Long-awaited Hengqin single-plate northbound policy nears release, lawmakers say

The Legislative Assembly’s (AL) Follow-up Committee on Public Administration Affairs has disclosed that the long-awaited policy permitting Hengqin-registered single-plate vehicles to travel north through the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin is set for imminent implementation, with the government maintaining its target of rolling out the measure before the end of the year.

Following a closed-door meeting, committee chairman Ma Chi Seng confirmed that the policy allowing vehicles registered in Hengqin to travel northward into mainland China beyond the immediate Hengqin area through the Cooperation Zone would operate on a reservation-based system, although detailed quota arrangements and the effective date have yet to be finalized.

Official records show that the State Council approved a guarantee-exempt policy on April 2 for eligible Macau vehicles travelling from Hengqin into other parts of Guangdong, with a reservation-based system expected for the first phase, prioritizing those living or working in the Cooperation Zone.

Vehicles may stay in Guangdong for up to 30 consecutive days and 180 days per year. Currently, Macau residents mainly use the “Macau Vehicles Northbound” scheme via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, while the Hengqin scheme – though offering unlimited, no-reservation crossings – is restricted to the Cooperation Zone and cannot be used alongside the other policy.

According to data presented at a post-meeting press briefing, the Hengqin checkpoint handled an average of more than 9,500 vehicle crossings per day last year, a year-on-year increase of 45.8%, with Hengqin single-plate vehicles accounting for approximately 6,300 daily trips – up 46% from 2024.

Official figures show that the Hengqin checkpoint processed approximately 30.34 million passenger movements and some 3.5 million vehicle crossings over the course of 2025. Ma predicted that traffic volumes would continue to climb after the implementation of the single-plate northbound policy.

The committee also proposed moving toward a “seamless smart” clearance model, suggesting measures to boost checkpoint capacity, pilot seamless clearance, integrate facial and iris recognition for accompanying passengers, and facilitate the movement of Macau commercial vehicles into the Cooperation Zone.

Ma said the committee further recommended that the government consider the phased expansion of cross-border student shuttle services and the cross-border ambulance direct access mechanism.

The Hengqin checkpoint passenger inspection hall currently features 48 self-service channels and 13 manual inspection counters, with channel allocation adjusted dynamically based on passenger flow.

As of July 24, 324,000 individuals had registered for facial recognition clearance, recording more than 6.936 million cumulative crossings. Vehicle lane smart clearance has registered 27,000 drivers, with cumulative usage exceeding 858,000 trips. The authorities also revealed that 46 additional joint-inspection self-service channels and six manual lanes are currently under construction in the passenger hall, with the expansion expected to be completed and commissioned in the third quarter of this year.

The committee chairman further disclosed that the government is engaged in talks with mainland authorities to overcome the current limit of one dog or cat per traveler. The short-term objective is to extend the validity of health certificates from 10 days to one month, while the long-term goal is to synchronize them with the one-year visa validity period.

These efforts complement existing arrangements that permit registered individuals to bring pets through the Hengqin checkpoint, with pets returning to Macau from Hengqin already exempted from health certificate requirements.