In 2023, the total number of visitor arrivals was around 34 million, representing a rise of 55 times as compared with that of 2022.
Organisation Chart of the Control Branch
Under the command of an Assistant Director, the Control Branch comprises four divisions, namely the Airport Division, the Boundary (Rail) Division, the Boundary (Vehicles) Division and the Harbour Division. The Airport Division and the Boundary (Rail) Division are each headed by a Senior Principal Immigration Officer while the Boundary (Vehicles) Division and the Harbour Division are each headed by a Principal Immigration Officer. These four divisions share responsibilities for immigration control by denying entry of undesirable persons and preventing wanted criminals from departure, and facilitating the mobility of travellers.
While facilitating genuine visitors to enter and exit Hong Kong, the department maintains stringent gatekeeping by exercising effective immigration control to prevent undesirables from entering Hong Kong and guard against any activities that endanger national security.
Unlike some parts of the world, the Immigration Department in Hong Kong examines every person passing in and out of Hong Kong, be it by air, land or sea. Exercising effective immigration control is crucial to maintaining law and order as well as harmonious relation with different nations and regions. Through immigration examination, wanted criminals are intercepted while undesirables are denied entry into Hong Kong. Persons who do not have the right of abode or the right to land in Hong Kong must fulfil normal immigration requirements when seeking to enter Hong Kong. These include the possession of valid travel documents, sufficient means of support and re-entry facilities to their countries of domicile. Passengers who cannot fulfil these requirements or whose bona fides as genuine visitors are in doubt will be denied entry and repatriated. In 2023, a total of 23,171 passengers were refused permission to land in Hong Kong.
The department is committed to providing efficient and courteous services at control points, and constantly introduces initiatives to facilitate travellers. This enables tourists to feel at home upon arrival in Hong Kong and have a good impression that Hong Kong people are warm and nice.
Flight Token e-Channel's facial recognition technology enables eligible departing Hong Kong residents to have their identity verified to complete self-service departure clearance, without the presentation of any travel document throughout the process.
The Airport Division is responsible for exercising immigration control at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
The HKIA is one of the busiest airports in the world. In 2023, passenger arrivals and departures at the HKIA totalled 31.72 million.
The Airport Division has enhanced its performance pledge to clear 98 per cent of Hong Kong residents and 95 per cent of visitors within a 15-minute waiting time. In 2023, 100 per cent of Hong Kong residents and 99.99 per cent of visitors were cleared within a 15-minute waiting time at the Airport Control Point.
To provide greater convenience for departing visitors, self-service departure for visitors (Smart Departure) was launched at the HKIA on 10 October 2017. The service was extended to other control points on 18 December 2017. Smart Departure employs facial recognition technology for identity verification, which allows eligible visitors holding electronic travel documents to perform self-service departure clearance through Smart Departure e-Channels without prior enrolment.
To meet the demand for business aviation services, the Business Aviation Centre was set up at the HKIA to provide travel convenience for users of private or charter aircrafts on a user-pay basis. Business travellers benefit most from the dedicated immigration clearance services. In 2023, a total of 6,207 aircrafts and 42,428 travellers and crew members used the centre.
To reinforce and enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness as an international and regional aviation hub, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) expanded the SkyPier, located beside the HKIA, into the new SkyPier Terminal (SPT), linking the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port to the HKIA with a bonded vehicular bridge. The SPT commenced trial operation on 30 August 2023 and was fully commissioned on 12 December 2023, providing transfer coach service for transfer passengers travelling among Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao via the HZMB, with a view to offering hassle-free travelling experience for bridge-to-air/air-to-bridge transfer passengers. As at 31 December 2023, a total of over 35,000 transfer passengers had used the transfer coach service at the SPT.
Apart from the transfer coach service, the SPT also continues to provide to transfer passengers using the speedy ferry service direct air-sea link between the HKIA and nine ports in the Pearl River Delta, namely Nansha and Pazhou of Guangzhou, Shekou and Fuyong of Shenzhen, Humen of Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiuzhou of Zhuhai, the Macao Maritime Ferry Terminal and Taipa. Transfer passengers using the SPT services can enjoy travel convenience at the HKIA without having to go through immigration and customs formalities. There are a total of 66 participating airlines that provide check-in services at the SPT. In 2023, a total of over 270,000 arriving transfer passengers and over 190,000 departing transfer passengers made use of the speedy ferry service at the SPT.
