The Implementation Measures of Practice of Hong Kong and Macao Professional Institutions and Professionals in Nansha District of Guangzhou Municipality

（This English translation is for reference only. The Chinese version shall prevail in case of any inconsistencies.）

The Implementation Measures of Practice of Hong Kong and Macao Professional Institutions and Professionals in Nansha District of Guangzhou Municipality

People's Government of Guangzhou Municipality Order

NO.217

The Implementation Plan of Practice of Hong Kong and Macao Professional Institutions and Professionals in the Nansha District of Guangzhou Municipality was reviewed and approved at the 92nd Executive Meeting of the 16th Guangzhou Municipal People's Government on January 21, 2025. They are hereby promulgated and shall come into force on June 1, 2025.

Mayor: Sun Zhiyang

April 18, 2025

The Implementation Measures of Practice of Hong Kong and Macao Professional Institutions and Professionals in Nansha District of Guangzhou Municipality

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 To implement the Overall Plan for Promoting Comprehensive Cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao by Further Deepening Opening-up in Nansha District of Guangzhou, and to facilitate the practice of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region professional institutions and professionals in Nansha District, these Measures are formulated in accordance with the "Nansha Regulations on Promoting Comprehensive Cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao" and other relevant laws and regulations, and in light of the actual conditions of this city.

Article 2 The People's Government of Guangzhou Municipality and the Nansha District People's Government shall strengthen the organization and leadership of the work related to the practice of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals in Nansha District and establish a sound coordination mechanism. The Nansha District People's Government shall be responsible for the implementation of this Plan.

Relevant competent authorities of Nansha District, including housing and urban-rural development, planning and natural resources, health, agriculture and rural affairs, education administration, culture, radio, television, tourism, and sports (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Nansha District competent authorities), shall, in accordance with the Plan, formulate guidelines for the practice of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals in their respective industries, and provide relevant support, supervision and management.

Article 3 The Nansha District People’s Government encourages Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals that are already practicing in the fields of engineering construction, urban planning, medical care, veterinary medicine, education, and tourism, in other areas within the province, such as the Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Area of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Zhuhai Hengqin New Area, and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, to directly provide corresponding professional services in Nansha District.

Chapter II General Provisions on Practice Recognition

Article 4 The Nansha District competent authorities shall conduct recognition of the practice qualifications and professional qualifications of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals coming to practice in Nansha.

Where the State and the Province have other provisions on the practice of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals in the mainland, those provisions shall apply.

Where the State and the Province have other provisions on the record-filing, registration, or enrollment of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals practicing in the mainland, the Nansha District competent authorities shall incorporate them into the practice recognition procedure and process them simultaneously.

Article 5 Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals who wish to practice in Nansha District shall apply for recognition through the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area One-Stop Service Platform for Professional Title and Professional Qualification, or they shall apply to the Nansha District competent authorities, within 1 month from the date of commencing their practice in Nansha District. They shall provide the following materials:

(I) Hong Kong and Macao registration certificate or Hong Kong and Macao resident identity certificate.

(II) Professional qualification/occupational qualification certificates recognized or accredited by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, or Hong Kong and Macao professional associations.

(III) Other materials stipulated by Chapter III of this Plan.

Article 6 After the Nansha District competent authorities process the application for practice recognition from Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals, where the materials are complete, the authorities shall complete the verification within 3 working days after accepting the application; Where the conditions for practice recognition are met, the authorities shall make an announcement, with an announcement period of no less than 5 working days.

If the materials are incomplete, the authorities shall inform the applicant to complete the supplementary materials within 7 working days in a single notice. Failure to complete the supplementary materials by the deadline shall be deemed a waiver of the current application for recognition.

During the announcement period, any organization or individual that objects to the announcement may submit a written objection to the Nansha District competent authorities. The authorities shall complete the verification and reply with the verification result within 30 working days from the date of receiving the written objection.

Where there is no objection after the announcement period expires, or the objection is found to be invalid, the Nansha District competent authorities shall grant the recognition.

