APEC Business Travel Card
2023-01-31
APEC Business Travel Card
What is APEC? Who are the members?
APEC is the acronym of the English name of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and its full name is Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
At present, APEC has 21 economies: China, Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Mexico, the United States, Canada and Russia.
What is an economy?
Among the 21 APEC members are members from Hong Kong, China and Taipei, China. Through consensus, APEC members are called economies, which is called economy in English.
Which economies have participated in the APEC Business Travel Card Program?
At present, all 21 economies of APEC have joined the travel card program, of which the United States and Canada are transitional members, and other economies will not be approved for the time being.
What is the transition member of APEC Business Travel Card Program?
At present, the United States and Canada are transitional members of the travel card program. They do not accept APEC business travel card applications from other economies, but provide visa applications and entry and exit customs clearance facilities for cardholders from other economies.
When did China join the APEC Business Travel Card Program?
In 2002, the Chinese government officially joined the travel card program. In December 2003, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began to accept applications for APEC business travel cards. In March 2004, travel cards were issued to Chinese applicants.
What are the benefits of APEC business travel card?
The applicant is valid for five years at one time, and can enter the country for many times, and can stay for at least 60 days each time. In addition, all economies generally provide cardholders with entry and exit customs clearance facilities.
How many economies can Chinese cardholders enter and exit with valid APEC business travel cards?
At present, the United States and Canada do not approve foreign travel card applications. The Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan do not apply travel cards to each other, so Chinese cardholders can enter up to 16 economies with valid cards.
How long can you stay with a card for each economy?
The maximum allowed stay period of each economy is 60 days or 90 days, specifically:
60 days: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea
90 days: Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Brunei, Mexico, Peru, Chile
If the valid period of the travel card is less than 60 or 90 days, you need to leave the country before the card expires.
Cardholders from other economies can stay in China for up to 60 days each time.
How to identify the economies with APEC business travel cards?
There can be up to 16 abbreviations of foreign economies on the back of our cardholders' travel cards: JPN (Japan), KOR (South Korea), MYS (Malaysia), IDN (Indonesia), BRN (Brunei), PHL (Philippines), SGP (Singapore), MEX (Mexico), THA (Thailand), VNM (Vietnam), AUS (Australia), NZL (New Zealand), PNG (Papua New Guinea), CHL (Chile), PER (Peru), RUS (Russia). The English abbreviations of other economies are: CHN (China), HKG (Hong Kong, China), TWN (Taipei, China), USA (USA), CAN (Canada).
Can Chinese cardholders access Hong Kong and Taiwan, China with the APEC Business Travel Card?
No, travel cards are not applicable between the mainland and Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, cardholders can use special channels to enter and leave Hong Kong.
Can APEC business travel card holders go to the United States and Canada through fast customs clearance channels?
sure. At present, the main airports in the United States and Canada have APEC business travel card dedicated channels (or shared with diplomatic channels) to provide rapid customs clearance convenience for cardholders.
What convenience can APEC business travel card holders enjoy when applying for a US visa?
At the request of the travel card holder, the American embassy and consulate in China can provide the convenience of visa interview and appointment in advance for the cardholder who really needs it.
Who can apply for APEC business travel card?
(1) Government officials engaged in APEC affairs or in charge of travel card business and Chinese officials serving in APEC organizations; (2) Management personnel, main business personnel and technical personnel of large state-owned enterprises under central management; (3) Personnel of local state-owned enterprises; (4) Personnel of private enterprises; (5) Chinese (mainland) personnel in Sino-foreign joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and enterprises invested in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia.
Can foreigners apply for APEC business travel card in China?
Citizens of economies that are full members of the travel card scheme should apply to the competent authorities of their economies. The competent authorities of China will not accept the applications of foreigners.
How to apply for APEC Business Travel Card?
(1) Senior government officials engaged in APEC affairs or in charge of travel card business, as well as Chinese government officials serving in APEC organizations, shall submit their materials to the superior competent department with foreign affairs approval authority for review according to the approval procedures for going abroad on business; Chinese officials serving in the APEC organization shall review the application materials by the original affiliated unit or submit their materials to the superior competent department of the unit with the foreign affairs approval authority for review. The relevant departments shall submit the relevant materials to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for examination after examination. The Consular Department shall issue the card to the applicant after passing the examination and obtaining the approval of other economies.
