A new five-year multi-entry mainland China travel permit for Hong Kong permanent residents holding foreign passports is quickly reaching its online booking quota, the city’s leader said on Tuesday, with ethnic minority members praising the move as enhancing their sense of belonging.
The surge in bookings followed the announcement by China’s National Immigration Administration the previous day that permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau – regardless of nationality or occupation – could apply for the permit starting July 10. Candidates must file an online application through China Travel Service (Holdings), the government agency that issues travel documents for the mainland, and can schedule an appointment at service centers within 28 days.
The new permit allows non-Chinese holders to enter the mainland for short-term purposes such as investment, visiting relatives, tourism, business, seminars and exchanges. They may stay up to 90 days per visit but are barred from working, studying or engaging in news gathering activities. Permit holders will also be able to use self-service clearance at control points after completing procedures like fingerprinting.
“It can allow them to know more about the mainland … It serves as a good opportunity to tell good stories of Hong Kong and China,” said Eunice Yung Hoi-yan, a lawmaker from the New People’s Party. She noted the previous measure was limited to business trips, while the new permit covers a wider scope of travel purposes.
Ilyas Mohammad, a member of the government-appointed committee on the promotion of racial harmony, said non-Chinese residents often had to wait for hours to apply for visas and endure long queues going through immigration under the current arrangement.
Last October, the Hong Kong government announced foreign staff of local companies could apply for multiple-entry mainland visas valid for up to five years, with priority processing. But the new travel permit appears to offer more flexibility.
“It can allow them to know more about the mainland … It serves as a good opportunity to tell good stories of Hong Kong and China,” Yung said.
The surge in bookings following the permit’s announcement reflects the strong demand among Hong Kong’s diverse population to have greater access to mainland China. Authorities hope the new measure will foster greater cultural understanding and engagement between Hong Kong and the mainland.
