According to statistics from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Immigration Inspection Station of the Zhuhai Immigration Inspection General Station, since the implementation of the "Macau Cars Going North" and "Hong Kong Cars Going North" policies in 2023, as of 11:50 a.m. on May 25 this year, through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Zhuhai Highway Port The total number of single-plate vehicles entering and exiting Hong Kong and Macao has officially exceeded 10 million, and the flow of people, logistics, and capital has accelerated. Self-driving "northward" has become a mainstream mode of travel for Hong Kong and Macao residents to integrate into the overall development of the country and share the policy dividends of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The "Australian Cars Going North" and "Hong Kong Cars Going North" policies have no investment tax restrictions, a simple application process, and a wide range of travel. Since their implementation, they have been widely welcomed by Hong Kong and Macao residents, and the number of registration applications continues to be hot. According to statistics from the border inspection department, as of May 25 this year, more than 228,000 drivers and more than 192,000 registered vehicles have completed border inspection registrations for "Australian Cars Going North" and "Hong Kong Cars Going North".
Policy dividends continue to be released, customs clearance procedures are continuously optimized, and supporting mechanisms are more complete. Self-driving "northbound" is becoming one of the preferred ways for more and more Hong Kong and Macao residents to travel across the border. The number of single-plate vehicles entering and exiting Hong Kong and Macao through ports has grown rapidly. According to statistics from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Immigration Inspection Station, in 2025, the total number of single-plate vehicles entering and exiting Hong Kong and Macao inspected by the immigration inspection department has reached 3.8 million, which is 2.7 times that in 2023, the first year of the policy implementation, with an average annual growth rate of more than 60%.
"Since 2026, the number of Hong Kong and Macao single-plate vehicles inspected by the border inspection department has exceeded 1.63 million, with an average of about 16,000 vehicle trips on weekends and holidays. Among them, during the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday on April 6, the number of single-plate vehicles entering and exiting Hong Kong and Macao reached 22,800 in a single day, setting a new single-day record since the implementation of the policy." said Zhang Lei, deputy station director of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Immigration Inspection Station.
The policies of "Australian cars going north" and "Hong Kong cars going north" have greatly expanded the working and living space for residents of Hong Kong and Macao. More Hong Kong and Macao residents choose to drive "north" to the mainland to visit relatives, spend leisure time, start a business and buy property, and the frequency of traveling back and forth is more frequent. Data from the border inspection department shows that since the implementation of the "Australian cars going north" and "Hong Kong cars going north" policies in 2023, the number of passengers entering and exiting Hong Kong and Macao through the port has grown at an average annual rate of 34%, reaching nearly 18 million in 2025. As policy dividends continue to be released, the border inspection department predicts that the number of passengers entering and exiting Hong Kong and Macao through ports in 2026 is expected to exceed the 20 million mark for the first time.
From the initial one-way exploration of "Macau cars going north" to the two-way flow of traffic from the three places, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has witnessed the accelerated evolution of the "one-hour living circle" in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In order to ensure the safety and smoothness of the ports, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Border Inspection Station continues to optimize the entry-exit environment, introduces new technological equipment such as big data systems, mobile inspection terminals, and smart express lanes, and continues to deepen the law enforcement liaison and coordination mechanism between the ports of Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macao to achieve early warning and effective guidance of passenger and vehicle flows during holidays, and to ensure smooth and orderly customs clearance for entry and exit personnel and vehicles. (CCTV reporter Wu Bing)
