China has introduced new measures aimed at making cross-border yacht travel easier for owners from Hong Kong and Macau within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Approved by the Chinese State Council and announced on May 30, 2026, the policy changes will remove key administrative and financial hurdles that have previously complicated yacht movements into mainland China.
One of the most significant changes is the removal of the requirement for yacht owners to provide a financial guarantee. In addition, Hong Kong and Macau-registered yachts will be eligible for temporary mainland Chinese registration, allowing them to operate legally in mainland waters while retaining their existing home registrations.
Under the new arrangement, yacht owners will be able to obtain temporary ship nationality certificates issued by mainland authorities without affecting their current registration status. Once entry procedures have been completed, yachts will be permitted to sail within the waters of nine mainland cities across the Greater Bay Area.
A spokesperson for Hong Kong’s Transport and Logistics Bureau said Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau have been working together to encourage private yacht travel throughout the region.
To facilitate the new framework, the Hong Kong Marine Department, Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration and Macau Marine and Water Bureau have established a joint working group tasked with developing measures to streamline private yacht travel across the Greater Bay Area.
Authorities are also working on a complementary southbound arrangement that would allow yachts from mainland China to travel more easily to Hong Kong and Macau. The Hong Kong Marine Department is coordinating with Guangdong officials on the initiative, with further details expected once discussions are finalized.
Efforts to expand yacht tourism in the Greater Bay Area have been gathering momentum. In March 2025, Hong Kong lawmakers called on the government to strengthen yacht tourism and invest in supporting maritime infrastructure.
Legislator Kenneth Lau Ip-keung proposed measures to improve facilities and encourage island-hopping tourism along Hong Kong’s 1,180-kilometre coastline and its 263 islands, helping position the city as a leading yachting destination in the region.
