The sheer scale of mainland–Hong Kong mobility roared back this holiday season. Hong Kong’s Immigration Department processed 1.25 million inbound and outbound movements on Christmas Day, the busiest single day since pandemic curbs were lifted last year. Lo Wu rail checkpoint handled the bulk of traffic, but every land, sea and air control point was pressed into 24-hour operation, bolstered by mobile e-channel trucks to keep queues below 30 minutes.
Roughly 83,000 of the 457,000 same-day arrivals were mainland shoppers taking advantage of Beijing’s duty-free re-import allowance for high-end goods. Retail analysts expect the surge to push holiday sales up 12 % year-on-year, especially in luxury segments. Corporates that rely on daily shuttling of staff between Shenzhen tech parks and Hong Kong head-offices reported no major disruption, although Shenzhen hotel rates spiked 18 % as travellers avoided late-night border queues.
Operationally, authorities opened all inspection counters, ran overnight MTR services and authorised 200 extra cross-boundary bus departures. Business chambers used the data to renew calls for wider multiple-entry endorsements for Guangdong residents, arguing that smoother flows would accelerate Greater Bay Area labour integration.
![Record 1.25 million crossings strain Hong Kong-Mainland border on Christmas Day]()
If your organisation needs help navigating visas, travel permits, or emergency document replacement for staff moving between Hong Kong and mainland China, VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the entire process. The service offers up-to-date guidance on entry endorsements, door-to-door passport collection in major Chinese cities, and real-time application tracking—vital during peak-season crunches. Find out more at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
Looking ahead, the Immigration Department expects Lunar New Year crossings in late January to eclipse the Christmas record by another 15-20 %. HR managers are advised to stagger travel dates, remind employees to pre-register fingerprints for automated lanes, and book accommodation early on both sides of the border.
For mobility functions, the lesson is clear: peak-season movements have returned to—and in some corridors exceeded—pre-pandemic levels. Contingency planning around transport, accommodation and emergency document replacement is again a must-have.
Roughly 83,000 of the 457,000 same-day arrivals were mainland shoppers taking advantage of Beijing’s duty-free re-import allowance for high-end goods. Retail analysts expect the surge to push holiday sales up 12 % year-on-year, especially in luxury segments. Corporates that rely on daily shuttling of staff between Shenzhen tech parks and Hong Kong head-offices reported no major disruption, although Shenzhen hotel rates spiked 18 % as travellers avoided late-night border queues.
Operationally, authorities opened all inspection counters, ran overnight MTR services and authorised 200 extra cross-boundary bus departures. Business chambers used the data to renew calls for wider multiple-entry endorsements for Guangdong residents, arguing that smoother flows would accelerate Greater Bay Area labour integration.
If your organisation needs help navigating visas, travel permits, or emergency document replacement for staff moving between Hong Kong and mainland China, VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the entire process. The service offers up-to-date guidance on entry endorsements, door-to-door passport collection in major Chinese cities, and real-time application tracking—vital during peak-season crunches. Find out more at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
Looking ahead, the Immigration Department expects Lunar New Year crossings in late January to eclipse the Christmas record by another 15-20 %. HR managers are advised to stagger travel dates, remind employees to pre-register fingerprints for automated lanes, and book accommodation early on both sides of the border.
For mobility functions, the lesson is clear: peak-season movements have returned to—and in some corridors exceeded—pre-pandemic levels. Contingency planning around transport, accommodation and emergency document replacement is again a must-have.