Article 7 When providing relevant professional services in Nansha District, Hong Kong and Macao, professional institutions and professionals shall fulfill the following obligations:

(I) Abide by laws and regulations, professional ethics, and public order and good customs, and safeguard the public interest.

(II) Provide services within the prescribed scope of professional services.

(III) Keep State secrets and commercial secrets, and secure personal privacy.

Article 8 The Nansha District competent authorities will revoke the practice recognition of recognized Hong Kong or Macao professional institutions or professionals and make an announcement in case they fall under any of the following circumstances:

(I) No longer registered in Hong Kong or Macao, or no longer possessing Hong Kong or Macao resident status.

(II) The Hong Kong or Macao professional qualification or professional certificate is being revoked.

(III) Providing false materials when applying for practice recognition.

(IV) Subject to administrative penalties in the mainland, such as suspension of business for rectification or revocation of licenses, or subject to equivalent penalties in Hong Kong or Macao.

(V) Other circumstances stipulated by laws, regulations, and rules.

For the circumstances specified in (III), the Nansha District competent authorities will not accept their application for practice recognition within 2 years. For the circumstances specified in (IV), the authorities will not accept their application for practice recognition within 3 years.

Article 9 The Nansha District competent authorities shall remove the Hong Kong or Macao professional institutions or professionals from the announced list, make an announcement, and no longer accept their application for practice recognition in case they fall under any of the following circumstances:

(I) Publishing speeches that incite separatism or undermine national unity.

(II) Violating the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the Law on Safeguarding National Security of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

(III) Being subject to criminal penalties.

Article 10 The Nansha District competent authorities shall announce the list of recognized Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals through the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area One-Stop Service Platform for Professional Title and Professional Qualification and the official website of the Nansha District People's Government, and update it in real time.

Where the practice recognition of a Hong Kong or Macao professional institution or professional is revoked, or they are removed from the list, the Nansha District competent authorities shall promptly announce the revocation or removal and explain the facts and reasons.

Where a Hong Kong or Macao professional institution or professional objects to the decision of the Nansha District competent authorities to revoke the recognition or remove them from the list, they may submit an appeal to the Nansha District People's Government within 30 days from the date of the announcement.

Chapter III Scope of Practice Recognition

Article 11 Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions or professionals in the field of engineering construction shall be issued a practice record-filing certificate by the Nansha District Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development after their practice being filed.

Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions or professionals in the field of engineering construction, after practice record-filing, may provide services such as architectural survey, design, supervision, cost consultation, construction, and engineering consulting for market entities within the scope of their practice record-filing business.

The Nansha District Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development shall establish and improve the practice record-filing management system for Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals in the fields of engineering construction and related consulting, which includes formulating a checklist of corresponding conditions for benchmarking the qualifications of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and the professional qualifications of Hong Kong and Macao professionals in engineering construction and related consulting fields against the corresponding qualifications in the mainland. The Bureau shall also formulate the record-filing conditions and corresponding material checklists for construction contractor safety production licenses and safety production managers from Hong Kong and Macao.

Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions in the fields of engineering construction and related consulting that have obtained a practice record-filing certificate may participate in bidding for engineering construction projects in the Nansha District and provide corresponding professional services.

Article 12 Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions in the fields of engineering construction and related consulting that have obtained a practice record-filing certificate may apply for a business license for foreign/non-mainland enterprises engaging in business activities within China in Nansha District. The Nansha District Statistical and Tax Departments shall assist and supervise the relevant enterprises in carrying out tax and statistical work in accordance with the law.

Article 13 Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals in the field of urban planning, after practice recognition, may practice within the following scope:

(I) Undertaking non-statutory planning businesses in Nansha District, such as strategic planning, conceptual planning, urban research, and design.

(II) Cooperating with mainland institutions with urban planning qualifications to undertake detailed land space planning and special planning in the Nansha District.

(III) Participating in the compilation of the overall land space plan or special topic research in the Nansha District.

If the State and the Province have confidentiality provisions for the compilation of urban planning, those provisions shall apply.

Article 14 Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions in the field of urban planning, after practice recognition, may conduct planning and design business within the recognized scope of practice by establishing enterprises in the mainland or cooperating with mainland institutions that have urban planning qualifications.

