Regarding the loss of one’s so-called “Home Return Permit”, regulations by the Ministry of Public Security require the holder to visit a China Travel Service (CTS) agency or the public security organs of the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau to fill in a lost document registration form and an application form before applying for a one-time temporary permit – however, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced yesterday that residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can now also apply online for a temporary electronic travel pass for urgent travel needs, valid for seven days.
The new measure took effect yesterday.
The “Home Return Permit”, officially known as, Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, can be applied for by Hong Kong permanent residents of Chinese nationality, Macau permanent residents of Chinese nationality, or Macau permanent residents of Chinese-Portuguese origin who have not yet chosen their nationality.
According to yesterday’s NIA announcement, the “facilitation measure” applies to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan residents who have lost, destroyed, or forgotten to carry their mainland travel permits but are in need of urgent travel by air or train between mainland cities; or who have a need to link their mainland travel permits with their residence permits for handling personal affairs.
The NIA stated that applicants can apply for the seven-day e-travel pass to the mainland via the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau’s service platform, which is verifiable by civil aviation, railways, and other agencies, helping to “avoid delays in their travel”.
“China’s Exit-Entry Administration Bureau has decided to ... provide ‘two-card linkage’ verification services for mainland travel permits and residence permits,” according to the announcement.
The NIA underlined the inconvenience caused by the fact that some Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan residents who hold both a mainland travel permit and a Residence Permit face difficulties in verifying the relationship between the two permits when using one for business purposes, such as financial transactions and online activities, while retaining the other.
The announcement clarified that the temporary e-travel pass can be used to demonstrate to authorities and businesses the link between their mainland travel permit and residence permit. It also stated that residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan who need to verify the connection between their mainland travel permits, and residence permits for personal matters can submit an application through the government service platform. Alternatively, they can apply to the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau for a written confirmation.
Government agencies and businesses that serve residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can also integrate their systems with the NIA’s authentication platform to enable automated verification.
According to the announcement, the e-travel pass measure has been implemented in response to the growing number of residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan travelling to the mainland for business, study, work, and living, reflecting the increasingly close exchanges between the regions and the mainland.
The NIA also stated that its next step will be to address the evolving needs of residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan by enhancing immigration policies and providing the residents with inclusive, convenient, intelligent, and accurate services to support their lives and development in mainland China, with a view to proactively aiding Hong Kong and Macau in better integrating themselves into the broader context of the nation’s development, while promoting the integration of development across the nation and Taiwan.
This photo taken last night shows the interface, including its new e-travel function (red circle), of the National Immigration Administration’s (NIA) service platform, where residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can apply for their temporary electronic travel pass in cases of urgent travel needs. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
