Experiences involving transport in Hong Kong
These information pages can help you get started in learning about some of the laws and registration requirements that may apply to your experiences on Airbnb. These pages include summaries of some of the rules that may apply to different sorts of activities, and contain links to government resources that you may find helpful.
Please understand that these information pages are not comprehensive, and are not legal advice. If you are unsure about how local laws or this information may apply to you or your Experience, we encourage you to check with official sources or seek legal advice.
Please note that we don’t update this information in real time, so you should confirm that the laws or procedures have not changed recently.*
Do I need a special licence or permit to drive my guests to and from my Experience?
If you are driving your own vehicle and have a valid driving licence, you will not need to obtain a special licence or permit to drive your guests to and from your Experience. This is provided that driving guests in your vehicle is merely ancillary to the primary Experience offered and no separate fee is charged for the transportation.
However, if driving guests in your vehicle is integral to your Experience (and is not merely used to take your guests to and from your Experience), you may be considered to be carrying passengers for reward or hire, and may need to obtain a Hire Car Permit from the Transport Department under the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap 374). Further information can be found on the Transport Department's website.
Carrying passengers for reward or hire without a Hire Car Permit is a criminal offence which carries a maximum penalty of, upon first conviction, a fine of HKD 5,000 and imprisonment for 3 months, and upon second or subsequent conviction, a fine of HKD 10,000 and imprisonment for 6 months.
In addition, if you are driving guests for reward or hire, your guests may be left unprotected in the case of accidents if your third party insurance policy excludes coverage for commercial use. Pursuant to the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Risks) Ordinance (Cap 272), it is mandatory to have in place an insurance policy in respect of third party risks. Failure to obtain valid third party insurance is a criminal offence which carries a maximum penalty of a fine of HKD 10,000, imprisonment for 12 months, and disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for a period between 12 months and 3 years from the date of conviction.
My Experience involves going to a couple of separate venues, which are not walking distance from each other. I want to provide transportation between the two venues. I plan to order a licensed taxi or other licensed form of transportation. I do not plan to charge anything for the transportation. Do I need a specific licence to allow me to do this?
No. You will not need a specific licence unless you are carrying passengers for reward or hire as described in (a) above.
*Airbnb is not responsible for the reliability or correctness of the information contained in any links to third party sites (including any links to legislation and regulations).