As of yesterday, the number of applications for special travel permits to enter mainland China for foreign permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau received by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) had reached about 30,000, the NIA announced at a press conference in Beijing yesterday.
Since July 10, non-Chinese nationals who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau have been able to apply for the permit, officially known as Hong Kong and Macau Residents’ Entry and Exit Permit for Travelling to and from the Mainland, on multiple trips for up to 90 days each time within a five-year validity period.
The permit allows foreign permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau to travel to the mainland for short-term entry purposes such as investment, visiting relatives, tourism, business, seminars and exchanges.
Eligible residents can submit their applications in person to China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited and China Travel Service (Macao) Limited respectively.
The NIA said that nationals who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau are the builders of and contributors to the civil societies of Hong Kong and Macau, and the issuance of the special travel permits for them is a major reform measure to fully and accurately implement the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”, and actively respond to the new needs and expectations of the civil societies of Hong Kong and Macau.
Media reports last month indicated that there are 270,000 foreign permanent residents in Hong Kong and 20,000 in Macau who have the right to apply for the special mainland travel permit.
In addition, the NIA also announced during yesterday’s press conference that it had issued “talent travel permits” for more than 23,000 mainland residents in Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) to enter the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions.
High-end talents under six categories working in the Beijing, Shanghai and GBA regions are eligible to apply for such travel permits. They are: talents who have made outstanding contributions to the development of their region; scientific research talents; education sector talents; health science talents; legal sector talents; and other talents recognised by local authorities.
Visitors under the “talent travel permit” will be granted a stay of as long as 30 days in either of the two SARs, with the validity period ranging from one to five years.
Currently, the existing travelling permits for individual tourists and business visits from the mainland allow a maximum stay of seven days in Hong Kong and Macau, while visitors for family reunion purposes can stay up to 90 days, and a longer duration can be approved for training and studying in Hong Kong and Macau.
This handout photo provided by the State Council Information Office shows National Immigration Administration (NIA) officials addressing yesterday’s press conference about the new mainland travel permits for foreign permanent residents in Hong Kong and Macau the and talent travel permits for residents from Beijing, Shanghai and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) allowing them to enter Hong Kong and Macau.
