Hong Kong opens new ‘open’ quota for private cars on Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge

Drivers planning regular self-drive runs between Hong Kong and Macao received a major boost on 4 May when the Transport Department announced a radical overhaul of the cross-boundary car-permit system for the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB). Under the reform, a brand-new “open category” will make 400 permits available to any Hong Kong permanent resident or locally registered company—scrapping the long-standing requirement to prove employment or business activity in Macao. The move forms part of a wider package that adds 900 new quotas and re-issues 500 expiring ones, lifting Hong Kong’s allotment to 1,400. Successful applicants, to be chosen by computer ballot after the 20 May deadline, will be able to drive across the bridge an unlimited number of times for three years beginning 13 July. For business travellers the implications are significant. Professional-services firms serving clients in Macao can now shuttle staff without relying on shuttle buses or multiple-entry visas; small exporters gain a cost-effective alternative to commercial trucking for high-value goods; and human-resources teams can widen housing searches to Macao districts thanks to easier commuting. Cross-boundary compliance, however, remains a must.



If navigating the paperwork for those Macao entry permits sounds daunting, VisaHQ can simplify things. Through its Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/), the service guides individual drivers and corporate travel managers through online applications for Macao entry permits, China visas and other supporting documents, with live status updates and courier pickup—helping applicants stay on schedule while bridge quotas fill fast.

Vehicles must hold valid Macao third-party insurance and electronic vehicle-inspection certificates, and drivers still need individual Macao entry-permits. Fleet managers should start the paperwork early: insurance lead times of up to four weeks and summer-holiday congestion could push first bridge crossings to August even for lottery winners. Analysts say the liberalisation will spur demand for short-term car-rental products with Macao plates and could add 5–7 percent traffic volume to the eight-lane span, which has been operating well below capacity since its 2018 opening.