The five-year cross-border car permits will be allocated via a draw, with the successful applicants notified on 30 October 2026.
Macao opens 5,500 cross-border car quotas for HZMB travel to Hong Kong
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The Macao government has announced that 5,500 five-year regular quota slots for private Macao vehicles travelling to Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) will open for application between 24 September 2026 (9 am) and 23 October 2026 (6 pm).
In a statement published on 23 September, Macao’s Transport Bureau (also known by its Portuguese initials DSAT) said 4,950 individual places would be allocated to local residents, while 550 would be reserved for companies.
Who can apply for the Macao to Hong Kong cross-border car scheme?
Individual quota applicants are required to hold a Macao ID card, as well as a valid Macao driver’s licence or a special driver’s permit for light vehicles. The company quota places are only open to Macao-registered companies.
How do I apply for a cross-border car permit?
Applicants can enter into a lottery for a five-year quota slot by filling out an application form through the Macao One Account government services platform or the Business & Associations Platform.
The application costs 500 patacas (US$61.84), with the list of selected motorists set to be announced on 30 October 2026.
What happens after a motorist has been selected for a quota place?
Successful applicants need to fill in details relating to themselves, their vehicle and the designation of an additional driver to their cross-boundary car via their Macao One Account or Business & Associations Platform.
[See more: Macao vehicles may soon be able to travel throughout Guangdong]
They also need to submit the relevant documents, pay a quota fee of 1,500 patacas, complete an electronic contact verification process and pay HK$744. All of these steps can be performed online.
Where do I collect my cross-border quota licence?
After an application has been approved, motorists can collect their cross-boundary quota licence from the Macao Customs Service’s Vehicle Border Pass Office and print out the necessary mainland Chinese permit for cross-boundary vehicles crossing the HZMB.
Why are additional quotas being introduced?
According to DSAT, the additional Macao cross-boundary car slots were being introduced in response to the needs of Macao motorists travelling between the two SARs via the HZMB.
Data from Macao Customs indicates that some 4.44 million vehicular crossings were made via the Macao Port of the HZMB in 2025, up 21.37 percent in comparison to the 3.66 million recorded in 2024. Of this total, around 90.61 percent (4.026 million) of the traffic came from light vehicles, with passenger vehicles and cargo trucks accounting for around 0.92 percent (40,697) and 8.48 percent (376,650) respectively.
For more information about the 5,500 quota places, click here (Chinese and Portuguese only).
What other cross-border car schemes does Macao operate?
The HZMB quota scheme is not the only cross-border car programme running in Macao. The city also operates the Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles scheme, which permits vehicles with only a Macao registration plate to travel into Guangdong province.
The Chinese central government introduced the scheme on 1 January 2023 as a means to foster greater ties between Macao and the Greater Bay Area.
Similarly, single-plate Macao vehicles can enter the neighbouring Zhuhai district of Hengqin through a single-plate scheme that was implemented on 20 December 2016. As of August 2026, the Macao authorities were working with their mainland counterparts to expand the initiative to allow Macao vehicles to enter other parts of Guangdong by way of Hengqin.
