Hong Kong Permanent Residents of non-Chinese origin can apply for multiple-entry permits to enter Mainland China, from July 10. The permits will be valid for five years, and can be used for visits up to 90 days for tourism, family visits, and business purposes such as investment and seminars. Hong Kong leader John Lee said that applicants of all nationalities will get a “card-type document”, and will not need a separate visa to enter the Mainland.
The Exit and Entry Administration of Mainland China will issue the permits, and eligible Hong Kong permanent residents can apply for them through China Travel Service in Hong Kong. Applications for the permit will cost HK$260, and will take 20 days to process. Anyone who needs to renew or replace their permits while they are in Mainland China will have to pay 230 yuan. Hong Kong Permanent Residents who get the new permits can use the Mainland self-service clearance at control points instead of the manual channels where they need to fill out entry cards and get fingerprinted.
Currently, all Hong Kong residents need to apply for separate visas to enter Mainland China, and only Chinese citizens who have either acquired the right of abode or been granted unconditional stay in Hong Kong can apply for an HKSAR Re-entry Permit. This document, also known as a Home Permit, allows eligible Hong Kong residents to travel to Macau and Mainland China for a single trip in a six-month period or multiple journeys over five years.
This development comes after Mainland Chinese authorities introduced a series of measures to make travel between Hong Kong and cities north of the border easier. Last month, China Railway launched overnight High Speed Rail services between Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai that reduced travel time between the three cities substantially. In addition, there are several long-term plans to build new railway lines and MTR stations to link Hong Kong and Shenzhen over the next two decades.
Header image credits: N509FZ via WikiCommons
