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The Greater Bay Area (GBA) is the epic development in the reform and opening up of the country in a new era. It marks an essential milestone in the nation's implementation of innovation development. The GBA represents a deepening of cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, riding on the Region's combined advantages. The project encourages mutual integration to promote regional economic prosperity and to build a first-rate environment for Live-Work-Travel.

Covering 56,000 sq. km, GBA is also called '9+2'. It embraces Hong Kong and Macao, the two Special Administrative Regions, and the nine municipalities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing in the Guangdong Province.

In July 2017, the National Development and Reform Commission, the governments of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao signed the Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Greater Bay Area. The project sets forth the blueprint of developing GBA into a global region: 

The Chinese government announced the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Plan Outline in 2019 to actively develop GBA for bringing opportunities to the young people. The seven areas of development include: 

  • To build a global technology and innovation hub
  • To expedite infrastructure connectivity
  • To secure a modern system of industries with international competitiveness 
  • To promote ecological civilisation
  • To create a quality living circle ideal for live-work-travel
  • To closely participate in the establishment of One Belt One Road  
  • To construct a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao development platform 

  • The policy covers 12 categories, including:

    1. 1. Innovation and Technology
    2. 2. Financial Services
    3. 3. Transportation and Logistics 
    4. 4. The Mainland and Hong Kong's Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) and Professional Services 
    5. 5. International Legal and Dispute Resolution Services 
    6. 6. Clearance Facilitation
    7. 7. Medical Service 
    8. 8. Education 
    9. 9. Arts & Culture, creative industries and

    Intellectual Property 

    • 10. Tourism 
    1. 11. Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development
    2. 12. Youth Development 

  • Air Transportation

    • Hong Kong International Airport ➔ Guangzhou

    Sea Transportation:

    • China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui ➔ Macao, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen
    • Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal in Central ➔ Macao, Zhuhai, Shenzhen
    • Tuen Mun Ferry Pier ➔ Macao

    Land Transportation:

    • MTR (East Rail Line) ➔ Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau (Futian Checkpoint)
    • Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link（West Kowloon Station） ➔ Guangzhou South, Shenzhen North, Foshan West, Huizhou South, Dongguan Humen Town, and Zhaoqing East
      Transit to Mainland High-Speed Rail ➔ Zhuhai, Zhongshan North, Jiangmen
    • Intercity Through Train（MTR Hung Hom Station） ➔ Guangzhou, Dongguan Changping
    • Cross-boundary coach（via Huanggang, Shenzhen Bay, Sha Tau Kok, Man Kam To Control Point）
      ➔ Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing
    • Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge Shuttle Bus (HZM Bus) ➔ Macao, Zhuhai

In the future, Liantang Port/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point will implement Drivers Direct Cross-Boundary Access between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The new initiative will smoothen the operation and efficiency of the people flow and logistics.

  • To support the Hong Kong young people to study, live and work conveniently in the Mainland, the Chinese government promulgated 16 policy measures:

    1. 1. Hong Kong residents to be treated as the Mainland residents in purchasing properties in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area
    2. 2. Supporting the use of mobile electronic payment by Hong Kong residents in the Mainland
    3. 3. Pilot scheme for Hong Kong residents to open Mainland personal bank accounts in the Greater Bay Area remotely by attestation
    4. 4. Ensuring that the children of Hong Kong and Macao residents working in Guangdong enjoy the same education as those of Mainland residents
    5. 5. Exploring the establishment of a cross-boundary wealth management scheme
    6. 6. Foreigners who hold the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards can apply to the relevant Mainland authorities for a visa or permission for residence with a validity of up to two to five years to stay or reside in Mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area
    7. 7. Permitting the use of Hong Kong-registered drugs and standard medical devices in designated Hong Kong-owned healthcare institutions in the Greater Bay Area
    8. 8. Relaxation on partnership associations by Hong Kong and Mainland law firms, employment of Hong Kong legal consultants and practice of Hong Kong legal practitioners in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area
    9. 9. Further extending the scope of mutual recognition of qualifications for construction professionals
    10. 10. Expanding the range of liberalisation measures for construction professionals from Hong Kong and Macao to practice in the Mainland
    11. 11. Preferential treatment on insurance regulation
    12. 12. Removing the requirement on years of working experience for Hong Kong service suppliers to provide insurance loss adjusting services in the Mainland
    13. 13. Supporting Mainland insurers to issue catastrophe bonds in Hong Kong and Macao by relaxing the requirements for establishing particular purpose insurers
    14. 14. Supporting the development of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Co-operation Zone
    15. 15. Facilitating customs clearance of imported animal-derived biomaterials
    16. 16. Relaxing the limitation on exporting Mainland human genetic resources to Hong Kong and Macao

  • In addition to viewing information on this website, you may browse the following websites to get information about the Greater Bay Area.

YO PLACE is open to members and organisations for booking and privileges will be applied according to different membership types.