To further enhance the service, cross-boundary one-stop advance check-in services are available at upstream seaports including Nansha, Pazhou, Shekou, Fuyong, Humen, Zhongshan, Jiuzhou, the Macao Maritime Ferry Terminal and Taipa and upstream landports including Zhuhai and Macao. Passengers can obtain their boarding passes and check in their luggage at upstream ports for direct transfer from speedy ferries or transfer coaches using the SPT to their designated flights at the HKIA. Currently, there are 30 airlines providing advance check-in services to transfer passengers using the speedy ferry service, among which 5 also provide the same to transfer passesngers using the transfer coach service.
Visitors aged 18 or above who hold a valid Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Travel Pass or an APEC Business Travel Card with the economy code 'HKG' can enjoy self-service immigration clearance at the HKIA after enrolment with the department. The frequent visitor e-Channel service has been extended to cover selected members of Frequent Flyer Programmes of designated airlines which have joined this arrangement and visitors who (a) hold a valid travel document which does not require an entry visa/permit for entering Hong Kong; (b) have made visits to Hong Kong by air via the HKIA for not less than three times in the 12 months immediately before enrolment; and (c) have no adverse record in Hong Kong.
The department implemented arrangements for the mutual use of self-service immigration clearance with Korea, Singapore, Germany, Australia and Thailand. All eligible visitors under the arrangements may enrol for the e-Channel service at the Immigration Tower, the HKIA or the Macau Ferry Terminal Control Point.
As at 31 December 2023, over 351,000 frequent visitors had enrolled for the service at the Airport Control Point. Over 6.55 million arriving and over 10.03 million departing visitors had made use of self-service immigration clearance.
A total of 66 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the HKIA, with 26 at the arrival halls and 40 at the departure halls.
To provide more convenient departure clearance service for Hong Kong residents and tie in with the implementation of the Flight Token system by the AAHK, the department launched the Flight Token e-Channel service at the HKIA on 25 October 2022.
The Flight Token is one of the smart airport initiatives developed by the AAHK. It employs facial recognition technology to enable departing passengers to have their identity verified when going through the check-in to boarding procedures at various checkpoints simply by showing their faces, without the need of checks by repetitive display of travel documents and boarding passes.
Hong Kong residents aged 11 or above, who are holders of a valid HKSAR Passport, HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entry and Exit Permit (commonly known as the 'Home Visit Permit') and choose to use the AAHK's Flight Token service when departing from Hong Kong, are eligible to use Flight Token e-Channels for self-service departure clearance. Upon entering Flight Token e-Channels, eligible Hong Kong residents may complete self-service departure clearance simply by looking at the camera and having their identity verified through facial recognition technology. There is no need to present any travel documents throughout.
A total of 11 Flight Token e-Channels are installed at the HKIA, with 4 at the south departure hall and 7 at the north departure hall.
As at 31 December 2023, over 1.08 million residents had used the Flight Token e-Channel service.
Cross-boundary students (CBS) have gradually resumed their daily trips to and from Hong Kong to attend face-to-face classes since 8 February 2023. The department provides on-board clearance service to facilitate CBS in completing immigration clearance in a speedy and orderly manner.
The Boundary (Rail) Division comprises four control points located at Lo Wu, Hung Hom, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. The Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Points handle passengers conveyed by the MTR. The Hung Hom and Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Points provide immigration clearance services for passengers who travel to and from the Mainland by through train and high speed rail.
The Lo Wu Control Point was the busiest land boundary control point in Hong Kong with the highest passenger traffic. In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR Government suspended the passenger clearance services at the Lo Wu Control Point from 4 February 2020 to 5 February 2023.
The daily average passenger traffic at the Lo Wu Control Point after the resumption of passenger clearance services on 6 February 2023 was 140,000. During weekends or festive periods, the daily passenger figure could always exceed 170,000. In 2023, 45.33 million passengers travelled through the Lo Wu Control Point and 100 per cent of passengers were cleared within 30 minutes.
To expedite the immigration clearance of cross-boundary students (CBS), there is a total of 6 designated e-Channels for CBS at the Lo Wu Control Point. In addition, there is a total of 181 multi-purpose e-Channels, with 96 at the arrival hall and 85 at the departure hall.
The Hung Hom Control Point provides immigration clearance services for passengers travelling to and from the Mainland by through train. The HKSAR Government has suspended the passenger clearance services at the Hung Hom Control Point since 30 January 2020.
A total of 17 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the Hung Hom Control Point, with 9 at the arrival hall and 8 at the departure hall.
