I APEC Business Travel Card Program

The APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Business Travel Card Program is a multilateral visa arrangement designed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation to enhance trade and investment facilitation across the Asia-Pacific region.

1. APEC's Member Economies

APEC currently consists of 21 member economies: China (CHN), Hong Kong, China (HKG), Chinese Taipei (TWN), Japan (JPN), South Korea (KOR), Malaysia (MYS), Indonesia (IDN), Brunei (BRN), Philippines (PHL), Singapore (SGP), Thailand (THA), Vietnam (VNM), Australia (AUS), New Zealand (NZL), Papua New Guinea (PNG), Chile (CHL), Peru (PER), Mexico (MEX), United States (USA), Canada (CAN), and Russia (RUS).

Notably, the United States and Canada are transitional members of the program. While they do not process travel card applications from other economies, they offer visa application and entry/exit facilitation for cardholders from other member economies.

Travel between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan continues to be governed by the existing regulations for personnel exchanges.

2. Benefits of the APEC Business Travel Card and Allowed Stay Duration

Upon application, enterprises can obtain visa access to 16 economies in a single application. The card is valid for five years and allows multiple entries.

The maximum allowed stay duration in each economy varies from 60 to 180 days per visit, depending on the destination:

 60 days: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore;\

 90 days: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam

 180 days: Mexico

3. Scope of the APEC Business Travel Card

The APEC Business Travel Card is designed for business-related travel purposes only.

It is not applicable for students, spouses and children of business persons, employment or working holiday arrangements, professional athletes, journalists, or individuals in the entertainment, music, and arts sectors.

4. Using the APEC Business Travel Card

The APEC Business Travel Card must be used in conjunction with a passport.

Cardholders may enter and exit the approved economies using the passport that was valid at the time of application and the valid travel card. Entry is permitted only to the economies listed on the back of the card (indicated by their English abbreviations). Major ports of entry in participating economies are equipped with dedicated APEC Business Travel Card lanes, clearly marked with signs such as "APEC Business Travel Card". These lanes provide expedited entry and exit services for cardholders.

If using the dedicated lanes at ports of entry in economies not approved on the card or in transitional members like the United States and Canada, cardholders must present the required entry visas and other documents. Failure to comply may result in denial of access to the lane or even entry refusal. Additional requirements may apply in some economies, so it is essential to check the specific regulations of the destination before departure.

5. "Visa Overlap"

Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea permit applicants to hold only one valid entry visa at any given time. If an APEC Business Travel Card holder applies for and receives another visa for these countries during the card's validity period, the newly approved visa (which typically has a shorter validity period) will override the five-year validity of the APEC card, thereby invalidating it.

6. Notes for Cardholders Entering Australia

The travel card visa approved by Australia is valid for both business and tourism purposes. However, when entering Australia for tourism, cardholders should be aware of the following:

 Present only the valid passport; do not display the APEC Business Travel Card.

 Avoid using the dedicated APEC Business Travel Card lane for expedited entry.

If the travel card was issued for official business purposes and the cardholder plans to travel to Australia for personal tourism using a private passport, they must notify the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government in advance. This step ensures that our office can inform the Australian authorities to make the necessary adjustments.

II Application Eligibility

1. Managers, business persons, and technical staff from various enterprises in this city who need to frequently travel to APEC economies for business activities due to work requirements.

2. Applicants must hold a valid Chinese passport.

III Application Materials

 A photocopy of the enterprise's business license (vice copy)

 Proof of social security records.

 A certificate of no criminal record.

 A photocopy of the first page of the valid passport.

 Personal signature and a white-background color photo.

IV Application Process

1. The applying enterprise submits the application online via the Shanghai APEC Business Travel Card Application System

2. Initial acceptance and preliminary review by the designated acceptance point and review unit

3. Review by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government

4. Approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

5. Visa issuance by relevant APEC economies

6. Unified card production and issuance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

For more details, please visit the official website of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government.

https://wsb.sh.gov.cn/ztzl/apecswlxk/zcfg/index.html

Enterprises may consult the foreign affairs offices of their registered districts for further information.

Foreign Affairs Office of the Yangpu District People's Government (Inquiry Hotline): 25033655

Operating Hours: 9:00 AM-11:00 AM / 2:00 PM-5:00 PM, Monday to Friday, (excluding statutory holidays)