Only accept cheque and bank account transfer

Please email us at enquiry@yoplace.org.hk to arrange a site visit

Students who plan to study in Mainland must hold a valid identity card of permanent or non-permanent residents, and either a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents or Residence Permit for Hong Kong and Macao residents.

The primary language for lecturing is Chinese (Putonghua), while foreign languages may also be used. Please refer to the course introduction and information provided by the college, which offers more details.

Based on the calculation standard of the same school, same year of study, same professional category, and same accommodation standard, students from Hong Kong who enrol in Mainland colleges pay the same tuition and accommodation fees as the local Mainland students.

  • The government launched the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme, which consists of two parts:

    • Means-tested Subsidy
      • Students who pass a means test will receive either a full-rate subsidy or half-rate subsidy, depending on their needs, and
    • Non-means-tested subsidy
      • Eligible students can only receive either the Means-tested subsidy or the Non-means-tested subsidy in the same academic year. 
    • Scholarship

The Ministry of Education of China and the Education Bureau of Hong Kong government signed the Memorandum on mutual recognition of higher education degree certificates between the Mainland and Hong Kong in July 2004 to officiate the mutual recognition of the higher education qualifications.

Graduates from universities outside of Hong Kong (including the Mainland universities) can apply for Hong Kong civil service employment opportunities.  The government will arrange an academic assessment and consider the applications if the applicants fulfill the educational and other entry requirements (such as language proficiency). Graduates with academic qualifications acquired outside of Hong Kong who wish to pursue their career in the education sector will need to submit applications to the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications to assess if they fulfill the teaching registration requirement.

Hong Kong and the Mainland authorities have designed accreditation systems for various professions. In recent years, more professional institutes of both places signed mutual agreements on professional recognition to encourage employment opportunities for students who further their studies in the Mainland. Please refer to Profession qualifications - Guangdong and Profession qualifications - Hong Kong.

According to the policies set forth by the Ministry of Education, colleges can recruit Hong Kong students referencing the HKDSE standards and charge these students per the international tuition and administration fee payment policy. Students who are not Chinese nationals shall pay attention to the language used in the lecture and choose the subject based on their language proficiency and interests. Students can contact the International Students Affairs offices of the colleges for more details in matters of application and admission.

In October 2013, the Chinese government announced that the urban residents' basic medical insurance coverage was extended to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan students.

You can explore the employment opportunities in the Greater Bay Area through the following platforms: 

No. The State Council of the People's Republic of China announced the Decision of the State Council on Abolishing a Number of Administrative Approval Items on 3 August 2018. This Circular removes the work permit requirement for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents to work in the Mainland, facilitating a more convenient work environment for Hong Kong talents.

The Labor Contract Law of the People's Republic of China and the decision based on the Labor Contract Law of the People's Republic of China revision protect employment in the Mainland companies or employment contracts signed in the Mainland.  The Law sets out details of the joint employment relations on the contract's conclusion, execution, revision, dismissal, and termination. Please refer to the Knowing the Greater Bay Area Workplace - The Employment Arrangement and Notes of The Three Areas.

Anyone who works in the Mainland needs to pay salary tax according to the amount earned. The Chinese government adopts a global taxation system. A new tax law implemented in 2019 determines the calculation of tax amount and if international taxation applies on account of three crucial factors: 

1. is he/she a tax resident

2. income from outside of or within the Mainland

3. is he/she a Director/ member of a supervisory committee of a joint-stock company (also called supervisor)

Please refer to the Tips for Starting a Business to learn if you need to pay tax in the Mainland.

Hong Kong residents who have lived in the Mainland for at least six months and fulfilled the following requirement are eligible to apply for a residence permit:

  • Have legal and stable employment / are continuously studying
  • Have a lawful and regular residence.

Upon receipt of a residence permit, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents can enjoy the same rights on education, employment, entrepreneurship, and living as those of the Mainland citizens. Please refer to the Greater Bay Area Workplace - The Employment Arrangement and Notes of The Three Areas for details.

Source: Procedures for Application of Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents issued by the General Office of the State Council.

There is no MPF arrangement in the Greater Bay Area cities. Instead, the Region implements the Five Insurance and One Fund scheme - endowment insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, employment injury insurance, maternity insurance, and the housing provident fund. 

Hong Kong People who work in the Mainland enjoy the same privilege in contributing to housing provident fund (Mainland's housing protection scheme) for purchasing residential properties. Employees can withdraw the fund for buying properties and apply for a mortgage at a low interest rate from the fund pool of the housing provident fund. Hong Kong and Macao people can draw the fund when returning to settle down in Hong Kong and Macao. They can use the fund to help their long-term planning and development. Please refer to the Greater Bay Area Workplace - The Employment Arrangement and Notes of The Three Areas for details.