The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point, located at Lok Ma Chau Terminus of the MTR East Rail Line, is another land boundary control point for railway passengers. There is a public transport interchange adjacent to the Terminus to cater for cross-boundary passengers by franchised bus, green minibus or taxi. The control point is linked to the Futian Port of Shenzhen by a two-level passenger bridge.
In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR Government suspended the passenger clearance services at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point from 4 February 2020 to 7 January 2023.
The daily average passenger traffic at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point after the resumption of passenger clearance services on 8 January 2023 was 110,000. During weekends or festive periods, the daily passenger figure could always exceed 140,000. In 2023, 40.85 million passengers travelled through the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point and 100 per cent of passengers were cleared within 30 minutes.
To expedite the immigration clearance of CBS, there is a total of 6 designated e-Channels for CBS at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point. There is a total of 106 multi-purpose e-Channels, with 50 at the arrival hall and 56 at the departure hall.
The Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point was officially commissioned on 23 September 2018. It adopts the 'co-location' mode of clearance arrangement, which allows passengers to go through both Hong Kong and Mainland immigration clearance inside the control point. In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR Government suspended the passenger clearance services at the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point from 30 January 2020 to 14 January 2023.
The daily average passenger traffic at the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point after the resumption of passenger clearance services on 15 January 2023 was 56,000. During weekends or festive periods, the daily passenger figure could always exceed 70,000. In 2023, 19.65 million passengers travelled through the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point and 100 per cent of passengers were cleared within 30 minutes.
A total of 51 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point, with 22 at the arrival hall and 29 at the departure hall.
The Ship Searching Unit conducts spot checks on vessels in Hong Kong waters regularly to detect cases of evasion of immigration examination, forgery, illegal immigration, overstaying, etc.
Immigration staff of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Point inspecting a cross-boundary vehicle.
Officers of the department providing professional and quality immigration service for air passengers at the HKIA.
Lo Wu Control Point resumed passenger clearance services from 6 February 2023. Throughout 2023, around 45.33 million passengers travelled through the Lo Wu Control Point.
In 2023, passenger arrivals and departures at the HKIA totalled 31.72 million.
The daily average passenger traffic at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point after the resumption of passenger clearance services on 8 January 2023 was 110,000.
The Boundary (Vehicles) Division comprises six boundary control points located at Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok, Shenzhen Bay, the HZMB Hong Kong Port and Heung Yuen Wai. These control points provide immigration clearance services for cross-boundary vehicles and passengers travelling to and from the Mainland by shuttle bus (at Lok Ma Chau and the HZMB only), coach or car.
In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR Government had suspended the passenger clearance services at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point since 4 February 2020. Upon the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland with effect from 6 February 2023, the passenger clearance services have also been resumed at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point.
In 2023, the passenger throughput at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point was 8.4 million, of which 2.21 million were visitors. This accounted for 26.3 per cent of the passenger mix. For the vehicle throughput at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point, it was 3.05 million in total. In 2023, 100 per cent of passengers were cleared within 30 minutes.
A total of 39 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point, with 16 at the arrival hall and 23 at the departure hall.
According to the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) promulgated by the Central Government in 2019, expediting infrastructural connectivity among GBA cities is one of the key areas of development, which will be realised by enhancing the handling capacity and clearance facilitation of control points in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and promoting an efficient and convenient flow of people and goods. The HKSAR Government has been pressing ahead with a series of measures to enhance the handling capacity and clearance facilitation of control points, including the redevelopment of the Huanggang Port/Lo Ma Chau Control Point. To further enhance the efficiency of clearance, the 'co-location arrangement' will be implemented at the new Huanggang Port and the adoption of the new mode of 'collaborative inspection and joint clearance' is being actively explored. Under such clearance mode, self-service channels and counters of both Hong Kong and Shenzhen will be set up at the boundary line of the two territories, such that travellers only need to queue up once to complete the respective immigration procedures.
The Man Kam To Control Point provides immigration clearance services for cross-boundary vehicles and passengers. In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR Government had suspended the passenger clearance services at control point since 30 January 2020, and has resumed the relevant services with effect from 8 January 2023.
In 2023, the passenger throughput at the Man Kam To Control Point was 1.03 million, of which 270,000 were visitors. This accounted for 26.6 per cent of the passenger mix. For the vehicle throughput at the Man Kam To Control Point, it was 670,000 in total. In 2023, 100 per cent of passengers were cleared within 30 minutes.
A total of 18 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the Man Kam To Control Point, with 9 at the arrival hall and 9 at the departure hall.
