Hong Kong, one of two Special Administrative Regions of China, has reopened its international border and that with the People’s Republic. The new restrictions are more onerous that regional peers, including Korea and Japan, because testing is required. Here’s what you need to take note of when travelling to Hong Kong.

Thank you to @lloydnunag for sharing his experiences.

Entering Hong Kong from outside Mainland China (including Taiwan)

Surprisingly entering Hong Kong from outside Mainland China is easier than coming from there. Passengers need to take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of their departure to Hong Kong, which can be self-administered. While you can voluntarily declare the test with the HK SAR Government here and may make the process for test verification easier, this is not mandatory. At the minimum, I would take a photo of the negative test cartridge alongside the date and time of the test on paper.

Alternatively, you can opt for a PCR test within 48 hours of departure - although this is a less desirable option particularly if you’ve recently contracted Covid-19 and the added cost of PCR tests.

These rules are generally the same for entering the Macao SAR except that tests can be registered on the Macao reporting platform here.

Entering Hong Kong from Mainland China by air or those with seven-day history in Mainland

Entering Hong Kong from the mainland requires a PCR test within 48 hours of departure to the territory. There is no option to take a rapid antigen test but likewise you are expected to retain a copy of your negative test result to present to staff at check-in. Equally, you can again voluntarily declare the test with the HK SAR Government website here.

If you have a seven day travel history that includes time in the Mainland, you should not dodge the testing requirement by going to a third country e.g.:

• Day 1: Mainland China to third country (e.g. Korea, Singapore)

• Day 3: Third country to Hong Kong S.A.R.

In this case, you would still need to obtain a PCR test in the third country because within the past seven days you have spent time in the Mainland. Failure to comply, as will all regulations, could result in prosecution under HK SAR laws.

If the travel history was the following:

• Day 1: Mainland China to third country (e.g. Korea, Singapore)

• Day 8: Third country to Hong Kong S.A.R.

You can follow the testing rules for international arrivals because you have spent more than seven days outside the Mainland.

Entering Hong Kong from Mainland China by land or sea

While testing rules remain the same, travellers must pre-register to cross the Shenzhen-Hong Kong land border with the Shenzhen Municipal Government imposing a maximum quota for the number of people who can enter at specific dates and times. According to this Reddit thread, you must follow this process using the Shenzhen Government WeChat mini app (深圳口岸发布).

A quota system is also in place for travelling across the land or sea border from Hong Kong to Mainland at this website hosted by the HK SAR Government (no WeChat required).

Testing after arrival

For all arrivals regardless of origin, there are no mandatory post-arrival testing. The Hong Kong SAR government ‘recommends’ travellers self-arranged rapid antigen tests for day 0 to day 5 of their stay - but you don’t need to do this.

Travelling between Hong Kong and Macao SARs

If entering Macao from Mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan, no test is required to enter the Macao SAR - making it the most liberal testing regime in the Greater China region.

When travelling from Macao to Hong Kong, travellers will need to comply with the same rules as international arrivals - i.e. antigen test within 24 hours or PCR within 48 hours. The same rules of seven-day travel history in the Mainland, and the subsequent PCR test, apply when travelling from Macao to Hong Kong.

Onward travel after visiting Hong Kong or Macao

Rules will vary depending on the country of arrival after visiting either Hong Kong or Macao. Some countries have introduced pre or post-departure testing for arrivals from ‘China’, which causes some issues e.g.:

• UK rules state that the pre-departure PCR tests are only applicable for passengers originating in Mainland China but not those originating in Hong Kong or Macao SARs.

• France requires PCR tests for passengers from China, which in their definition includes Hong Kong and Macao SARs but not Taiwan.

As always, check before you travel but these rules could cause you some issues even if you only transit through a location such as Hong Kong.

If you are travelling back into Mainland China, the process consists of a PCR test within 48 hours of arrival into China - regardless of origin country or SAR. A test within 48 hours of arrival may cause complications for those with connecting flights because a large chunk of that time could be taken up with travel. All tests need to be submitted to a Health Declaration Form operated on the China Customs website or WeChat mini-app.