Hong Kong - APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Scheme
Application Procedures and Fees
To promote the development of economic and trade activities in the Asia-Pacific region and to deepen business ties in the region, the APEC Business Travel Card Program (APEC) provides expedited entry and exit for business visitors who need to frequently travel across the Asia-Pacific region for short-stay business trips without having to go through complex immigration procedures for each trip.
The program provides a 5-year validity period for APEC holders and simplifies immigration and visa procedures for 19 Asia-Pacific member regions. In addition to fast-track access to special airport lanes, cardholders will also be pre-qualified by member regions to stay visa-free for a limited period of time, giving flexibility to travel arrangements and better access to timely business decisions. This allows the cardholder to make immediate travel arrangements when necessary to conduct business in person, thus eliminating time spent on visa applications and allowing for efficient and convenient business operations within the Asia Pacific region.
If you are a businessperson and need to conduct frequent business trips across the Asia-Pacific region, the APEC Business Travel Card can be an essential document for you.
As of June 2022, there are 19 APEC member regions, including Australia, Brunei, Chile, China*, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei*, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Note
* Not applicable to Hong Kong APEC cardholders traveling to Mainland China.
**Not applicable to Hong Kong APEC cardholders traveling to Taiwan.
- Program Scope
The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC), valid for 5 years, is designed for business travelers.
The card holder can travel within the APEC member regions freely, with pre-approval and visa-free stay for 2 to 3 months* each time. Regardless of whether they have been pre-approved or not, cardholders can cross the border at special lanes at designated control points and only need to go through simplified immigration procedures, which significantly reduces the waiting time at every entry and exit.
- Service Fees
Our handling fee for assisting a client to apply for the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is HKD6,500. It is inclusive of the government visa fee but exclusive of any additional fee for delivery, translation, notarization, etc. In particular, our fee also covers the following services:
- General advice regarding the application for ABTC in Hong Kong;
- Assistance with the preparation of supporting documents;
- Reviewing documents provided by the applicant and employing company;
- Preparing authorization letter(s) and filing the application forms;
- Submitting the ABTC application package to IMMD;
- Liaising with the IMMD;
- Application status reporting to the client;
- Arranging the payment of fees and collection of the approved ABTC;
- Forwarding of ABTC to the client’s specified address.
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- Payment Term and Method
Upon receipt of confirmation of engagement, we will issue an invoice and email it together with detailed wire instructions to you. Because of the nature of services, we require full payment in advance. In addition, once service is commenced, no service fees will be refunded. We currently only accept check, cash or TT and credit card payment through PayPal. If invoice is settled by PayPal, an extra 5% service fee will be charged.
If Taiwan uniform invoice is required, a Business Tax at 5% of the invoiced amount will be charged and collected.
- Eligibility Criteria
APEC is available to businessperson who:
- Holds a Hong Kong permanent identity card and a valid national passport;
- Has not previously been denied entry to any of the participating economies;
- Has never been convicted of a criminal offense;
- Must be a bona fide businessperson who needs to travel frequently on short-term visits within the APEC region to fulfil business commitments.
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Note:
Entertainers, musicians, artists or persons engaged in similar occupations are not eligible to apply for an ABTC.
- Documents and Information Needed
- Application Form (ID900)
- Two (2) applicant’s recent photos (passport size, <55*45mm or >50*40mm)
- Photocopy of the applicant’s Hong Kong permanent identity card (only the side with his/her personal particulars and photograph is required)
- Photocopy of the applicant’s valid passport showing his/her personal particulars, nationality, dates of issue and expiry
- Letter from the applicant’s employing company supporting his/her application
- Further supporting documents and information in connection with his/her application e.g., contract, invoice, purchase order, if applicable
- Options for Receiving an Interim Card Form (SF/IM/1609) (if applicable)
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- Procedures and Timeline
APEC is subject to individual review by each of the 19 member regions, and it is difficult to generalize the review time for each region.
When submitting the application, the applicant may nominate a maximum of five (5) priority economies that he/she needs to visit within a short timeframe. The nominated economies will expedite the processing of the application. The applicant may also consider filling the "Options for receiving an interim card" (SF/IM/1609) form and submit it together with his/her ABTC application, if necessary.
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Item
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Description
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Responsible Party
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Working Days
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1
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Kaizen consultants provide eligibility assessment for APEC applicants
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Applicant / sponsoring company / Kaizen
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Client’s Schedule
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2
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Fill out forms, collect supporting documents, and prepare application package
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Applicant / sponsoring company / Kaizen
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1 week*
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3
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Submission of the application package to IMMD
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Kaizen / IMMD
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1 week
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4
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Hong Kong Immigration Department Application Processing
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IMMD
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4 - 5 weeks
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5
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APEC Member Region Processing
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APEC Member Region
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12 weeks or above
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6
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Deliver the APEC Card to client’s mailing address
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Client / Kaizen
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Client’s Schedule
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Estimated processing time
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20 weeks or above**
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| Notes:
* The estimated time is based on high cooperation between Kaizen and the client.
** The estimated time does not include delays caused by the government agencies.
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