More business travellers to benefit from HKSAR Travel Pass

The eligibility criteria for a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Travel Pass will be relaxed from today (July 2), the Immigration Department has announced.

The Scheme, which began in January 1998, is designed to enhance the mobility of business travellers who have genuine needs to travel frequently to Hong Kong.

Applications are open to frequent visitors who hold a valid passport and are eligible to come to Hong Kong without a visa or entry permit for visit purposes. At present, applicants who have made five or more trouble-free trips to Hong Kong (other than returning from side trips to the Mainland or Macau) in the 12-month period immediately preceding the application; or can satisfy the Director of Immigration that their visits may bring substantial benefits to Hong Kong, are eligible to apply for a Travel Pass.

"Now, in a move to enable more business visitors to use the Travel Pass and to facilitate their travel convenience to Hong Kong, the eligibility criteria of five trouble-free trips will be relaxed to three trips with effect from today," a spokesperson for the Immigration Department said.

"The Travel Pass is a machine-readable document with 32 pages. It is valid for three years and good for multiple entries to Hong Kong for a stay of two months on visitor conditions each trip.

"The prescribed fee for the pass is HK$500. Holders enjoy streamlined immigration clearance procedures as they are allowed to use the 'Hong Kong Resident' counters when passing through the immigration control points."

Business people who need to travel frequently to Hong Kong are welcome to apply for the Travel Pass. Application forms are available free of charge from the Hong Kong Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices and Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions overseas.

The forms can also be downloaded from the website at: <http://www.info.gov.hk/immd/pdforms/id888.pdf> Completed application forms may be submitted for processing by post, in person or through a local reference to the Visitors Section, Immigration Department (6/F, Immigration Tower,
7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong).

Ends/Tuesday, July 2, 2002