Beijing announced that non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau will be able to apply for travel permits valid for five years to enter mainland China from July 10, with local authorities stressing that the measure could encourage foreign businesses and talent to settle in Hong Kong.
The National Immigration Bureau said on Monday that multiple entry permit holders can also undergo self-service immigration screening at immigration checkpoints after completing procedures such as fingerprinting.
Permit holders can enter mainland China for short-term purposes such as investment, visiting relatives, tourism, business, seminars and exchanges, staying up to 90 days per visit, but are prohibited from working, studying or engaging in reporting activities.
Eligible residents, with no restrictions on nationality or occupation, can apply through China Travel Service (Holdings) in both Hong Kong and Macau. Once their application is approved, a permit will be issued within 20 working days.
The application fee is 260 HK dollars (US$34), while those who want to renew or replace their permit in mainland China will have to pay 230 yuan (US$32), authorities said.
The central government said it decided to issue the permits to further promote people-to-people exchanges between Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, and help the two cities better integrate into the overall national development.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao said the new policy, announced 27 years after Hong Kong was returned to China, “demonstrates our country’s care and support for Hong Kong”.
Lee said many non-Chinese permanent residents have deep roots in Hong Kong and those working in the city are particularly keen to seize the historic opportunities brought about by the country’s rapid development.
“We are confident that this permit will enable international talent from Hong Kong companies to enjoy much-needed convenience in customs clearance for northbound travel,” he said.
Li added that the lack of nationality or occupation restrictions on the permit “fully highlights Hong Kong’s unique status under ‘one country, two systems’, greatly helps Hong Kong maintain its international character and diversity, and provides a great incentive for enterprises and talents from all over the world to settle here.”
The new travel permit is one in a series of more liberal visa measures that Beijing has granted to Hong Kong since the start of 2023.
Other measures include the initiation and expansion of approval for talented people from Beijing and Shanghai to leave the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, extending the stay period for business visits to Hong Kong from seven to 14 days, and introducing a multiple-entry “northbound” visa for foreign employees working in Hong Kong.
According to the 2021 census, there are approximately 619,568 non-Chinese people living in Hong Kong, accounting for about 8.4% of the population.
