated in the announcement that the vehicle bond exemption aims to advance the development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and deepen cooperation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The 11-member GBA consists of nine prefecture-level cities in Guangdong and the nation’s two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau. The province comprises a total of 21 prefecture-level cities.
The 106-square-kilometre island of Hengqin in Zhuhai is officially known as the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, following its inauguration in September 2021. The adjacent island is three times the size of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR). The neighbouring city of Zhuhai is one of the nine Guangdong GBA cities.
Yesterday’s announcement was the State Council’s official reply to a joint request from the Guangdong Provincial People’s Government, the Ministry of Justice, the General Administration of Customs, and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO). The reply, dated Monday and released yesterday, confirmed the State Council’s decision to approve the request for the vehicle bond exemption.
The reply stated that the Guangdong Provincial People’s Government and the General Administration of Customs are now required to establish the necessary systems to ensure the upcoming launch of the measure.
While the bond exemption policy implemented by the General Administration of Customs took effect yesterday, both the provincial government and Customs have yet to finalise the systems required to get the new measure for Macau cars off the ground.
Currently, Macau vehicles with a Guangdong-Macau dual licence plate – including cars, tourist coaches, and lorries – can travel throughout Guangdong.
The existing measure allowing Macau cars without dual plates to apply for a permit to enter Hengqin was launched in 2016. However, these vehicles, colloquially known as “single licence plate” cars, are currently restricted to the island and are not allowed to enter the rest of the province. Unlike other schemes, these cars can enter Hengqin at any time without an appointment.
Meanwhile, the “Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles” policy, launched in January 2023, allows Macau cars without dual plates to enter the whole of Guangdong directly from Macau. However, this scheme requires drivers to make an appointment for every trip. Each car is limited to three appointments per month, and they must enter the province via the Macau-Zhuhai checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) under a quota-based system.
At present, Macau cars are only permitted to hold either a single licence plate for Hengqin entry or a permit issued under the “Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles” policy.
This photo taken in 2024 shows Macau cars returning to Macau from Hengqin via the vehicle inspection channels of the Macau-Hengqin joint border checkpoint. – Photo: Tony Wong
The screenshot taken last night shows the English version of yesterday’s announcement by the central government on its website. The English version is a shortened version of the official Chinese one.
