China To Remove Remaining Curbs On Cross-border Travel With Hong Kong Soon

Office Finder Team

February 3, 2023

Hong Kong

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office announced that cross-border travel between mainland China and the two special administrative regions (SAR) will fully resume on Monday (6 February), according to a Reuters report that was updated on Friday afternoon (3 February, SGT).

The cross-border travel will return to what it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with this, China has removed the quotas and the coronavirus tests that were mandated before people are allowed to travel between the aforementioned areas.

Group tours between China and the two administrative regions will also resume, while the prior number of operating customs checkpoints between the mainland and Hong Kong will be restored, with the three border checkpoints which haven’t yet reopened will do so from Monday.

Moreover, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee revealed on Friday that the COVID inoculation requirement to enter Hong Kong for all inbound travellers, including non-residents, will be withdrawn.

Following the above announcements, searches on Chinese travel portal Qunar for round trip air tickets to and from Hong Kong and the mainland China surged by about seven times, reported state news outlet China Transportation News.

The announcement by the Affairs Office came a day after Hong Kong authorities rolled out a promotion campaign, including offering 500,000 free flights, to lure back investors, travellers, and businesses to Hong Kong following three years of harsh COVID-related measures.

During the said period, the city imposed stringent cross-border restrictions in a bid to control COVID infections, with compulsory quarantine of up to 21 days for inbound travellers.

Hong Kong closely copied China’s zero-COVID policy until June 2022 when it started to gradually relax its rules. The city scrapped most of its remaining coronavirus measures rules last December. However, students are still required to take rapid antigen tests daily and mask-wearing remains mandatory unless exercising.