(2) The personnel of large state-owned enterprises under central management shall be sent to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for review by the applicant's enterprise according to the approval procedures for the administration of going abroad on business. The Consular Department will issue the card to the applicant after passing the final review and being approved by other economies.
(3) The personnel of local state-owned enterprises shall apply to the foreign affairs office of the provincial or sub-provincial people's government of the place where the enterprise is registered according to the examination and approval procedures for going abroad on business. The relevant foreign offices shall review and then submit it to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval. The Consular Department will issue the card to the applicant after passing the final examination and obtaining the approval of other economies.
(4) The Chinese (mainland) personnel of private enterprises, Sino-foreign joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Taiwan-Hong Kong-Australian enterprises shall apply to the foreign affairs office of the government where the enterprise is registered. Relevant foreign offices shall be sent to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for final examination after passing the preliminary examination. The Consular Department will issue the card to the applicant after passing the final examination and obtaining the approval of other economies.
What materials are required to apply for APEC Business Travel Card?
The travel card work in China is subject to the three-level examination and approval management system of the applicant's enterprise or department, the local foreign affairs office and the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At present, the power of review has been fully delegated to local foreign offices, and local governments can formulate corresponding application and management measures according to their actual conditions. The materials required by different regions are different. Please contact the Foreign Affairs Office of the local people's government for details.
How long does it take to apply for APEC business travel card?
The review time of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is about 5 working days; The applicant's information will then be submitted to other economies for approval. The approval time of each economy is different. If you want to obtain the approval of all 16 economies, it will take about 2-3 months from the date when the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submits the application materials to other economies.
How much does it cost to get a travel card?
According to the relevant regulations of the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission, the service center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseas agencies will charge 720 yuan for each card, and the same fees will be charged for card replacement and replacement. In addition, local foreign affairs offices formulate local charging standards based on the principles of openness, transparency and rationality, and report them to the local price and financial departments for approval, and charge certain service fees.
Can we only apply for visas from specific economies, which can shorten the approval time and reduce the application fee?
Travel cards cannot be applied for by designated economies. If there is a real need, you can apply for card printing in advance.
How does the applicant check the approval progress of APEC business travel card?
The applicant can check the travel card approval progress with the application materials handling office.
What should I do if I am anxious to go to an economy after submitting an APEC business travel card application?
If the economy to which the applicant intends to go has approved the applicant's travel card application, the accepting foreign office can apply to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for card printing in advance, and can apply for card replacement after the other economies are approved, but the card printing fee needs to be paid again. If the economy to be visited is not approved, you can go to the embassy and consulate in China to apply for a visa and go to the economy after obtaining the visa.
Can Chinese embassies and consulates abroad accept APEC business travel card applications?
At present, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad do not accept APEC business travel card applications.
Can intermediaries and travel agencies accept APEC business travel card applications?
No, only the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government where the enterprise is registered can accept it.
Can APEC business travel card holders also apply for short-term business visas for Australia and New Zealand? What is "visa coverage"?
Australia and New Zealand require the applicant to hold only one valid entry visa. If the cardholder applies for another entry visa for Australia and New Zealand within the validity period of the travel card, once approved, the later issued visa with a shorter validity period will automatically cover the "visa" carried by the travel card with a validity period of five years, making the travel card visa invalid, causing the cardholder to be unable to enter Australia and New Zealand with the travel card, which is the "visa coverage" problem. Although there is no "visa coverage" problem in other economies, cardholders are not recommended to apply for similar visas.
At present, the travel card visa approved by Australia can be used for both business activities and private tourism. When entering the country for tourism purposes, please note that you cannot show APEC business travel card and take the special channel when entering the country. If the cardholder uses another type of passport to go to Australia (such as using a business passport to apply for an APEC business travel card, and holding a private passport to go to Australia), he/she should inform the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before leaving, so that the Consular Department can notify the Australian side to make corresponding adjustments.
How to use APEC business travel card?
Cardholders enter and exit relevant economies with valid passports and valid travel cards when applying for travel cards. Cardholders can only access the economy that approved their travel card application (marked on the back of the travel card in English abbreviation). The main ports of the economies participating in the travel card program are equipped with special passages for travel cards, usually marked as "APEC Business Travel Card".
What activities can I use the APEC Business Travel Card for?
