Hong Kong’s Transport Department (TD) issued an urgent advisory on 19 December after fake social-media messages began circulating in WeChat and Facebook groups claiming that any Hong Kong resident could secure a permanent Guangdong–Hong Kong Regular Quota for their private car using only a Home Return Permit. TD stressed that quota applications must first be approved by mainland authorities and require a full set of supporting business documents from both sides of the border.
Under the long-established Regular Quota regime, quotas are reserved mainly for companies with substantial cross-boundary operations, enabling them to register vehicles that can drive between Hong Kong and designated Guangdong cities via specific land checkpoints. Mis-representing the process not only misleads motorists but can also expose them to fraud, unlicensed-agent fees and possible prosecution for using forged documents.
TD’s statement reminds applicants that vehicle owners must first receive a Mainland Approval Notice before they can apply to TD for the corresponding Closed Road Permit in Hong Kong. The department is referring the scam to police cyber-crime units and urges the public to rely on official channels rather than viral posts.
![Transport Department warns public of fake social-media posts on Guangdong–Hong Kong vehicle quotas]()
For applicants who legitimately need to move personnel or goods across the boundary, VisaHQ in Hong Kong can streamline the paperwork, offering document pre-checks, courier filing and real-time status tracking for China quotas, visas and dozens of other jurisdictions. Details and online intake forms are available at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/.
For global-mobility teams that maintain company fleet vehicles for cross-boundary assignments, the announcement is a timely cue to audit permit validity, reinforce employee communications and avoid third-party “shortcut” offers that could invalidate insurance. Firms should bookmark both TD’s and Guangdong Public Security Department’s official portals for real-time updates on quota availability, document templates and future digitalisation plans.
The incident also underlines the reputational and compliance risks that can flow from misinformation in rapid-fire messaging apps. Travel and mobility managers may wish to add social-media verification steps to their pre-trip checklists and direct staff to report suspicious posts to HR or security teams.
Under the long-established Regular Quota regime, quotas are reserved mainly for companies with substantial cross-boundary operations, enabling them to register vehicles that can drive between Hong Kong and designated Guangdong cities via specific land checkpoints. Mis-representing the process not only misleads motorists but can also expose them to fraud, unlicensed-agent fees and possible prosecution for using forged documents.
TD’s statement reminds applicants that vehicle owners must first receive a Mainland Approval Notice before they can apply to TD for the corresponding Closed Road Permit in Hong Kong. The department is referring the scam to police cyber-crime units and urges the public to rely on official channels rather than viral posts.
For applicants who legitimately need to move personnel or goods across the boundary, VisaHQ in Hong Kong can streamline the paperwork, offering document pre-checks, courier filing and real-time status tracking for China quotas, visas and dozens of other jurisdictions. Details and online intake forms are available at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/.
For global-mobility teams that maintain company fleet vehicles for cross-boundary assignments, the announcement is a timely cue to audit permit validity, reinforce employee communications and avoid third-party “shortcut” offers that could invalidate insurance. Firms should bookmark both TD’s and Guangdong Public Security Department’s official portals for real-time updates on quota availability, document templates and future digitalisation plans.
The incident also underlines the reputational and compliance risks that can flow from misinformation in rapid-fire messaging apps. Travel and mobility managers may wish to add social-media verification steps to their pre-trip checklists and direct staff to report suspicious posts to HR or security teams.
