On 10 July 2024, Beijing eased the visa rules to allow non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents to apply for a five-year travel permit and the ability to use the self-service gates.
The new travel permit offers a significant opportunity for car owners to embark on driving holidays in the Greater Bay Area. While the ability to drive across the border has been possible since 2023, this new permit now makes the process more accessible to all eligible permanent residents of Hong Kong, regardless of their industry or background.
Last year, the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles scheme was launched allowing drivers with HK plates to drive around the Greater Bay Area via the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge / tunnel (HZMBZ).
The Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles only covers the Greater Bay Area without the need of Chinese plates and you have to use the HZMBZ. The GBA covers an area of 56,000 square kilometres and has a population of 86 million people.
Hong Kong Cars and Roads
There are many reasons self-drive holidays to the Mainland make sense, not least because the modern road network in the GBA dwarfs Hong Kong's.
According to the Hong Kong Highways Department (March 2024), HK's public road network spans 2,241 km, with a high density of 191 km per 100 sq km. Over 815,000 vehicles travel these roads, which include 21 major tunnels and 1,475 flyovers and bridges.
Parking is in short supply and expensive, petrol is at HK$25 per litre, maintenance can be costly (hilly Hong Kong's climate is hot, rainy, humid, cool) and ownership of a private car seems at odds with Hong Kong's fabled public transport system which is world class, efficient and shifts millions of people every day.
Private car ownership is relatively rare in a city with 7.5 million, even though the secondhand car market is robust and is characterised by the ability to pick up nearly new vehicles with low mileage for a steal.
Buying a new car is discouraged by the Government as signified by the applicable first registration taxes:
- 46% on the first HK$150,000 of the vehicle's taxable value
- 86% on the next HK$150,000
- 115% on the next HK$200,000
- 132% on the remainder of the taxable value
Greater Bay Area Comparison
According to an article from 2022 in the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, the Greater Bay Area will have an expressway network spanning 15,000 kilometres by 2035; as of 2021, it was 4,972 km.
The biggest difference driving in the GBA when compared to Hong Kong is just the sheer size and length of these expressways. Eight lane expressways (four each side) of modern roads with lighting, huge service areas, 120km speed limits and road signs in Chinese and English.
We're talking about a massively efficient, brand new and quality road surface experience. The highest speed allowed on Hong Kong highways is 110km. In China, one or two lanes are 100km to 120km with one or two lanes set at 80km. A great system to stop road hogs and Sunday drivers causing congestion on the highways.
Baidu and Gouda (the most popular) road apps give detailed instructions (in Chinese) with route and speed camera mapping. A point to note, it's common to find overhead speed cameras every 5km or so. These have blinding bright lights and flash every vehicle.
Entry Into China Via Zhuhai
Leaving Hong Kong, you head to a wide open space with toll booths. The first toll booth attendant checks your HKID. The second is a customs officer who asks you to wait while they check if you reserved your crossing for that day.
On the way back, there are three booths. One checks your temperature, another your ID card, and, finally, if you have anything to declare. You never need to leave your vehicle.
When you cross the amazing bit of civil engineering ever, i.e. the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), you arrive at a set of toll booths on the Zhuhai and Macau side.
[Note, there are no petrol stations or rest areas or viewing areas on the bridge. There is a hard shoulder in case your car gets into trouble.]
If you have auto-toll, use the yellow ETC gates; this is the ONLY TIME YOUR AUTO-TOLL WORKS; expressway tolls are cash/WeChat or ETC. Currently (July 2024), using auto-toll triggers a 5% discount, otherwise you have to pay HK$155 by WeChat or Alipay (linked to HK-issued credit cards) each way.
After you've cleared the tolls, the next stop is immigration. The designated driver remains in the car, opens the boot and drives to the gate as directed. The passengers get out and go up to the customs hall to pass through the e-channel or passport control (don't forget your visa!), through customs and the luggage x-ray machine, and down to meet the driver in the vehicle again.
During this time, the vehicle is scanned with lasers to check for anything dodgy.
Once all this is completed, there's one more barrier to go through in the car, and that's it! You are free to explore the GBA!
On the way back, the process is more or less the same.
The HZMB is, like China, right hand driving. HK plated cars can only drive in the GBA.
How Can I Drive In China?
You need a China driving license. China does not recognise any other country's car license not even international.
However, don't worry Hong Kongers! If you have a Hong Kong driving license, you can apply for a China driving license without taking the practical test part. This involves an application form, a proper multiple visa (not APEC card), an eye exam, and a multiple choice test which is offered in English and other languages.
For this test, you need to get 90 out of 100. Fail once, you get another go there and then. Fail twice and you won't be allowed to take the test again for another three months. Once you pass, you have to sign your Chinese name digitally, then there's a pledge in front of a police officer (if you're a foreigner/don't speak putonghua, ask someone to translate and then you can repeat the words).