In principle, the APEC Business Travel Card is only applicable to international travel for business purposes, and cannot be used for non-business purposes such as travel, visiting relatives, visiting friends, and seeing a doctor. Currently, non-business travel is allowed in Australia, Thailand, South Korea and Papua New Guinea.
How to keep APEC business travel card?
The travel cards applied for by the personnel of large state-owned enterprises under the central administration, government officials engaged in APEC affairs and Chinese officials serving in APEC organizations shall be uniformly managed by the foreign affairs department of the unit where the cardholder belongs in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Business Exit Certificates; The travel cards applied for by the local state-owned enterprise personnel shall be managed by the local foreign office that accepts the travel card application according to the requirements for the management of business travel documents; The travel cards applied for by the personnel of private enterprises and Chinese/mainland personnel working in Chinese-foreign joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Taiwan-Hong Kong-Australian enterprises shall be managed by the enterprise in which the cardholder works and submitted to the corresponding local foreign office for filing.
Does the APEC business travel card holder need to return his/her travel card when his/her unit changes?
After the cardholder leaves the original unit or the identity changes, the original unit shall cancel the travel card in time. Or, if the original unit and the new unit reach an agreement, the travel card can be transferred to the new unit and reported to the local foreign office for filing.
What if I lose my travel card?
As a document of equal importance to a passport, the travel card holder should keep it properly. If it is lost accidentally, it should report the loss to the local public security organ in time, and apply to the competent department of the unit or the local foreign office for reissue.
What should I do when my passport expires or is lost?
After issuing a new passport, the cardholder shall issue an official letter to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the travel card sending unit to explain the situation and return the old card, and at the same time submit a card replacement application (a copy of the new passport is required).
What if the APEC business travel card expires?
After the travel card expires, the cardholder can reapply to the local foreign office. In addition, the cardholder can also submit an application for card renewal in advance to the relevant foreign office within 6 months before the expiration of the original travel card. The application materials and procedures are the same as those of the initial application.
How to query questions related to APEC business travel card?
You can log in to China Consular Service Network http://cs.mfa.gov.cn For inquiry, or use the APEC Business Travel Card of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for consultation: 010-65963079/3080, e-mail: abtc@mfa.gov.cn 。
The specific application process, application materials, etc. need to call the Foreign Affairs Office of the people's government where the enterprise is registered for consultation
What is APEC? Who are the members?
APEC is the acronym of the English name of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and its full name is Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
At present, APEC has 21 economies: China, Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Mexico, the United States, Canada and Russia.
What is an economy?
Among the 21 APEC members are members from Hong Kong, China and Taipei, China. Through consensus, APEC members are called economies, which is called economy in English.
Which economies have participated in the APEC Business Travel Card Program?
At present, all 21 economies of APEC have joined the travel card program, of which the United States and Canada are transitional members, and other economies will not be approved for the time being.
What is the transition member of APEC Business Travel Card Program?
At present, the United States and Canada are transitional members of the travel card program. They do not accept APEC business travel card applications from other economies, but provide visa applications and entry and exit customs clearance facilities for cardholders from other economies.
When did China join the APEC Business Travel Card Program?
In 2002, the Chinese government officially joined the travel card program. In December 2003, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began to accept applications for APEC business travel cards. In March 2004, travel cards were issued to Chinese applicants.
What are the benefits of APEC business travel card?
The applicant is valid for five years at one time, and can enter the country for many times, and can stay for at least 60 days each time. In addition, all economies generally provide cardholders with entry and exit customs clearance facilities.
How many economies can Chinese cardholders enter and exit with valid APEC business travel cards?
At present, the United States and Canada do not approve foreign travel card applications. The Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan do not apply travel cards to each other, so Chinese cardholders can enter up to 16 economies with valid cards.
How long can you stay with a card for each economy?
The maximum allowed stay period of each economy is 60 days or 90 days, specifically:
60 days: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea
90 days: Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Brunei, Mexico, Peru, Chile
If the valid period of the travel card is less than 60 or 90 days, you need to leave the country before the card expires.
Cardholders from other economies can stay in China for up to 60 days each time.
How to identify the economies with APEC business travel cards?
There can be up to 16 abbreviations of foreign economies on the back of our cardholders' travel cards: JPN (Japan), KOR (South Korea), MYS (Malaysia), IDN (Indonesia), BRN (Brunei), PHL (Philippines), SGP (Singapore), MEX (Mexico), THA (Thailand), VNM (Vietnam), AUS (Australia), NZL (New Zealand), PNG (Papua New Guinea), CHL (Chile), PER (Peru), RUS (Russia). The English abbreviations of other economies are: CHN (China), HKG (Hong Kong, China), TWN (Taipei, China), USA (USA), CAN (Canada).
