A Closed Area Permit (CAP) is a document issued by the

Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. Pursuant to the one c ...

(HKPF) that allows individuals to travel in the Frontier Closed Area, a regulated border zone between Hong Kong and mainland China. Individuals may apply for a permit if they live, work, have relatives, or wish to travel in the Frontier Closed Area. Those wishing to travel in the Frontier Closed Area for tourism purposes are issued a ''Tourism Closed Area Permit'', which is only valid for the date selected by the applicant for their visit. Other permits are valid for 1 to 5 years, depending on the applicant's reason for travel. For the purposes of the permit, the Frontier Closed Area is divided into four zones:

Lok Ma Chau Lok Ma Chau or Lokmachau is an area in New Territories, Hong Kong. It is the site of a major pedestrian (linked directly to the Hong Kong MTR) and road border Lok Ma Chau Control Point, crossing point between Hong Kong and mainland China. Ad ...

, Ta Kwu Ling,

Sha Tau Kok Sha Tau Kok () is a closed town in North District, Hong Kong. It is the last remaining major settlement in the Frontier Closed Area and is Hong Kong's northernmost town. Its residents are mostly descendants of Hakka farmers and Hoklo fisher ...

, and

Chung Ying Street Chung Ying Street () is a street on the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, within the border town of Sha Tau Kok (Hong Kong) and Shatoujiao (Shenzhen). One side of the street belongs to Hong Kong and the other belongs to mainland China. ...

. The travel of approved applicants is limited to the zone they applied to.

Eligibility

Any individual who possesses a valid Hong Kong identity card or

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...

may apply for a Closed Area Permit, either in person at the Closed Area Permit Office in

Fanling Fanling ( zh, t=粉嶺; also spelled Fan Ling or Fan Leng) is a town in the New Territories East of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the North District. Fanling Town is the main settlement of the Fanling area. The name Fanling is ...

or online on the HKPF website. Residents, tourists, tour groups, corporations, media and government personnel may submit their applications online. Depending on their reason for travel (and thus category of permit chosen), applicants may be asked to provide additional supporting documents, such as a proof of residence or proof of relationship. Applicants wishing to drive a vehicle in the Frontier Closed Area require further documentation. Residents of the Frontier Closed Area below the age of 18 may freely travel in and out of their home area without a permit.

Application

Individual applications can accommodate up to 12 people, while group applications allow up to 50 individuals and 3 vehicles per form. Tour guides and drivers in group applications must hold valid permits. Corporations may submit applications for up to 30 individuals and 20 vehicles per form, depending on the permit type. Media personnel must make particular arrangements, submit permits via the online portal, and follow separate processing timelines. Processing times range from 3 to 12 working days, depending on the category and zone (

, Ta Kwu Ling,

, or

) selected by the applicant. All permits are issued free of charge, and approved applicants may download electronic permits. The Commissioner of the HKPF oversees the issuance, withdrawal, and data management of Closed Area Permits. The commissioner reserves the right to share any personal data provided by applicants to other authorised departments. Rejected applicants may request a review of their application and escalate their case up to the District Commander for a final decision.

Use

Tourism Closed Area Permits allow individuals and groups to enter the closed town of Sha Tau Kok (excluding Chung Ying Street), with visiting hours from 7 AM to 9 PM. Printed and electronic permits are both valid for inspections, but supporting documents, including the Hong Kong identity card or passport, must be presented physically.

Notes

References

External links

Closed Area Permit portal on the Hong Kong Police Force website
{{Hong Kong and Hong Kong-related identity and travel documents Closed Area Hong Kong travel documents Law of Hong Kong