Hong Kong and Macao professionals in the field of urban planning, after practice recognition, may participate in the community design in the Nansha District as experts, teams, or volunteers.

Article 15 Hong Kong and Macao professionals in the medical field include doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other medical professionals and technical personnel.

Permanent residents of the Hong Kong or Macao Special Administrative Region who have obtained valid Hong Kong or Macao medical personnel qualification certificates, have been engaged in relevant practice activities in Hong Kong or Macao for a full 2 years, and are not in circumstances prohibited from engaging in medical and health services by mainland laws and administrative regulations, may apply to the Nansha District Health Bureau for short-term practice registration through the medical institution that intends to employ them.

The Nansha District Health Bureau may optimize the relevant recognition materials for applying for short-term practice registration.

Article 16 Where Hong Kong and Macao professionals in the medical field practice short-term in Nansha District and need to continue practicing after the expiration of the practice registration validity period, they shall reapply for short-term practice registration procedures. If the conditions for practice registration have not changed when re-applying, the practice validity period shall be extended according to the new employment period after the submission of a commitment letter, with each renewal not exceeding 3 years.

Article 17 Hong Kong and Macao medical and health service providers may establish medical institutions in Nansha District in the form of wholly-owned ventures or through joint ventures or cooperation with mainland medical institutions, enterprises, and other economic organizations. This includes wholly-owned hospitals, joint-venture/cooperative medical institutions, clinics, and wholly-owned sanatoriums.

The establishment of medical institutions specified in the preceding paragraph shall comply with the health planning and medical institution setting planning of Nansha District. The standards and requirements for the establishment of medical institutions shall be processed in accordance with State regulations.

Article 18 Medical institutions established by Hong Kong and Macao medical and health service providers in Nansha District shall comply with the State's medical technical standards and norms, observe the relevant provisions of laws, regulations, and rules (excluding industry access and qualification management) and diagnostic and nursing technical norms, and respect local customs and habits when providing medical services.

The medical institutions in Nansha District specified in the preceding paragraph, after being approved in accordance with State and Provincial regulations, may use urgently needed drugs already marketed in Hong Kong and Macao within their medical institution, as well as clinically needed medical devices that have been procured and used by public hospitals in Hong Kong and Macao and possess advanced clinical application.

Article 19 Hong Kong residents who have obtained the Hong Kong Registered Veterinarian qualification may practice in the Guangzhou (Nansha) Agricultural Opening-up and Cooperation Pilot Zone after applying to the Nansha District Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for practice recognition.

Article 20 The Guangzhou Bureau of Education shall try to facilitate the practice of Hong Kong and Macao teachers in Nansha District in accordance with the relevant regulations of the State and the Province.

The Nansha District People's Government shall strengthen coordination with the relevant competent authorities of the Province and the Municipality to promote the inclusion of Nansha District in the scope of facilitated practice for personnel who have obtained Hong Kong and Macao teacher qualifications.

Article 21 Hong Kong and Macao professionals who have obtained Hong Kong and Macao tourism practice qualifications may practice in the Nansha District after practice recognition by the Nansha District tourism department.

Chapter IV Practice Support

Article 22 Hong Kong and Macao professionals shall have equal rights as similar professionals in the Nansha District within the scope and term of professional services recognized for their practice.

Article 23 The Nansha District Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security shall, in collaboration with relevant competent authorities, formulate a checklist of recognized professional qualifications for Hong Kong and Macao professionals in the fields of engineering construction, urban planning, healthcare, veterinary medicine, education, and tourism according to the needs of the Nansha District, and make adjustments accordingly.

The Nansha District competent authorities shall optimize mechanisms in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, talent selection and cultivation, and evaluation and incentives to provide guarantees and support for Hong Kong and Macao professionals on the professional qualification recognition checklist who provide professional services in Nansha District.

Article 24 The Nansha District competent authorities shall formulate training plans for Hong Kong and Macao professionals to provide services for interpreting laws, regulations, and policies. Employers are encouraged to optimize the practical ability training mechanism for Hong Kong and Macao professionals to help them adapt to the mainland work environment.