Can Chinese cardholders access Hong Kong and Taiwan, China with the APEC Business Travel Card?
No, travel cards are not applicable between the mainland and Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, cardholders can use special channels to enter and leave Hong Kong.
Can APEC business travel card holders go to the United States and Canada through fast customs clearance channels?
sure. At present, the main airports in the United States and Canada have APEC business travel card dedicated channels (or shared with diplomatic channels) to provide rapid customs clearance convenience for cardholders.
What convenience can APEC business travel card holders enjoy when applying for a US visa?
At the request of the travel card holder, the American embassy and consulate in China can provide the convenience of visa interview and appointment in advance for the cardholder who really needs it.
Who can apply for APEC business travel card?
(1) Government officials engaged in APEC affairs or in charge of travel card business and Chinese officials serving in APEC organizations; (2) Management personnel, main business personnel and technical personnel of large state-owned enterprises under central management; (3) Personnel of local state-owned enterprises; (4) Personnel of private enterprises; (5) Chinese (mainland) personnel in Sino-foreign joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and enterprises invested in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia.
Can foreigners apply for APEC business travel card in China?
Citizens of economies that are full members of the travel card scheme should apply to the competent authorities of their economies. The competent authorities of China will not accept the applications of foreigners.
How to apply for APEC Business Travel Card?
(1) Senior government officials engaged in APEC affairs or in charge of travel card business, as well as Chinese government officials serving in APEC organizations, shall submit their materials to the superior competent department with foreign affairs approval authority for review according to the approval procedures for going abroad on business; Chinese officials serving in the APEC organization shall review the application materials by the original affiliated unit or submit their materials to the superior competent department of the unit with the foreign affairs approval authority for review. The relevant departments shall submit the relevant materials to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for examination after examination. The Consular Department shall issue the card to the applicant after passing the examination and obtaining the approval of other economies.
(2) The personnel of large state-owned enterprises under central management shall be sent to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for review by the applicant's enterprise according to the approval procedures for the administration of going abroad on business. The Consular Department will issue the card to the applicant after passing the final review and being approved by other economies.
(3) The personnel of local state-owned enterprises shall apply to the foreign affairs office of the provincial or sub-provincial people's government of the place where the enterprise is registered according to the examination and approval procedures for going abroad on business. The relevant foreign offices shall review and then submit it to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval. The Consular Department will issue the card to the applicant after passing the final examination and obtaining the approval of other economies.
(4) The Chinese (mainland) personnel of private enterprises, Sino-foreign joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Taiwan-Hong Kong-Australian enterprises shall apply to the foreign affairs office of the government where the enterprise is registered. Relevant foreign offices shall be sent to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for final examination after passing the preliminary examination. The Consular Department will issue the card to the applicant after passing the final examination and obtaining the approval of other economies.
What materials are required to apply for APEC Business Travel Card?
The travel card work in China is subject to the three-level examination and approval management system of the applicant's enterprise or department, the local foreign affairs office and the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At present, the power of review has been fully delegated to local foreign offices, and local governments can formulate corresponding application and management measures according to their actual conditions. The materials required by different regions are different. Please contact the Foreign Affairs Office of the local people's government for details.
How long does it take to apply for APEC business travel card?
The review time of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is about 5 working days; The applicant's information will then be submitted to other economies for approval. The approval time of each economy is different. If you want to obtain the approval of all 16 economies, it will take about 2-3 months from the date when the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submits the application materials to other economies.
How much does it cost to get a travel card?
According to the relevant regulations of the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission, the service center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseas agencies will charge 720 yuan for each card, and the same fees will be charged for card replacement and replacement. In addition, local foreign affairs offices formulate local charging standards based on the principles of openness, transparency and rationality, and report them to the local price and financial departments for approval, and charge certain service fees.
Can we only apply for visas from specific economies, which can shorten the approval time and reduce the application fee?
Travel cards cannot be applied for by designated economies. If there is a real need, you can apply for card printing in advance.
How does the applicant check the approval progress of APEC business travel card?
The applicant can check the travel card approval progress with the application materials handling office.
