Health Corner

Health Code - Exemption from Mandatory Quarantine

As the pandemic comes under control, following Macau, Hong Kong is about to adopt the "Health Code" system. The Hong Kong Food and Health Bureau announced that the "Hong Kong Health Code" preparation is nearly complete. Once launched, Hong Kong residents only need to hold a valid virus test certificate to be exempt from quarantine when traveling between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau; however, the related tests must be self-paid.

How to obtain a qualified test certificate?
Anyone holding a valid COVID-19 nucleic acid test certificate can be exempted from quarantine when traveling between the three regions. Currently, eight private hospitals and labs in Hong Kong are recognized for nucleic acid test results accepted in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. The government will announce further details soon.

Those wishing to obtain the Health Code can get a referral from a doctor to undergo virus testing. If the result is negative, the authorized institution will upload the result and the person's information to the Health Code system. Applicants can apply online using the lab record. Once the personal Health Code is obtained, it is valid for seven days for quarantine-free travel in the three regions.

Human Health Medical provides COVID-19 testing services through the government's authorized lab - Hong Kong Molecular Pathology Diagnostic Centre (HKMPDC). Details will be announced soon.

The Hong Kong Health Code replaces quarantine with virus test certification and coordinates with similar documents in Guangdong and Macau. Hong Kong residents will no longer face up to 28 days of mandatory quarantine when traveling between the three regions. The "Hong Kong Kang Code" applies only in Hong Kong. To be exempt from quarantine in Mainland China or Macau, additional applications for the "Guangdong Kang Code" and "Macau Kang Code" are necessary. After completing the nucleic acid test at an authorized institution, the results are uploaded to the Department of Health website. Passing the test allows applicants to obtain their "Hong Kong Kang Code" from the website and subsequently apply for other regional Health Codes by completing an online form with personal information.

Does the Hong Kong Kang Code have privacy concerns?
The "Hong Kong Kang Code" only records nucleic acid test results, and information is not shared among the three regions. In contrast, Guangdong's "Guangdong Kang Code," developed via WeChat, includes multiple functions and is frequently used when entering/exiting locations, updating activity logs with personal health data such as body temperature and tracking travel history each scan. The Hong Kong version only requires showing the code at border checkpoints.

Does Macau have a Health Code?
Macau's Health Bureau introduced the "Macau Health Code" with three color statuses—green, yellow, and red—assigned based on health history, contact, and travel history. Residents with a red code are sent to medical institutions for evaluation and possibly hospitalization; non-residents with a red code are denied entry. Yellow code holders are advised to self-manage health. Once red-code individuals complete a 14-day medical observation quarantine or treatment, the system automatically lifts the red status.

Macau residents or foreign workers entering must present a green Macau Health Code with a valid nucleic acid test, generated or updated within six hours before entry via the Gongbei Port, exempting them from manual health quarantine checks and allowing direct access to automated border control.