The Sha Tau Kok Control Point provides immigration clearance services for cross-boundary vehicles and passengers. Passengers mainly travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong by coach, hire car or private car. The HKSAR Government has suspended the passenger clearance services at the Sha Tau Kok Control Point since 30 January 2020.
A total of 10 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the Sha Tau Kok Control Point, with 5 at the arrival hall and 5 at the departure hall.
The Shenzhen Bay Control Point, the first boundary control point adopting the 'co-location' mode of clearance arrangement, provides immigration clearance services for both passengers and vehicles travelling between the Mainland and Hong Kong.
Under this arrangement, much time is saved as passengers conveyed by coach only have to get on and off the vehicles once instead of twice when going through immigration clearance at both the immigration authorities within the Passenger Terminal Building. For each vehicular clearance kiosk, staff of both the Immigration Department and the Customs and Excise Department are housed in two closely adjoining compartments, facilitating the provision of one-stop immigration and customs clearance services to cross-boundary vehicles.
In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the operating hours of the passenger clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point had been adjusted. With effect from 8 January 2023, the daily passenger clearance service hours from 6:30 a.m. to midnight at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point have been resumed.
As announced in 2019 Policy Address, the operating hours of the Shenzhen Bay Port would be extended to 24 hours in order to cater for the needs of cross-boundary passengers. To further support the logistics flow between Shenzhen and Hong Kong to cope with the cross-boundary goods traffic in the early hours, and to tie in with the 'East in East out, West in West out' planning strategy, the governments of Shenzhen and Hong Kong decided after discussions to extend the operating hours of cargo clearance to 24 hours at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point with effect from 10 December 2020.
In 2023, the passenger throughput at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point was 22.69 million, of which 7.36 million were visitors. This accounted for 32.5 per cent of the passenger mix. For the vehicle throughput at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point, it was 3.51 million in total. In 2023, 100 per cent of passengers were cleared within 30 minutes.
A total of 63 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point, with 24 at the arrival hall and 39 at the departure hall.
The HZMB Control Point was officially commissioned on 24 October 2018. It is the first land-boundary control point linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao. The boundary crossing facilities of the HZMB adopt the 'separate locations' mode of clearance arrangement. The governments of the three places have set up their own boundary crossing facilities within their respective boundaries. Facilities such as the Passenger Clearance Building and vehicle clearance kiosks at the Hong Kong Port provide immigration clearance services for cross-boundary passengers and vehicles respectively.
In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the operating hours of the passenger clearance services at the HZMB Control Point had been adjusted. With effect from 8 January 2023, round-the-clock passenger clearance services at the HZMB Control Point have been resumed.
To facilitate Hong Kong residents' self-driving to Guangdong for business, visiting families or sight-seeing on a short-term basis, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong launched the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles (the Scheme) on 1 July 2023, thereby further making good use of the HZMB and promoting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Scheme allows eligible Hong Kong private cars to travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong via the HZMB without the need to obtain regular quotas. As at 31 December 2023, over 130,000 travel bookings were made under the Scheme.
In 2023, the passenger throughput at the HZMB Control Point was 21.57 million, of which 7.34 million were visitors. This accounted for 34 per cent of the passenger mix. For the vehicle throughput at the HZMB Control Point, it was 2.23 million in total. In 2023, 100 per cent of passengers were cleared within 30 minutes.
A total of 88 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the HZMB Control Point, with the arrival hall and the departure hall each installed with 44 such e-Channels.
The Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, which is the seventh land-based control point at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen boundary and located between the Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok Control Points, is a boundary control point that offers 'direct access by passengers and vehicles'.
The cargo clearance services at the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point had first commenced operation on 26 August 2020, while the passenger clearance services also commenced operation on 6 February 2023.
There are 14 multi-purpose e-Channels and 9 conventional counters on each of the arrival and departure levels of the Passenger Terminal Building at the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, providing immigration clearance services for passengers. Both the inbound and outbound routes on the podium of the first floor of the Passenger Terminal Building are installed with four clearance kiosks for private cars and two clearance kiosks for coaches. Moreover, nine goods vehicle clearance kiosks are installed on the inbound and outbound clearance routes respectively for cross-boundary drivers.
The Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point has been well received by the public since its commissioning. In 2023, the passenger throughput at this control point was 12.45 million, of which 3.1 million were visitors. This accounted for 24.9 per cent of the passenger mix. For the vehicle throughput at the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, it was 790,000 in total. In 2023, 100 per cent of passengers were cleared within 30 minutes.