What should I do if I am anxious to go to an economy after submitting an APEC business travel card application?
If the economy to which the applicant intends to go has approved the applicant's travel card application, the accepting foreign office can apply to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for card printing in advance, and can apply for card replacement after the other economies are approved, but the card printing fee needs to be paid again. If the economy to be visited is not approved, you can go to the embassy and consulate in China to apply for a visa and go to the economy after obtaining the visa.
Can Chinese embassies and consulates abroad accept APEC business travel card applications?
At present, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad do not accept APEC business travel card applications.
Can intermediaries and travel agencies accept APEC business travel card applications?
No, only the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government where the enterprise is registered can accept it.
Can APEC business travel card holders also apply for short-term business visas for Australia and New Zealand? What is "visa coverage"?
Australia and New Zealand require the applicant to hold only one valid entry visa. If the cardholder applies for another entry visa for Australia and New Zealand within the validity period of the travel card, once approved, the later issued visa with a shorter validity period will automatically cover the "visa" carried by the travel card with a validity period of five years, making the travel card visa invalid, causing the cardholder to be unable to enter Australia and New Zealand with the travel card, which is the "visa coverage" problem. Although there is no "visa coverage" problem in other economies, cardholders are not recommended to apply for similar visas.
At present, the travel card visa approved by Australia can be used for both business activities and private tourism. When entering the country for tourism purposes, please note that you cannot show APEC business travel card and take the special channel when entering the country. If the cardholder uses another type of passport to go to Australia (such as using a business passport to apply for an APEC business travel card, and holding a private passport to go to Australia), he/she should inform the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before leaving, so that the Consular Department can notify the Australian side to make corresponding adjustments.
How to use APEC business travel card?
Cardholders enter and exit relevant economies with valid passports and valid travel cards when applying for travel cards. Cardholders can only access the economy that approved their travel card application (marked on the back of the travel card in English abbreviation). The main ports of the economies participating in the travel card program are equipped with special passages for travel cards, usually marked as "APEC Business Travel Card".
What activities can I use the APEC Business Travel Card for?
In principle, the APEC Business Travel Card is only applicable to international travel for business purposes, and cannot be used for non-business purposes such as travel, visiting relatives, visiting friends, and seeing a doctor. Currently, non-business travel is allowed in Australia, Thailand, South Korea and Papua New Guinea.
How to keep APEC business travel card?
The travel cards applied for by the personnel of large state-owned enterprises under the central administration, government officials engaged in APEC affairs and Chinese officials serving in APEC organizations shall be uniformly managed by the foreign affairs department of the unit where the cardholder belongs in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Business Exit Certificates; The travel cards applied for by the local state-owned enterprise personnel shall be managed by the local foreign office that accepts the travel card application according to the requirements for the management of business travel documents; The travel cards applied for by the personnel of private enterprises and Chinese/mainland personnel working in Chinese-foreign joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Taiwan-Hong Kong-Australian enterprises shall be managed by the enterprise in which the cardholder works and submitted to the corresponding local foreign office for filing.
Does the APEC business travel card holder need to return his/her travel card when his/her unit changes?
After the cardholder leaves the original unit or the identity changes, the original unit shall cancel the travel card in time. Or, if the original unit and the new unit reach an agreement, the travel card can be transferred to the new unit and reported to the local foreign office for filing.
What if I lose my travel card?
As a document of equal importance to a passport, the travel card holder should keep it properly. If it is lost accidentally, it should report the loss to the local public security organ in time, and apply to the competent department of the unit or the local foreign office for reissue.
What should I do when my passport expires or is lost?
After issuing a new passport, the cardholder shall issue an official letter to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the travel card sending unit to explain the situation and return the old card, and at the same time submit a card replacement application (a copy of the new passport is required).
What if the APEC business travel card expires?
After the travel card expires, the cardholder can reapply to the local foreign office. In addition, the cardholder can also submit an application for card renewal in advance to the relevant foreign office within 6 months before the expiration of the original travel card. The application materials and procedures are the same as those of the initial application.
How to query questions related to APEC business travel card?
You can log in to China Consular Service Network http://cs.mfa.gov.cn For inquiry, or use the APEC Business Travel Card of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for consultation: 010-65963079/3080, e-mail: abtc@mfa.gov.cn 。
The specific application process, application materials, etc. need to call the Foreign Affairs Office of the people's government where the enterprise is registered for consultation
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