Chinese officials announced that non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macao SARs are now eligible to apply for mainland travel permits.

Key Points:

• First-time applicants must submit the application in person at a company authorized by the Exit and Entry Administration of China.
  • The two companies authorized by the Exit and Entry Administration to offer these relevant services are China Travel Service (Holdings) Hong Kong Limited or China Travel Service (Macao) Ltd.
  • An application for replacement or reissuance can be submitted in person to the Exit and Entry Administration. If a travel permit has been damaged or lost, the holder can apply for an exit permit, leave mainland China and apply for the replacement or reissuance at the two companies listed above.

Additional Information: The mainland travel permit allows individuals to enter and exit mainland China multiple times within a five-year validity period, with each stay not exceeding 90 days. The permit does not allow for work or study permission, but holders who have submitted their fingerprints at exit-entry ports may use fast lanes to enter and exit mainland China.