Non-Chinese permanent residents of Macao and Hong Kong will be eligible for a Mainland Travel Permit from 10 July, according to an announcement published this morning by the Exit and Entry Administration of China.
The document allows visa-free travel to the Chinese mainland. Such privileges have previously only been available to Macao and Hong Kong permanent residents possessing Chinese nationality.
Under the new measures, non-Chinese permanent residents of the SARs will be able to apply for the permits via the China Travel Service in Hong Kong and Macao.
Officials say the new five-year permit will enable bearers to engage in activities such as tourism, business, visiting family and seminars. However, they are not permitted to take employment, study or perform tasks related to journalism while on the mainland.
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While permit holders are able to make multiple entries into mainland China, the authorities note that each trip should be no longer than 90 days.
The cards cost HK$260 for an initial application, with the renewal and replacement fee marked at 230 yuan.
The statement said that the move was made “to further facilitate exchanges between mainland Chinese people and people in Hong Kong and Macao, and to help Hong Kong and Macao better integrate into the overall national development.”
