With the rebuilt Huanggang Port days away from opening, Hong Kong’s Information Services Department released a public-service clip on 10 October showcasing the new “co-operative inspection, one-stop release” passenger channels. Eligible users can register for “刷臉通關” (face-pass) and breeze through the lane by looking at a camera—no physical passport swipe required. The government video stresses that advance enrolment is mandatory. Hong Kong residents can sign up through the Immigration Department’s “iAM Smart”-enabled e-Channel mobile app, while mainland visitors may enrol onsite at Huanggang. Travellers who skip registration can still use traditional staffed counters, ensuring continuity for first-time business visitors and foreign passport holders. Despite the high-tech glamour, officials caution that even biometric users must carry valid exit-entry documents. Carriers have been reminded to conduct standard document checks at check-in, and corporate travel policies should continue to require physical passports in case of system outages or secondary inspections. The system extends to vehicle channels as well. Drivers meeting dual-licence requirements will pass through a three-gate lane that captures body temperature, facial image, fingerprints and vehicle data in one stop. Logistics firms operating cross-boundary trucks are advised to pre-load driver biometrics to avoid being shunted to manual lanes during the busy post-Golden-Week period. For HR and global-mobility teams the key takeaway is compliance: employees should register in advance, carry their passports and allow extra time during the first weeks of operation as staff fine-tune the biometric gates.
Source: Hong Kong Government News