Then your driving license is issued and you're on your way.
[Tip: Go on Reddit and search for driving in China threads. Or look for the Laowaisdrive app. This has a pool of 1,000 questions and mock tests are offered. This is 100% worth downloading and paying the HK$88 because there are questions related to driving that even the most hardened driver (me) didn't know. From these 1,000 questions, the actual test draws 100. Totally, totally worth the investment. You have to take the driving test in China.]
Other Information
Driving In China
The expressways are superb. 90% have the look and feel of being brand new. 120km speed limits means you can really clock up mileage. Many expressways will be road, bridges and tunnel combinations.
There are also super bridges and super tunnels with variable speed limits. The service stations are huge with big petrol stations. Attendents pump 92, 95, 98 or diesel gas while you go inside to pay. You must, must check about the payment method before filling up.
In Hong Kong, the road speed limits apply to all lanes on the highway. In China, the far left lane is the fastest, while the far right lane is the slowest. Each lane will have a range. So, the far left is often 90km to 120km. Then 80km to 100km. Exit onto ramps will be 80km going down to 40km.
Police patrols are fairly common. Speed cameras are usually at 5km intervals. There are many road signs are in Chinese and English. Apple Maps work to an extent.
Secondary roads are just as easy to navigate yet these require ultra concentration due to the high frequency of bicycles and pedestrians going with and against the traffic.
HZMBZ Permit
Every car needs to apply for a permit to drive on the bridge to Macau / Zhuhai. There's about eight steps. Sounds daunting, isn't. Takes about 6 weeks. Everything is smooth and ordered. Go to www.gov.hk/en/theme/guidebook/transport/driver/crossboundary/gdtravel for information. There are costs involved.
Once you get the permit, you need to apply to cross 24 hours before departure. This actually puts the brakes on a motoring holiday in China when you feel like it and does require pre-planning. Each day has a quota of vehicles with public holidays filling fast.
There's a website you log in, enter the car details and then pick the date and time period (in blocks of 8 hours) you want to travel. If you book and miss three, then you may not be able to travel again for three months (please check the website for updated information).
Can I pay in cash at China road tolls?
Yes. There's a myth that China solely operates on QR code payments via WeChat. Certainly the practice of paying by QR code outweighs cash yet paper money at toll booths is still accepted.
Parking
It's worth checking before entering car parks about payment because not all Hong Kong registration plated cars have entry. There's a number to dial but no English is spoken. However, on street parking is plentiful; just follow the signs and don't block other road users.
If you visit a shopping mall, their underground parking tends to be poorly lit and are vastly cheaper to park than Hong Kong. There are some truly amazing auto-car parks where you drive your car into a bay, get out, and watch as your car gets swung up and placed in a rack above. It's quite incredible to watch.
Insurance
China car insurance is required.
Map Apps
Google Maps don't work in China. Apple Maps does. Gouda and Baidu work (Chinese only). Download a translation app and mapping app. You can also go 'old school' and have the map, road numbers and junctions loaded up before travel. Or printed out.
Drive GBA
While there are still hurdles to overcome before drivers can seamlessly travel from Hong Kong to China, the introduction of the new travel permit marks a significant advancement making self-drive holidays for all Hong Kong residents within the Greater Bay Area a reality.
This now paves the way for motorhomes, and recreational vehicles to be sold in Hong Kong and opens up exciting opportunities for travel.
The prospect of driving into China and discovering the diverse landscapes, cultural experiences, and great food in the GBA at one's own pace is truly exhilarating.
You only need one person to have all the necessary permits and documentation (plus a car) and the other seats can be filled with family and friends.
Apart from self-drive holidays, these new developments open the door to professional drivers and licensed tour operators offering driving holidays.
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About Ivan Theodoulou
Ivan Theodoulou is founder of Eight PR, a PR agency in Hong Kong that specializes in tech, law, and corporate PR. He first visited China in 1987 by train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and has since traveled extensively on the mainland and in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Ivan passed his China driving test in March 2024 and now drives regularly in the GBA. He has also been interviewed by RTHK, Hong Kong's public broadcaster, on how the market for driving holidays from Hong Kong into mainland China will develop.
Places visited in China (by car, plane, train, high speed train, ferry, coach, bus) include: Beijing, Beijou, Chengdu, Dali, Daya Bay, Dongguan, Foshan, Ganzhou, Gaoming, Guangzhou, Hainan, Hailing Island, Heishan, Huizhou, Junan, Kunming, Lijang, Longjiang, Nanhai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Shilin Yi, Shunde, Wuzhou, Xiamen, Yingde, Yinghe, Zhuhai, Zhaoqing.