Interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements releases latest information on cross-boundary passenger traffic estimation and arrangements for Christmas and New Year festive periods
The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, released the following information today (December 23) on the latest situation and arrangements for the upcoming Christmas and New Year festive periods.
The Immigration Department (ImmD) estimates that around 11.52 million passengers (including Hong Kong residents and visitors) will pass through Hong Kong's sea, land and air control points during the upcoming Christmas and New Year festive periods (from December 24 to 28, December 31, 2025 to January 4, 2026). The ImmD, in consultation with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection and other Mainland authorities, estimates that around 9.65 million passengers will pass through land boundary control points. The number of outbound and inbound passengers using land boundary control points (BCPs) will be relatively higher on December 25 (Thursday) and December 28 (Sunday), with around 689 000 passengers and 695 000 passengers respectively.
The ImmD estimates that the passenger traffic at the Lo Wu Control Point, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point and the Shenzhen Bay Control Point will be heavy, with a daily average forecast of about 225 000, 201 000 and 161 000 passengers respectively.
In view of a series of New Year's Eve countdown events, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has discussed with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to extend the service hours of BCPs on New Year's Eve. The Mainland port authorities have duly reported to the national port authorities for approval according to the required procedures. Further details will be announced as soon as possible. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) BCP and the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang BCP will maintain 24-hour operation as usual on New Year's Eve.
To cope with the anticipated heavy traffic during the festive period, the ImmD has minimised leave for frontline officers for flexible deployment and operation of additional counters, temporary counters and channels. Additional security guards will also be deployed to provide crowd management support.
Furthermore, the ImmD, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department and the MTR Corporation Limited will set up a joint command centre at the Lo Wu Control Point to make necessary arrangements. The ImmD will also establish close communication with Mainland authorities, including the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection. To ensure a smooth passenger traffic flow, passenger conditions will be closely monitored and appropriate traffic diversion plans will be adopted when necessary.
The ImmD advises all land boundary passengers to plan in advance, avoid making their journeys during busy periods and keep track of radio and TV broadcasts on traffic conditions at various control points. Residents and visitors may also visit "Easy Boundary" (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound), a one-stop information platform on immigration clearance launched by the Security Bureau, to obtain useful information in one go, including the respective average waiting time for passengers and private cars at land BCPs, as well as for the HZMB cross-boundary shuttle bus and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus, so as to plan their trips and save waiting time.
For travellers making journeys to the Mainland, the ImmD reminds them to carry their proof of identity and valid travel documents for crossing the boundary. Hong Kong residents should also check the validity of their Home Visit Permits. Non-permanent residents must carry their valid smart identity card as well as their Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or valid travel document.
Holders of the acknowledgement receipt issued due to reported loss or replacement of their Hong Kong identity cards, or children under 11 years old who hold Hong Kong identity cards, should carry a valid travel document or Re-entry Permit.
About 700 e-Channels have been installed at various control points. To further enhance the clearance efficiency of control points and allow more Hong Kong residents to use the fast and convenient e-Channel service, the ImmD has adjusted the applicable age for e-Channel service for holders of smart identity cards. Eligible Hong Kong permanent residents aged 7 to 10 years old, who are at least 1.1 metres tall and hold a smart identity card and a valid HKSAR passport, can use the e-Channels without prior enrolment for self-service immigration clearance via face recognition technology at all control points. Moreover, the Contactless e-Channel service is available at all control points now. All eligible Hong Kong residents, after enrolment, can generate an encrypted QR code through the Contactless e-Channel mobile application to enter the e-Channel and then verify their identity with the facial verification technology for automated immigration clearance.
In addition, the ImmD has extended the e-Channel service to holders of a valid People's Republic of China (PRC) electronic ordinary passport aged 7 or above and are in transit through Hong Kong to and from another country or territory. Eligible PRC passport holders can use the e-Channel service when entering Hong Kong without prior enrolment for e-Channel service via face recognition technology. Additionally, all control points have introduced self-service departures for visitors to Hong Kong (Smart Departure), which provides greater travel convenience for visitors. The service employs facial recognition technology for identity verification, which allows eligible visitors holding electronic travel documents aged 7 or above to perform self-service departure clearance through Smart Departure e-Channels without prior enrolment. Furthermore, the ImmD has adjusted the applicable age for e-Channel service for holders of Electronic Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (e-EEP). Eligible holders of e-EEP aged 7 or above, who are at least 1.1 metres tall, can use the e-Channels without prior enrolment for self-service immigration clearance via fingerprint recognition technology at all control points.
Hong Kong residents who require assistance while travelling outside Hong Kong may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the ImmD at (852) 1868, call the 1868 hotline using network data or use the 1868 Chatbot via the ImmD Mobile App, send a message to 1868 WhatsApp assistance hotline or 1868 WeChat assistance hotline or submit the Online Assistance Request Form.
The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements is tasked with holistically co-ordinating and steering the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the New Year's Eve and New Year festive periods, as well as strengthening information dissemination to enable the public and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.
Source: AI-found images
