Cross-Border Car Plates for Guangdong–Hong Kong in 2025: Key Takeaways

In 2025, the process for securing Guangdong–Hong Kong cross-border car plates has become clearer and faster—but also more nuanced. This guide breaks down the essentials so you can design a compliant, efficient plate strategy from the start.

Since 2024, application pathways for Guangdong–Hong Kong cross-border plates have been further streamlined, improving certainty and efficiency for business travel and cargo movements. That said, matching quota, port of entry, and company type now requires more upfront design. In this guide, Hongda answers the four questions clients ask most: who qualifies, how many plates you can get, which ports to choose, and how to prepare documents while managing compliance risk.

Who is eligible?

Only companies registered in Guangdong Province are eligible. Company types include domestic-funded and foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs); their available routes and quota rules differ, so confirm your entity type and choose the right path before you start.

Table 1. Plate types at a glance

How to apply? (by entity × port × threshold)

1. Guangdong domestic-funded enterprises 

• Route: Mainland vehicle (Blue Plate) → Hong Kong (FV/FU Plate).
• Quota & tax thresholds (by port):

Table 2a. Quota & tax thresholds (domestic)

2. Guangdong foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs)

• Routes:

(1) Mainland vehicle (Blue Plate)→ Hong Kong (FV/FU Plate);

(2)Hong Kong vehicle (Hong Kong Plate) → Mainland (粤Z black Plate).

• Quota & tax thresholds (by port):

Table 2b. Quota & tax thresholds (FIEs)

Stacking rule: Shenzhen ports and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB) are counted separately. If you meet the threshold for each, you may apply independently for both. 

For example, if your company paid CNY 2,000,000 in taxes in 2024, you simultaneously meet (i) the previous-year tax ≥ CNY 1,000,000 requirement and (ii) the three-year cumulative tax ≥ CNY 1,000,000 requirement; therefore, you can apply for one plate at one of the Shenzhen ports (Shenzhen Bay / Sha Tau Kok / Liantang) and another plate at HZMB.

For foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), an annual tax contribution of just CNY 150,000 qualifies for one plate—significantly lower and more attainable than the CNY 1,000,000 threshold applied to domestic enterprises.

Critical notes during Application

Vehicle ownership

The vehicle must be registered under the applicant company. If the vehicle is currently under a legal rep/shareholder’s name, the application will not be accepted. You can choose to either 

• buy a new vehicle under the company 
• transfer ownership first (and update purchase tax, insurance, lien release, inspection, emission docs, etc.).

Tax threshold vs. issuance speed

Thresholds are minimum eligibility. When volumes are high, queue position/issuance speed often correlates with cumulative tax over recent years—more tax paid, faster issuance on average. Prepare 3-year tax proofs and tax-type details with consistent documentation to avoid rework. 

If your company is looking to obtain a cross-border plate but has not yet met the tax requirements, we can assist you in exploring plate transfer or leasing solutions through qualified enterprises.

Conclusion

Applications are now generally friendlier and faster, but design and execution still matter. Before committing, we recommend a holistic assessment of your tax profile, ports, and quota to map a clear path. If you need a quick view on how many plates you can get, which port is fastest, and what to prepare, contact Hongda for a tailored one-stop plan.

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