Preparing for what could be the busiest New Year’s Eve since borders reopened, Hong Kong has announced special operating hours: Lo Wu pedestrian checkpoint will run until 2 a.m. on 1 January, while Shenzhen Bay will operate round-the-clock. Additional overnight bus routes NB2 and NB3 will connect the checkpoint with Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai, and route N73 will ferry passengers from Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau.
The Transport and Immigration Departments will deploy extra staff and open more e-channels, aiming to prevent a repeat of Christmas Day queues. The measures coincide with a 40-minute concert in Central after the cancellation of the usual Victoria Harbour fireworks, a shift expected to push even more residents to celebrate across the border where entertainment venues face no such curbs.
![Hong Kong keeps Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay checkpoints open into early hours for New Year rush]()
For mobility planners, the overnight opening offers flexibility for expatriates and business visitors returning to mainland assignments immediately after the holiday. However, travellers should build in buffer time: Shenzhen and Guangzhou hotels near border crossings already report 90 percent occupancy for 31 December.
Travelers who discover that their China visa is about to expire—or who still need one altogether—can save themselves a late-night headache by applying online through VisaHQ; the service’s dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides clear instructions, real-time tracking, and optional courier pickup, making it easier to secure the correct documentation before heading to the border.
Corporates with staff on temporary assignment in Hong Kong should remind them to carry valid multi-entry permits or passports with China visas; overstays caused by missed last trains no longer apply when checkpoints stay open.
The Transport and Immigration Departments will deploy extra staff and open more e-channels, aiming to prevent a repeat of Christmas Day queues. The measures coincide with a 40-minute concert in Central after the cancellation of the usual Victoria Harbour fireworks, a shift expected to push even more residents to celebrate across the border where entertainment venues face no such curbs.
For mobility planners, the overnight opening offers flexibility for expatriates and business visitors returning to mainland assignments immediately after the holiday. However, travellers should build in buffer time: Shenzhen and Guangzhou hotels near border crossings already report 90 percent occupancy for 31 December.
Travelers who discover that their China visa is about to expire—or who still need one altogether—can save themselves a late-night headache by applying online through VisaHQ; the service’s dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides clear instructions, real-time tracking, and optional courier pickup, making it easier to secure the correct documentation before heading to the border.
Corporates with staff on temporary assignment in Hong Kong should remind them to carry valid multi-entry permits or passports with China visas; overstays caused by missed last trains no longer apply when checkpoints stay open.
