Update on measures on boarding, quarantine and testing requirements 

Lifting of compulsory quarantine requirement on arrival at Hong Kong

Inbound persons from Overseas places or Taiwan

The Government announced on 23 September the lifting of compulsory quarantine requirement for inbound persons from overseas places or Taiwan starting from 26 September. Under the new “0+3” policy, visitors can have “test and go” at the HKIA and take public transport or self-arranged transport to return to their home or their hotel of choice.  Presentation of a negative nucleic acid testing report prior to boarding will no longer be required. Instead, a declaration of the negative result of a self-arranged rapid antigen test (RAT) conducted within 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure should be made via the online Health & Quarantine Information Declaration of the Department of Health.

Inbound persons from Mainland or Macao

From 26 September, the Government will rationalise concurrently the requirements for inbound persons from the Mainland or Macao who have no travel history of overseas places or Taiwan in the seven days prior to arrival at Hong Kong.  The Return2hk Scheme and Come2hk Scheme will be extended to cover all places in the Mainland and Macao with no quota restriction. Advanced application and nucleic acid test before arrival at Hong Kong are also not required. Inbound persons from the Mainland or Macao will not be required to undergo home quarantine after arriving at Hong Kong.  However, they will still need to undergo nucleic acid test on Day 2 and be subject to self-monitoring in the three days after arrival at Hong Kong.

More details

More details

Testing arrangements for Inbound Travellers at HKIA

From 26 September, “test-and-go” arrangement will be implemented at the Hong Kong International Airport, i.e. inbound persons will not be required to wait for the test result at the airport after undergoing specimen collection for the nucleic acid test.

Details of Mandatory Specimen Collection and COVID-19 Test for All Inbound Travellers.

With effect from 8 November, “throat swab” will be accepted for free nucleic acid tests conducted at inbound testing stations at the airport, replacing the current practice of collecting “combined nasal and throat swab” samples.

More details

More details

Aircrew Testing & Self Isolation Arrangement

The new testing and isolation arrangements for air crew members have been revised with effect from 21 November 2022.

For details, please refer to the Latest testing and self-isolation arrangement for all air crew members and Designation Conditions for Crew.

Closed-loop arrangement

From 1 May, air crew members who will spend a short layover in Hong Kong and not enter the local community will be subject to a stringent closed-loop arrangement during their stay in Hong Kong. They must present a negative result of a pre-departure rapid antigen test (RAT), use the dedicated channel in the airport upon arrival and take point-to-point transport to an airport hotel, which is designated to receive air crew under the closed-loop arrangement only. They are also required to self-isolate in the hotel rooms until they leave Hong Kong via point-to-point transport to the airport and through the dedicated channel there.

Transit & Transfer arrangement

Transit/transfer of passengers by business jet has resumed at Hong Kong International Airport (VHHH/HKG). Aircraft Operators/Agents have the utmost responsibilities in ensuring that the transit passengers will be accepted at the final destinations before flying to VHHH/HKG.

New Preventive Measures Against COVID-19

Under the Prevention and Control Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Chapter 599J), G.N. (E.) 723 of 2021, specified personnel working at the airport are required to receive vaccination and regular testing with effect from 20 October 2021.

Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons:

More Info

Revised vaccination and testing requirements (effective from 9 November 2022):

AAHK Circular (ref: SSBC/30/22)

Reference made to SSBC Circular dated on 25 April 2022:

AAHK Circular (ref: SSBC/11/22)

Revised requirement of receiving the 3rd dose of COVID-19 vaccine:

AAHK Circular (ref: SSBC/03/22)

The Government’s Vaccine Pass Scheme:

AAHK Circular (ref: SSBC/09/22)

The testing requirements for Targeted Groups will be revised with effect from 26 February 2022:

For details, please refer to the
AAHK Circular (ref: SSBC/06/22)