Hong Kong, Macau business visa length doubled to 2 weeks per trip for mainland Chinese holders, in boost for 100 million firms
- National Immigration Administration announces maximum seven-day stay per trip will be doubled to 14 days from May 6
- Change among range of measures to address growing needs of cross-border firms and improve business environment of Greater Bay Area
Mainland Chinese holders of business visas for Hong Kong and Macau will be allowed to stay in both cities for an extra week from next month, with authorities expecting 100 million companies to benefit.
The change was among a range of measures announced by the mainland’s National Immigration Administration on Sunday to address the growing needs of cross-border firms and improve the business environment of the Greater Bay Area.
Among the measures, which take effect on May 6, the one expected to benefit the most mainlanders is the extension to the period of stay for business visa holders to Hong Kong and Macau. The maximum seven-day period per trip will be doubled to 14 days.
The deputy head of the immigration agency’s entry-exit administrative department, Wang Ling, said the change was set to benefit 100 million individually owned firms, as well as staff from 30,000 companies who registered for multiple business visas.
“We hope to better meet the needs of longer periods of business activities, help business personnel to explore business opportunities extensively and undergo negotiations in a more in-depth manner,” she told a press conference.
Mainlanders will soon be able to submit applications for one-off entry business visas at designated counters of 3,400 institutions managed by public security branches across the country, rather than through local offices where they live.