Mainland China/Hong Kong SAR/Macau SAR: Eased Travel Rules For Chinese Residents To Hong Kong SAR And Macau SAR

The National Immigration Administration of Mainland China has announced the following policies to further facilitate the travel of Mainland Chinese residents to Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR...

China Immigration

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At a Glance

The National Immigration Administration of Mainland China has announced the following policies to further facilitate the travel of Mainland Chinese residents to Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR:

A new online process for Mainland Chinese residents of 20 cities in Mainland China who are seeking to replace or reissue their immigration documents;
Expanded business endorsement application options for Mainland Chinese residents seeking to travel to Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR;
An expansion of the multiple-entry talent endorsement process in Beijing and Shanghai; and
Longer allowable stays for Mainland Chinese business endorsement holders seeking to travel to Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR.

The situation

The National Immigration Administration (NIA) of Mainland China has announced several policies to further facilitate the travel of Mainland Chinese residents to Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR.

A closer look

CHANGE	IMPACT
New online process for new documents. There is a new online process for Mainland Chinese residents of 20 cities in Mainland China who are seeking to replace their immigration documents or have them reissued (due to expiry).	Instead of visiting a local public security office to apply in person, eligible applicants now benefit from a fully online process to obtain replacement documents. The processing time under the online process is also faster (seven business days instead of 10 business days).
Expanded business endorsement application options. Mainland Chinese residents seeking to travel to Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR for business, who must apply for a business endorsement at their local public security bureau (their Chinese sponsor's entity registration location) can now apply for the endorsement at any public security bureau in Mainland China.	Eligible applicants no longer need to travel back to their local sponsoring company's registered location to obtain a business endorsement to conduct business activities in Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR. This will save travel time, expenses and administrative burdens related to the out-of-country business endorsement process.
Multiple-entry talent endorsement program expanded. The government has added the following six categories of foreign nationals from Beijing and Shanghai to the program that allows a multiple-entry "talent" endorsement valid from one to five years to visit Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR for up to 30 days per entry: outstanding talents, scientific research talents, cultural and educational talents, health talents, legal talents and management talents. This is an expansion of the existing program which allowed this endorsement for foreign nationals in nine Chinese cities.	Under this status, eligible applicants benefit from a longer duration of stay of up to 30 days, up from the usual maximum stay of seven days allowed for travelers from Mainland China.
Longer stay for business endorsement holders. The stay period in Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR has been extended from 7 days to 14 days for business endorsement holders.	This policy makes it easier for Mainland Chinese residents to travel to Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR for business.

Background

Through these changes, the Chinese government is seeking to continuously implement policies to facilitate the travel of Mainland Chinese residents to and from Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR. The change is in line with the Chinese government's aim to facilitate the socio-economic growth in the region by promoting exchanges and business activities.

Looking ahead

The Chinese government will likely introduce further immigration changes to streamline visa application processes for foreign workers in the region. We will monitor the policy changes and report on related updates.

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