Article 25 The municipal and district departments of human resources and social security shall, in conjunction with the competent authorities at the same level, optimize the professional title evaluation mechanism for Hong Kong and Macao professionals, and encourage Hong Kong and Macao professionals to apply for professional title evaluation based on their years of work.

Article 26 The People's Government of Municipality, the Nansha District People's Government, and their competent authorities shall establish an exchange and cooperation platform for Hong Kong and Macao professionals that meets international standard, broadening the channels for cultivating and introducing start-up and entrepreneurship teams, as well as high-level and urgently needed Hong Kong and Macao professionals.

Article 27 The People's Government of Municipality, the Nansha District People's Government, and their relevant departments shall provide convenience for Hong Kong and Macao professionals in terms of innovation and entrepreneurship, residential housing, housing provident funds, office space, education for minor children, healthcare, entry and exit, stay and residence, and commuting.

The Nansha District People's Government shall establish a daily liaison mechanism for Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals, promptly collect and coordinate to resolve the demands of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals, and provide services for their practice in Nansha District.

Article 28 The Nansha District People's Government shall establish a diversified mechanism for resolving conflicts and disputes, guide the parties to resolve conflicts and disputes arising from the practice of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals in Nansha promptly through conciliation, mediation, arbitration, litigation, and other means. It shall actively introduce lawyers from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong and Macao professionals to serve as invited mediators and arbitrators, align with Hong Kong and Macao arbitration rules, and provide diverse, efficient, and convenient channels and services for resolving conflicts and disputes for Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals.

The municipal and district-level legal aid institutions shall, according to their respective duties, provide Hong Kong and Macao professionals working or living in the Nansha District with legal aid services equal to those provided to residents.

Article 29 The Nansha District justice department shall establish and improve an innovative mechanism for cultivating Hong Kong and Macao legal talents, set up an incubation center for Hong Kong and Macao lawyers' practice, and provide one-stop, full-process services such as policy briefing, law firm matching, and skills training. It shall build a dialogue platform for Hong Kong and Macao lawyers, establish normalized contact with organizations such as the Hong Kong Law Society and the Macao Lawyers Association, and deepen cooperation in the legal service field among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Article 30 The Nansha District human resources and social security department supports vocational training institutions to cooperate with relevant Hong Kong and Macao institutions in Nansha District, introduce high-quality educational resources, and jointly carry out cooperative programs.

Chapter V Regulatory Responsibilities

Article 31 The Nansha District competent authorities shall legally conduct daily supervision and management of the practice in Nansha of Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals who have been granted practice recognition.

For Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals practicing in Nansha District, in case they fall under any of the following circumstances, they shall be investigated and dealt with by relevant departments in accordance with the following provisions:

(I) Where they have not obtained the corresponding Hong Kong or Macao practice qualification or professional qualification, they shall be investigated and handled by competent authorities or the Nansha District coordinated administrative law enforcement department according to their respective duties.

(II) Where they engage in relevant professional services without practice recognition or beyond the scope of practice recognition, the Nansha District competent authorities will issue an announcement and warning of non-recognition.

(III) Where they violate laws, regulations, or rules, they shall be investigated and handled by the relevant departments in accordance with the law.

Article 32 The Nansha District competent authorities shall report information regarding the recognition of practice, practice activities, and violations by Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals to the Office of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the Administrative Committee of the Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone.

The Office of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the Administrative Committee of the Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone shall regularly inform the relevant regulatory agencies in Hong Kong and Macao of the information specified in the preceding paragraph.

Article 33 The Nansha District competent authorities shall incorporate the relevant credit information of recognized Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals into the Nansha District Integrated Platform of Credit Information.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions

Article 34 For this Plan, "Hong Kong and Macao professional institutions and professionals" refers to professional institutions that have obtained corresponding qualifications and professionals who have obtained corresponding professional certificates in the fields of engineering construction, urban planning, medical care, animal medicine, education, and tourism in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Article 35 This Plan shall come into force on June 1, 2025.