Some Hongkongers whose home return permits have expired will still be able to travel to the mainland until the end of this year.

The National Immigration Administration said from May 8, the home return permit for Hong Kong and Macau residents with an expiry date between January 1, 2020, and December 30, 2023, would be considered valid until the end of this year.

“Since the pandemic outbreak in 2020, some Hong Kong and Macau residents were unable to renew their permits in a timely manner. Currently, the mainland and Hong Kong/Macau ports have fully resumed personnel exchanges, and the demand for Hong Kong and Macau residents to travel to the mainland has surged,” authorities said in a statement.

“However, the processing time for permit applications in Hong Kong and Macau has become longer.

“Therefore, the National Immigration Administration has decided to extend the validity period of those permits with an expiry date between January 1, 2020 and December 30, 2023, to December 31, 2023.”

Authorities also said travellers can renew their permit after arriving in the mainland.

China Travel Service, which handles the renewal of home return permits, said opening hours at its offices will be extended and new temporary offices will be set up to process permit renewals.

The company also said it has discovered social media accounts charging illegal fees and claiming to be able to help people make appointments to apply for or renew their permits.

China Travel Service said it does not accept any intermediary agents for reservation and urged the public to make bookings through the official website.
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Last updated: 2023-04-28 HKT 18:46