The first batch of Hong Kong and Macao yachts made their maiden voyage into the Greater Bay Area of Mainland China on 18 June 2026. More than 20 yachts from Hong Kong and Macao arrived at designated ports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Zhongshan and successfully entered the country to begin their maiden voyage, officially launching the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao yacht free travel programme.
In May of this year, the State Council issued the “Approval on Temporarily Adjusting the Implementation of Relevant Administrative Regulations in the Nine Cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, temporarily adjusting the implementation of relevant provisions of the “Customs Affairs Guarantee Regulations” and the “Ship Registration Regulations” in the nine cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
In June, the Guangdong Provincial People’s Government issued the “Guangdong Provincial Measures for the Administration of Yacht Free Travel to Hong Kong and Macao” (the “Measures”). In future, Hong Kong and Macao yachts holding temporary mainland vessel nationality certificates will be able to freely navigate within the nine mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area – including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing – and conduct recreational activities in designated waters. It was also learned that the “Guangdong Yachts Going South” initiative is currently underway.
A Guarantee-Free, “Dual Licence” Model
According to relevant policies, yachts entering from Hong Kong and Macao will be subject to a guarantee-free and “dual-licence” management model, and six wharves in the Pearl River Delta, including the Nansha Port Passenger Terminal, will be designated as the first batch of ports of entry and exit for yachts. Meanwhile, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration has compiled the “Navigation Guidelines for Yachts from Hong Kong and Macao”, which details several recommended routes and clarifies key points for safe navigation.
The “dual licence” management model refers to the practice where yachts that have legally registered their ownership and obtained valid local licences in Hong Kong and Macao can apply for a temporary vessel nationality certificate with a certain validity period, without cancelling their existing vessel ownership registration.
Yachts from Hong Kong and Macao must submit an application for a temporary vessel nationality certificate before entering mainland waters. The maritime administration will issue the certificate within four working days of accepting the application. It is valid for no more than one year, during which the yacht may enter and exit the mainland multiple times, but each consecutive or cumulative stay in the mainland shall not exceed 180 days.
Under the guarantee-free policy, customs will exempt Hong Kong and Macao yachts entering and leaving the nine mainland cities through independent travel from collecting guarantees. Operators and passengers who meet the conditions for fast-track clearance can pass through the border inspection fast track. Yachts that have obtained temporary vessel nationality certificates are, after entering the country, exempt from declaring to the border inspection authorities and from border inspection entry and exit procedures when moving berths within the nine cities, and are exempt from applying for border inspection boarding and berthing documents.
Six Designated Terminals and Four Recreational Zones
Based on port functions and traffic capacity, Guangdong Province has designated six passenger terminals for yacht entry and exit as the first batch of ports:
- Nansha Port Passenger Terminal
- Shekou Port Passenger Terminal
- Shenzhen Airport Port Fuyong Passenger Terminal
- Zhuhai Port Jiuzhou Port Passenger Terminal
- Zhuhai Port Wanshan Port Guishan Passenger Terminal
- Zhongshan Port Shenwan Port Shengshi Yacht Club Terminal
Guangdong Province also announced the first batch of designated waters for yachting and leisure activities:
- Area A: waters near Dong’ao Island and Wanshan Island in Zhuhai, approximately 401 square kilometres.
- Area B: waters near Sanmen Island and Aizhou Island in Zhuhai (southwest of Wai Lingding Island), approximately 113 square kilometres.
- Area C: waters near Erzhou Island and Xidan Island in Zhuhai (southwest of Dangan Island), approximately 75 square kilometres.
- Area D: the waters of Shenzhen Bay, approximately 12 square kilometres.
The “Hong Kong and Macao Yacht Navigation Guidelines” detail 18 recommended routes from Tuen Mun, Fen Liu Kok, and the Macao border crossing to various ports, and specify speed limits, communication monitoring channels, and safety precautions for each waterway. Yachts engaged in recreational water activities such as sea fishing must comply with local regulations. Personnel are prohibited from landing on Da Wan Shan Island, Bai Li Island, and Dan Gan Island, and from launching or landing drones within 500 metres of these islands.
The Measures stipulate that yachts from Hong Kong and Macao should enter and exit through designated ports. When sailing in the waters of the nine cities, they should moor at suitable mooring points, conduct water recreation within the designated activity areas, and be managed in accordance with relevant mainland vessel regulations. Inbound yachts must also sign a management entrustment agreement with a yacht club registered with the maritime administration agencies of the nine mainland cities. The club is responsible for the safety and pollution-prevention management of the yachts under its care, and assists them in obtaining temporary vessel nationality certificates and completing port entry, customs and border inspection procedures.
No Licence Exchange Required for Drivers
Hong Kong and Macao yacht drivers participating in the free travel programme do not need to exchange their licences for mainland Chinese licences. They only need to complete the learning of Guangdong Province’s waterway navigation rules and safety management regulations on the online learning platform, and obtain the “Certificate of Qualification” issued online by the maritime authorities after passing the online examination. They can then drive yachts in the waters of the nine cities of the Greater Bay Area. The certificate is valid for five years, not exceeding the expiration date of their original Hong Kong or Macao yacht driving licence; if they wish to continue sailing after that, they can reapply for the qualification test.
The certificate is synchronised in real time with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Yacht Free Travel Information Management System, eliminating the need for drivers to carry it while sailing in Guangdong. During each voyage, the yacht should be operated by a registered driver, its entry and exit information must be reported to the mainland maritime administration through the information management system or the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Yacht Free Travel” mini-programme, and the vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) should be kept in normal working order.
“Guangdong Boats Heading South” Underway
The “Guangdong boats heading south” operation is also underway. The Hong Kong Marine Department has commissioned the Nansha Seafarer Competency Assessment Demonstration Centre of the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration and the Seafarer Examination Centre of the Shenzhen Maritime Safety Administration to conduct local knowledge examinations in Hong Kong waters. It has also recognised seven training institutions in Guangdong Province – located in Guangzhou, Nansha, Jiangmen, Zhuhai, Dapeng New District of Shenzhen, and Daya Bay of Huizhou – to provide relevant short-term training courses. In addition, Hong Kong is advancing the construction of an electronic business system and supporting measures such as relaxing restrictions on berth availability for visiting yachts, expected to be officially launched by the end of this month. Macau is simultaneously improving its supporting measures to facilitate travel.
Leveraging its free-port advantages, mainland yachts can now complete the entire application process for visiting Macau virtually online. Macau has also established immigration service stations in two yacht berthing areas, enabling “inspection upon arrival”. Several other optimised policies, such as exempting yachts visiting Macau solely for berthing from mandatory civil liability insurance, are continuously enhancing the attractiveness of mainland yachts visiting Macau.
For more information contact the Hong Kong Boating Industry Association (HKBIA), Lawrence Chow (Chairman): chair@hongkongbia.com
Written by Zhang Zijun, Li Xindi, and Liu Shiqiang, Southern Plus reporters; coordinated by Peng Lin and Huang Shaohong.