The APEC Business Travel Card
The APEC Business Travel Card is a scheme created by the Asia Pacific Economic Council (APEC) to enhance easy travel for business people within the APEC economies. The countries participating in this scheme are Australia, Brunei, Darussalam, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the People's Republic of China, Peru, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
The APEC Business Travel Card is a small plastic card in the size of a standard credit card and valid for a period of 3 years from the date of issuance. The APEC Business Travel Card allows for multiple entry visits of 2 months to any of the participating countries.
In order to apply for one in Hong Kong, applicants:
* should be Permanent Resident of the HKSAR
* must possess valid a travel document (i.e., passport)
* must prove that he/she is a bona fide business traveler
* must have a record showing free of any criminal offence and refusal of entry to any of the participating countries
* must prove the need to travel frequently on short-term business visits to APEC countries
Completed applications along with supporting documentation (which is listed on the HKID website) may be sent by post or in person to :
Other Visas and Permits Section, Immigration Department, 7/Floor, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.
Applications fees are HK$427 for a first card and HK$150 for replacement cards.
The typical processing time is relatively long, normally 1 - 7 months depending on the speed of receiving the pre-approval from the participating countries. Issuance of an APEC Business Travel Card requires a pre-clearance from at least one participating country. Upon securing the pre-clearance, the card will be issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. The card may be collected in person or by an authorized representative of the applicant.
The holder of the APEC Business Travel Card has to carry his/her valid travel document together with the APEC card when he/she travels to any of the participating countries.
In Hong Kong the holders of APEC Business Travel Card may queue up in the 'Hong Kong Residents' counters at the Entry Points, allowing quick immigration clearances.
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25-11-2004, 10:06 AM #1Emigra
The APEC Business Travel Card
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31-08-2009, 08:14 PM #2
Very old thread: but am I right in thinking that HKID "R" right-to-land card holders (which is not technically a PR of the HKSAR) cannot apply for an APEC card in HK?
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31-08-2009, 08:29 PM #3
That is my understanding. The form: http://www.immd.gov.hk/pdforms/id900.pdf very clearly asks for "Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card No.". Since your HKID does not bear the words "Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" then you don't have a number to enter here.
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15-03-2011, 10:02 PM #4
Has anyone actually got an APEC card and does it work as easily as promised? i.e. just turn up in China, etc. visa free and show the card?
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15-03-2011, 10:17 PM #5
yes it does if u have china as a country written behind
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15-03-2011, 10:44 PM #6
As mentioned above, after you have lodged your application with the immigration department, they must first be satisfied that you are a bona fide applicant, before passing your application along to other participating economies.
Your application is then processed individually by each economy, in no particular order. I did find that the countries I had visited at any time in the past approved my application within 14 days after getting my approval from the Immigration Department here. Therefore, you are pre-screened for travel to those countries. Works like any other visa. However, as you may probably be aware, like with any other visa, it does not guarantee entry into the country, as that is then up to the immigration authority in that country.
To date my application has yet to be approved by China, Japan, Malaysia, Peru and Taiwan.
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15-03-2011, 11:59 PM #7
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16-03-2011, 08:45 AM #8
Yes and yes. Once you get the country approval, as laid out by Dreadnought. Although I'm hearing that it's getting harder to get approval - a friend of mine got knocked back recently even though he's a frequent traveller (HK PR). Not sure if it depends on the country you apply in - I found Australia very easy to use but people have said that some countries apply much stricter criteria than others (one of our staff, with a Taiwan passport, was told only company Directors were allowed to apply in Taiwan).
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07-04-2011, 11:30 PM #9
I have one, issued from New Zealand. It's fantastic - and great value at just NZ$150 in my case. I'm onto my second. One thing I have noticed getting the second one (you can't just renew .. you basically start from scratch) is that getting all the countries' approval this time took much longer than the first time, largely - the guys back in NZ said - because China was much slower this time round due to the huge demand for travel to China by business travellers these days.
Well worth it though . . I use it regularly for China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.
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09-04-2011, 12:05 PM #10
do you have to apply on your own or your company does it for you ?
i am thinking about having one.. i think it will be useful
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Originally Posted by Dreadnought:
