The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card
We are reprinting some information for clients about the APEC Business travel card. Please see below.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card (ABTC) facilitates short-term business travel within the APEC region by streamlining the entry process into APEC countries, ie, countries who are members of APEC.
The ‘apply once, information used for multiple purposes’ approach is used which means that applicants are only required to make one application for permission to enter participating countries. Successful applicants from fully participating countries are issued with a five-year card that serves as the entry authority to other fully participating countries which have granted pre-clearance for short-term business travel of up to 60 or 90 days. The card also enables holders to fast track immigration processing at each country’s major international airports. Note that Canada and the United States of America (the United States) are transitional members of the ABTC scheme and do not offer reciprocal entry arrangements, but do provide fast track immigration processing at major international airports.
To be eligible to apply for an ABTC you must hold a valid passport from an APEC country (or be a permanent resident of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong, China), engage in regular business travel throughout the APEC region and have no criminal conviction. Each country has the discretion to impose additional eligibility criteria on their applicants. Further information about the eligibility criteria of each country is available through the domestic websites of each country, accessible via the contact details below.
Application Process
Applicants make a single application to the country for which they hold a passport (home country), or have permanent residence in the case of Hong Kong, China. If this country assesses the application as meeting the relevant criteria, the applicant’s details are provided to the other participating countries who conduct their own assessment of whether to grant pre-clearance. When all countries have made a pre-clearance decision, the applicant receives an ABTC that lists the countries to which they have permission to travel. Each country is responsible for managing the processing of their own pre-clearance applications and no country has any influence over the processing timeframes of another.
Question 1 – What is an ABTC?
The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is a card issued to business travellers and senior government officials who meet certain requirements. APEC manages the ABTC program, which it refers to as the ABTC scheme. The ABTC scheme seeks to facilitate travel in the APEC region.
Question 2 – Which APEC countries participate in the ABTC scheme?
Nineteen APEC countries are fully participating members to the ABTC scheme: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, China, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
Two APEC countries are transitional members to the ABTC scheme: Canada and the United States.
Question 3 – What is the difference between fully participating members and transitional members?
Fully participating members participate in the preclearance aspect of the ABTC scheme, while transitional members do not.
ABTC holders granted preclearance by an APEC country do not need to make a separate application for a visa or entry permit when traveling to that country.
ABTC holders travelling to a transitional country must present any visas, travel or other entry documents that are required by the transitional country.
ABTC holders from transitional countries are not able to receive pre-clearance from fully participating countries and must therefore present any visas, travel or other entry documents that are required for entry to their destination country.
The reverse side of an ABTC issued by a fully participating country will list the countries to which the holder has been granted pre-clearance. The reverse side of an ABTC issued by a transitional country will be blank.
Travellers are urged to check entry requirements of their destination APEC country before travel.
Both fully participating members and transitional members offer access to fast-track immigration lanes at participating airports.
Question 4 – What are the benefits of holding an ABTC?
The ABTC gives frequent business travellers:
- Fast-track entry and exit through special APEC lanes at participating airports; and,
- Multiple, short-term entries to precleared APEC countries without having to make a separate visa application to fully participating members.
Question 5 – Do I still need a visa and passport for entry into APEC countries?
When travelling to an APEC country that is a fully participating member, ABTC holders do not need to submit a separate application for a visa if they have been granted preclearance to that country. The granting of preclearance is at the discretion of each APEC country and it remains the right of each APEC country to determine who may travel to, enter, and remain in that country even after a person has been issued an ABTC.
The ABTC is not intended to replace the passport. Valid passports remain a primary traveller identification document and ABTC holders will be required to present their passport and ABTC on arrival and departure in participating countries.
When travelling to an APEC country that is a transitional member, ABTC holders will need to present any travel or identity documentation required, such as a passport and visa or a travel authorization.
Travellers are urged to check entry requirements of their destination APEC country before travel.
Question 6 – Can I only use my card to travel to countries that are listed on the back of my card?
Travellers are exempted from applying for a visa only from countries listed on the back of their ABTC. If you wish to travel to an country that is not listed on the back of your ABTC, you must present any visa, travel or identity document that is required by your destination country for entry. However, any cardholder can use the fast-track lane in APEC countries’ airports regardless of which countries’ names are listed on the back of the card.
Question 7 – How do I apply for an ABTC?
Each country has their own set of guidelines and processes for applying for an ABTC, including application forms, fees, and applicant screening. Please refer to your home country’s website or the following link for information on application.
Question 8 – What are the general eligibility criteria for ABTC applicants?
Each country has its own set of eligibility criteria for ABTC applicants. Generally, applicants must be business persons who:
- are citizens of participating APEC countries, or in the case of Hong Kong China, permanent residents holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card;
- have never been convicted of a criminal offence;
- hold a valid passport issued by the home country or, in the case of Hong Kong China, a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport or a valid travel document issued by another country or territory; and,
- are bona fide business persons who may need to travel frequently on short term visits within the APEC region to fulfill business commitments. A bona fide business person is a person who is engaged in the trade of goods, the provision of services or the conduct of investment activities.
Senior government officials and officials actively engaged in APEC business may also be eligible for an ABTC.
Each member country is responsible for vetting their applicants and may impose additional eligibility criteria. Refer to your home country for more information(link).
Question 9 – What is the general process once my application is approved by my home country?
Interested individuals submit their applications to their home country. For fully participating members, ABTC applications approved by the home country are sent to all other fully participating members for preclearance consideration. Each fully participating member will assess the application against its own internal requirements. APEC countries independently process and issue any required visas and entry permits to eligible applicants as part of the preclearance process. The reverse side of the ABTC lists all the countries that have granted preclearance to the cardholder.
Question 10 – What is the average amount of time to get an ABTC?
In fully participating countries, each application takes at least two to three months to be processed, and in some instances longer as all fully participating members review the application for preclearance approvals. The period of time required to completely process an application may vary between countries. If the applicant has indicated their priority countries at the time of application, it may reduce the wait period for a card. Applicants are encouraged to submit the application for an ABTC at least three months before the expiry of their current card.
Question 11 – How long is the ABTC valid for?
APEC countries may issue cards with a maximum validity of five years. Please check the expiration date on your card.
Question 12 – What should be done if I lose my ABTC?
Lost or stolen cards should be reported to your home country immediately. Contact your home country to determine the requirements for reporting lost and stolen cards. Contact information for countries can be found through the following link.
Question 13 – Who should I contact if I have general or specific questions about the ABTC?
For questions pertaining to individual countries, please refer to the following link for contact information on the country.
Question 14 – What should I do if my passport expires or is replaced?
ABTC holders must maintain a valid passport during the use of their card. Cardholders must renew their ABTC if their passport is renewed or replaced and their card makes reference to their previous passport information. Applicants will need to verify with their home country on rules with regards to their passport and card validity.
Question 15 – Can I use the ABTC for non-business purposes, such as tourism?
The ABTC is not designed for tourism purposes, but some countries may facilitate entry for cardholders depending on their circumstances. Please refer to the relevant country for individual entry arrangements for cardholders and tourist visits (link).
In addition, the card cannot be used for travel by:
- Students;
- A business person’s spouse and children;
- Persons who wish to engage in paid employment or a working holiday; or,
- Professional athletes, news correspondents, entertainers, musicians, artists or persons engaged in similar occupations.
We hope that this information will prove useful to our readers.