New rules require advance app registration for children using HK-mainland e-channels
Hong Kong travellers are reminded that children aged 7-17 must pre-register via a mobile app before using cooperative inspection e-channels at border control points. The process links parents' digital identity accounts to their child's ID. Physical documents remain mandatory.
Authorities have issued updated guidelines for travellers using cooperative inspection e-channels at boundary control points, particularly for families with children. The new procedures require that young family members complete advance registration before attempting to use the automated clearance lanes.
Children and teenagers aged between seven and 17 are now restricted from registering for cooperative e-channels at terminal gates upon arrival. Instead, parents or guardians must finish the registration process before departure through an official mobile application, which can be done from any location at any time.
Parents who maintain accounts with the local digital identity platform can complete the procedure on their mobile devices. By opening the designated application, selecting the cooperative verification option, and entering the child's Hong Kong identity card number, the system automatically authenticates the parent-child relationship to finalise registration. For eligible individuals aged 14 and older, parents can simultaneously register facial recognition clearance functions through the same platform.
Upon arriving at control points such as Huanggang, travellers who have completed the app registration can experience fast-track clearance. However, authorities stress that physical identity documents must still be carried at all times during travel. Additionally, travellers are advised that standard non-contact e-channel quick response codes are incompatible with cooperative inspection e-channels and cannot be used for this specific clearance method.