Members of the Ship Searching Unit are equipped with extendible batons, contractable search mirrors and carbon dioxide detectors when conducting searches inside the cabin of the targeted vessels.
The Harbour Division is responsible for providing immigration clearance services for people travelling through the ports of Hong Kong. There are five sections under the command of the Harbour Division, namely the Harbour Control Section, the Macau Terminal Section, the China Ferry Terminal Section, the River Trade Terminal Section and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal Section.
One of the duties of the Harbour Control Section is to conduct immigration clearance on incoming and outgoing vessels at the two designated immigration anchorages, namely the Eastern Quarantine and Immigration Anchorage and the Western Quarantine and Immigration Anchorage. In 2023, the Harbour Control Section cleared a total of 137,549 vessels, representing an increase of about 11.2 per cent as compared with 123,693 vessels in 2022.
Besides, the Harbour Control Section is responsible for handling cases concerning the repatriation and emergency discharge of seamen, deserters, stowaways, etc. To step up post-entry examination, the Ship Searching Unit of the Section conducts searches and spot checks on vessels in Hong Kong waters regularly to ensure that all incoming vessels comply with immigration requirements.
The Ship Searching Unit consists of four operation teams and one intelligence and logistics support team. The operation teams are responsible for conducting searches and spot checks on vessels in Hong Kong waters to detect cases of evasion of immigration examination, forgery, illegal immigration, overstaying, etc., with a view to strengthening immigration control at sea and combating illicit immigration activities. The intelligence and logistics support team is responsible for the collection and analysis of relevant information and intelligence.
To facilitate business of the cargo and logistics industry, the Pre-arrival Clearance Scheme has been implemented for years. Under the scheme, pre-approved vessels can proceed directly to berths or terminals for cargo operations without having to wait for immigration clearance at immigration anchorages. In 2023, a total of 20,162 ocean-going vessels and 37,669 Mainland river/coastal trade vessels were approved under this Scheme prior to their entry to Hong Kong.
The arrangement helps save much of the operational costs and time. It also helps strengthen and enhance Hong Kong's position as a preferred international and regional transportation and logistics hub.
The Macau Terminal Section provides immigration clearance services for passengers travelling by vessel between Hong Kong and Macao or nearby ports of Guangdong Province, or by helicopter between Hong Kong and Macao at the Macau Ferry Terminal. In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR Government had suspended the passenger clearance services at the Macau Ferry Terminal since 4 February 2020, and has resumed the relevant services with effect from 8 January 2023.
The Macau Ferry Terminal was the busiest immigration check point among all harbour control points. The majority of the passengers were Hong Kong residents. The terminal operated round-the-clock with around 110 daily sailings between Hong Kong and the Mainland or Macao. There was also chartered cross-boundary helicopter service between Hong Kong and Macao. In 2023, 6.47 million passengers travelled through the Macau Ferry Terminal.
A total of 54 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the Macau Ferry Terminal Control Point, with 26 at the arrival hall and 28 at the departure hall.
The China Ferry Terminal Section provides immigration clearance services for passengers travelling by vessel between Hong Kong and the Mainland or Macao at the China Ferry Terminal. In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR Government had suspended the passenger clearance services at the China Ferry Terminal since 30 January 2020, and has resumed the relevant services with effect from 8 January 2023.
In 2023, the China Ferry Terminal handled a daily average of 41 sailings between Hong Kong and the Mainland or Macao. In 2023, 1.09 million passengers travelled through the China Ferry Terminal.
A total of 28 multi-purpose e-Channels are installed at the China Ferry Terminal Control Point, with 11 at the arrival hall and 17 at the departure hall.
The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal Section provides immigration clearance services for passengers and crew members of cruise liners berthing at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, the Ocean Terminal and other anchorages, as well as Hong Kong-based passenger liners. In response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR Government suspended the passenger clearance services at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal from the afternoon of 5 February 2020 to 29 July 2021. Subsequently, between 30 July 2021 and 6 January 2022, cruise lines were allowed to resume for Hong Kong residents 'cruise-to-nowhere' itineraries which did not involve ports outside Hong Kong. Such itineraries were once suspended from 7 January 2022 and resumed later from 19 May 2022. The first inbound passenger liner since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Hong Kong on 18 Janurary 2023.
In 2023, a total of 331 sailings of passenger liners from/to external ports and those 'cruise-to-nowhere' itineraries which did not involve ports outside Hong Kong, with around 480,000 passengers, were handled by the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal Section. Moreover, the terminal is installed with 7 multi-purpose e-Channels in total.