The Transport Department (TD) announced today (March 31) that the additional measures to assist cross-boundary vehicles stranded in Mainland or Macao to return to Hong Kong for vehicle examinations implemented since March 1 will be extended to June 30.

     Eligible cross-boundary vehicles with expired Hong Kong vehicle licences and are stranded in the Mainland or Macao can return to Hong Kong on a specific date through a designated route via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) to a pre-booked designated car testing centre for vehicle examinations to renew their Hong Kong vehicle licences. The vehicle owner must confirm that the vehicle should be roadworthy for road safety concerns in their application.

     Eligible vehicle owners are required to submit application forms to the TD two weeks in advance of the planned date of return (i.e. before June 16) with the following documents:
 
(i) Copy of Mainland approval notice
(ii) Copy of Hong Kong vehicle registration document
(iii) Copies of the designated driver/reserve driver's identity document and valid Hong Kong Full Driving Licence
(iv) Copy of Hong Kong third party risk insurance/cover note valid on the day of return
(v) Copy of Mainland compulsory traffic accident liability insurance/Macao statutory vehicle insurance for motor vehicles valid on the day of return
(vi) Booking record of the service at vehicle examination centre 
(vii) Declaration on vehicle performance

     An approval letter will be issued to successful applicants. The approved vehicle shall be driven by the driver on a specified date through a specified route via the HZMB port to the pre-booked designated car testing centre in Hong Kong for the vehicle examination as stipulated in the approval letter. There is a daily limit set for the number of vehicles to return to Hong Kong. The TD urged applicants to submit their applications as early as possible. The TD will publish in the gazette a notice to exempt the cross-boundary vehicles approved to return to Hong Kong on a specified date from the regulations on vehicle registration and licensing.

     Eligible vehicle owners may submit their application to the TD in person or by agent through drop-in box, by email or by post two weeks in advance (i.e. before June 16) of the planned date of return. The application procedures and details are available at the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call 2804 2600.

     In the meantime, the existing facilitation measure, which allows eligible cross-boundary vehicles stranded in the Mainland or Macao to be driven back to Hong Kong on a specified date via the HZMB port through a designated route to a designated car park/location in the HZMB Hong Kong Port for parking, has been extended to June 30. The vehicle may then be transferred via a self-arranged towing service to a designated vehicle examination centre for a vehicle examination prior to the arrangements for a vehicle licence renewal.

     Since Hong Kong has fully resumed connection with the Mainland, the above facilitation measures and additional facilitation measures will expire on June 30. The TD has no plan to further extend the arrangements. Therefore, vehicle owners have to arrange the cross-boundary services for towing back their cross-boundary vehicles with expired vehicle licences to Hong Kong on their own. The TD reminds eligible vehicle owners to consider early applications for the above facilitation measures, and arrange the return of the cross-boundary vehicles stranded in the Mainland or Macao to Hong Kong.

Ends/Friday, March 31, 2023
Issued at HKT 16:12

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