In recent years, the Mainland has set up mutual recognition system for some of the professional qualifications. The most common industries are:

Accounting: Bachelor's degree graduates in Accounting can participate in the Unified National Examination of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Those who pass the examination are qualified to work in the audit business in the Mainland and can register with the Provincial Institute of Certified Public Accountants after two years of practice to become Certified Public Accountants. Please refer to the Mainland Professional Qualification – Accounting for details

Law - Bachelor's degree graduates in Law who pass the National Uniform Legal Profession Qualification Examination will receive legal professional qualifications. After practicing in the Mainland or Hong Kong law firm for one year and passing the Bar Association assessment, the candidates will become lawyers. Please refer to the Mainland Professional Qualifications - Law for details. 

Education - Candidates fulfilling the education requirements and attained a certificate of no criminal record will obtain the qualifications of intern instructors for kindergarten, primary school, junior and upper secondary schools, and secondary vocational schools. Please refer to the Mainland Professional Qualifications - Education for details. 

Medicine - Bachelor's degree graduates in Medicine who passed the National Medical Qualification Examination and completed the internship will receive the Physician Qualification Certificate. They can then register as practicing physicians in the Mainland. Please refer to the Mainland Professional Qualifications - Medicine for details. 

Nursing - Bachelor's degree graduates in Nursing who passed the Mainland Nurse Practicing Qualification Examination and received the Nursing Junior (Master) Professional Technical Qualification Certificate can register to practise. After obtaining the required years of experience, candidates can take up specialised technical jobs such as nurses. Please refer to the Mainland Professional Qualifications - Nursing for details. 

Pharmacy - Bachelor's degree graduates in Pharmacy who passed the Licensed Pharmacist Examination will receive the Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Certificate and register for practice in the Mainland. Please refer to the Mainland Professional Qualifications - Pharmacy for details. 

The Chief Executive Carrie Lam mentioned in the 2020 Policy Address that the Youth Development Commission had launched the Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the GBA) under the Youth Development Fund in 2019.

The Mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area formulated different entrepreneurship subsidy policies to assist the Hong Kong people who wish to start a business.  The subsidies include:


Please refer to the Overview of Entrepreneurship Funds for details.

To encourage the development of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong people starting a business in the region can enjoy taxation and other preferential benefits.

Taxation benefits: 

  • If you stay in the Mainland for less than 183 days in a year, you will be classified as “non-tax resident”. Salary earned by working outside the Mainland will be exempted from personal income tax in China. The “183 days of residence” standard has adopted a new calculation method, anyone who stays in the Mainland for less than 24 hours will be exempted from counting one day of stay in the Mainland.
  • The local authority subsidises the income tax for talents of high-end and high demands.  

Other preferential benefits:

  • Rent deduction 
  • Entrepreneurship subsidy 
  • Training subsidy
  • Transportation subsidy 
  • Secured loan
  • Interest subsidy policy

Please refer to Notes to Entrepreneurship in Guangdong (Preferential Policy)

The Greater Bay Area launched policies covering the Intellectual Property Rights of Enterprises in the Greater Bay Area, which allow entrepreneurs to apply for core technologies protection, such as: 

  • Trademark Patent
  • Copyright
  • Patent
  • Utility Model
  • Designs

Please refer to Notes to Entrepreneurship in Guangdong - Company Registration, Taxation, Law, Talent and Salary, Product Registration - Intellectual Property.

Since 10 October 2020, Hong Kong and Macao residents can renew or reapply the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents via the Ministry of Public Security for their convenience working and studying in the Mainland. The procedures are the same as those in Hong Kong and Maco. 

Source: Facilitation Measures Regarding the Renewal and Reissuance of Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entry and Exit Permits announced by the National Immigration Administration.

The social insurance benefits automatically cover Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan people studying or working in the Mainland cities. The process of handling the social insurance is the same as that of the Mainland residents. 

Please refer to the Knowing the Greater Bay Area Workplace - The Employment Arrangement and Notes of The Three Areas.

Source: Interim Measures for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Residents to Participate in Social Insurance Scheme in the Mainland.

Yes, Hong Kong people can open a Mainland bank account directly with some of the banks in Hong Kong. Banks such as the China Bank (Hong Kong), HSBC, Bank of East Asia offer services of opening a Mainland bank account.

Please refer to the Knowing the Greater Bay Area Workplace - The Employment Arrangement and Notes of The Three Areas.

All Hong Kong citizen aged between 11 and 45 may apply to become YO PLACE member

YO PLACE member is for Hong Kong citizen ages between 11 and 45. Any YO PLACE member reaches the age of 46 will become YO PLACE Friend.

YO PLACE membership is free of charge. However, the 'Foundation' will reserve all approval rights.

Please go to "Register/Login" page, you can click "Forgot Password", then input your registered email, we will send "Verification Email"" to your registered email. You can click the link in the Verification Email and then reset your password.

Yes. YO PLACE members who are over 45 years old will automatically be transfered to a YO PLACE Friend from the following year.

No