Non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents to get mainland travel permits from July 10

Non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau will be able to apply for five-year travel permits to enter mainland China from July 10, Beijing has said, with local authorities stressing the move can motivate foreign companies and talent to settle in the city.

Holders of the multi-entry permits could also enjoy self-service clearance at control points once they completed procedures such as fingerprint collection, the National Immigration Administration said on Monday.

Permit holders will enter the mainland for short-term purposes, such as investment, visiting relatives, tourism, business, seminars and exchanges. They can stay up to 90 days per visit but are barred from working, studying or engaging in news-gathering activities.

Eligible residents, with no limits to their nationality or occupations, can apply through China Travel Service (Holdings) in both Hong Kong and Macau. Permits are issued within 20 working days after applications had been accepted.

An application would cost HK$260 (US$34), while people seeking to renew or replace permits on the mainland would pay 230 yuan (US$32), the administration said.

The central government said it decided to issue the permits to further facilitate the people-to-people exchanges between Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland, and to help both cities better integrate into the overall national development.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the new policy, announced on the 27th anniversary of the city’s handover to Chinese rule, had “demonstrated our country’s care and support” for Hong Kong.

Lee said many non-Chinese permanent residents had deep roots in Hong Kong, while those working in the city had been particularly keen on seizing the historic opportunities of the country’s rapid developments.

“We firmly believe that international talent of Hong Kong companies can enjoy the long-awaited clearance convenience for northbound travel with this card,” he said.

The absence of any limits on nationality or occupation of the permit also “fully highlights Hong Kong’s unique status under ‘one country, two systems’ and greatly helps Hong Kong maintain its international character and diversity, thereby providing a significant incentive for companies and talent from around the world to settle in Hong Kong”, Lee added.

The new travel permit is among the string of visa facilitation Beijing has granted to Hong Kong since early 2023.

Other measures include launching and expanding the Greater Bay Area exit endorsement for talent in Beijing and Shanghai, extending the duration of stay of business visits in Hong Kong from seven days to 14 days. The introduction of “northbound” multiple-entry visa for foreign employees working in the city is also among the measures.

The 2021 Population Census found there were about 619,568 non-Chinese people in Hong Kong, or about 8.4 per cent of the population.