Residents of Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China will soon be able to cross the border at two major checkpoints without showing their travel documents, as part of a new trial scheme announced by authorities.
Beginning next Wednesday, travelers aged 14 and above will be able to use self-service gates at the Shenzhen Bay checkpoint between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, as well as the Gongbei crossing between Macau and Zhuhai, without having to present their passports or other identification.
The National Immigration Administration said the trial is aimed at making cross-border travel more convenient and efficient for frequent, non-business travelers. Eligible participants include mainland residents as well as non-ethnic Chinese holders of mainland travel cards.
“[Residents] who agree to the border inspection agency collecting facial information, fingerprints and other information for verification can choose to use the ‘document-free’ channel at border inspection, without showing physical travel documents,” the authorities said in a statement on Friday.
However, officials stressed that all travelers should still carry their travel documents in case they need to be checked after crossing the border.
The scheme is expected to gradually expand to cover other border crossings and include children under 14 in the future, the authorities said.
Starry Lee, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, welcomed the trial as a “very important” and “major step” in response to Hong Kong people’s demands for more convenient cross-border travel.
Her partymate and the convenor of the SAR’s delegates to the National People’s Congress, Brave Chan, said the move would also boost the economies on both sides of the border by facilitating more travel.
