apec business travel card (abtc)

• Entering, Transiting and Departing

APEC Business Travel Card

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card is a scheme designed to facilitate the movement of business travellers between APEC member economies.

Singapore citizens may apply for the card if they do not have any past criminal convictions, and are:

• A bona fide business person representing an economically active business entity; or
• A member of a professional body (for example, a doctor, lawyer or accountant); or
• A public officer representing a ministry, government department, economic agency or statutory board, travelling in official capacity.

Singapore citizens with a valid passport and the issued APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) may use the ABTC as a multiple-journey visa that enables expedited immigration clearance through designated lanes in the following participating economies:

If you travel to the US or Canada with an ABTC, you will be subjected to the standard immigration clearance processes; however, you may use ‘fast track’ immigration lanes (currently designated for airline crew) at major international airports*.

*The designated airports in Canada are:

• Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Halifax Stanfield International Airport
• Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
• Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
• Toronto Pearson International Airport (Terminals 1 and 2)
• Vancouver International Airport
• Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

You will need to provide original documents and official translations (for documents in languages other than English), as well as copies of the documents for ICA to retain.

ICA accepts:

• Translations provided by the embassy of the country that issued the document
• Translations produced by a notary public in Singapore or the country that issued the document
• Privately created translations attested by the embassy of the country that issued the document, or notarised by a notary public in Singapore or the country that issued the document.

ICA does not endorse any private translation companies or entities. Insufficient documentation may result in non-acceptance of your application. You may be required to provide additional documents to support your application.

You will need the following to apply for an ABTC using e-Service :

• Your recent passport-sized, digital, colour photograph taken within the last three months. Please see Photo Guidelines for information on photo requirements.
• Scanned signature image file:- in JPEG format ('jpg' extension)  - Preferred dimension of 250 x 220 pixels  - File size of less than 60 KBytes
• Scanned copy of a letter of authorisation or support from the organisation:- in JPEG format ('jpg' extension) or PDF format  - File size of less than 1 MB ( sample supporting document )- If the letter of support is self-signed, please provide a scanned copy of your ACRA Business Profile
• For members of professional bodies who are applying for the ABTC in their personal capacity, a letter  stating the reason for application, along with proof of membership from the professional body must be provided
• If you are applying as part of an overseas company, you must submit a scanned copy of the company's overseas business registration certificate written in any of the four official languages (English, Mandarin, Tamil or Malay).
• Valid Singapore passport.

Login to our e-Service  using your Singpass 2FA to complete the online application form.

If your ABTC has expired or there is a change in your passport details, you would need to submit a new application online. If your passport is expiring, or you have a pending passport application, please apply for a new ABTC after you have collected your replacement passport.

A non-refundable S$100 fee is payable.

Payment can be made using either:

• Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card
• American Express (AMEX) credit card
• Internet Direct Debit (DBS/POSB, OCBC, UOB and Standard Chartered Bank internet banking accounts in Singapore)

You may wish to save your receipt after you have made payment, as it will not be emailed to you automatically.

The processing time for an ABTC is at least three months upon the receipt of the application. In some cases, it may take up to a year to secure pre-clearance from all ABTC-participating economies.

The clearance of your ABTC is dependent on other APEC economies' processing times. As several APEC economies have just resumed normalcy after disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the issuance of your interim and/or your final card may be delayed.

You may wish to check the approval status of your application via https://www.abtc-aps.org/abtc-core/status/check.html , 3 to 4 weeks after the approval of your application. Do select "Singapore" as the Economy of Application and key in the applicant's passport number to check.

Should you have any ABTC-related enquiry, you may reach out to us via  https://go.gov.sg/abtc-enquiry .

Related Links

• Advice for Singapore Citizens
• Apply/Renew a Singapore Passport
• Photo Guidelines
• Document: Specimen Letter for ABTC application (from supporting organisation) (PDF, 262KB)
• Document: Specimen Letter for ABTC application (for members of professional bodies) (PDF, 6KB)
• e-Service: ABTC
• Payment/Refund FAQs

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• National Media Release

CBP Announces APEC Business Travel Card Program

WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced that it will publish an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register to establish the U.S. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card Program (ABTC).  The U.S. APEC Business Travel Card Program is a voluntary program to facilitate travel for U.S. citizens engaged in verified business in the APEC region and U.S. government officials engaged in APEC business. In order to participate, applicants must also be members of a CBP trusted traveler program such as Global Entry, SENTRI or NEXUS, meaning they will go through or have already undergone a thorough vetting process including a review of all relevant national security and criminal databases prior to enrollment.  The U.S. APEC Business Travel Card will enable access to fast-track immigration lanes at participating foreign APEC member airports. The Interim Final Rule will be open for public comment for 30 days. 

“Expedited entry benefits that come with the U.S. APEC Business Travel Card will allow U.S. businesses to remain competitive with other APEC member companies conducting business in the region,” said Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske.

The ABTC was created through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2011 and the APEC Business Travel Card Operating Framework.  This rule sets forth the eligibility requirements, the application procedures and fee, and the parameters of the program.  The ABTC will enable access to fast-track immigration lanes at participating members’ airports, which is expected to save card holders an average of 43 minutes. Fully participating APEC members may provide “pre-clearance benefits” to card holders of other fully participating members; Pre-cleared card holders would not need to apply for visas or entry permits each time they travel to other participating APEC members. 

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is an economic forum whose primary goal is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.  APEC is comprised of 21 members, including the United States.  APEC’s business facilitation goal is to reduce the costs of business transactions and to help importers and exporters in the Asia-Pacific region meet to conduct business more efficiently.  Facilitating travel for qualified business people within the APEC region contributes to the business facilitation goal, and to free, open trade and investment, and to the U.S. economy.   

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

The APEC Business Travel Card

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) scheme was developed to provide the region’s business community with easier access to other economies in the Asia-Pacific region. The ABTC supports APEC goals of business development, trade and investment through the facilitation of travel between economies.

Currently of the 21 participating economies, 19 are full members which issue cards to their own citizens and provide pre-clearance approval and fast-track lane access to business travellers from other economies [1] . The United States and Canada are transitional members who participate in all aspects of the scheme except they do not issue pre-clearances in advance and instead still require ABTC holders to present at the border any visas, travel or other entry documents that are required for entry. Fully participating economies benefit from a reduced burden on at-the-border security resources because ABTC holders are screened by all economies to ensure they are low-risk travellers [2] .

The ABTC is valid for five years and permits eligible businesspeople with legitimate business travel needs to travel without the need for separate visa applications in fully participating economies and provides access to priority fast track lanes at border immigration inspection facilities in all economies. Thus, the card aims to save cardholders considerable money in terms of visa fees and considerable time in terms of border entry processing. The scheme reduces travel costs between APEC economies by 38% for cardholders [3] . Businesses pay 27% less in application fees and 52% less in immigration processing. This increases the ability of businesspeople to travel internationally [4]

Video Credit: APEC Secretariat

Photo Credit: APEC Secretariat

Context-development of the APEC Business Travel Card 

Australia, Korea, and the Philippines were the three original members of the scheme when it was first trialled in 1997. The ABTC aimed to support APEC’s objectives of regional economic integration and the facilitation of regional trade and investment by reducing the costs of cross-border trade and the movement of people across borders. It is this strong alignment with APEC’s objectives that encouraged economies to support the scheme initially.

The design of the ABTC scheme also allowed economies to signal interest and agree in principle to the scheme without needing to sign up initially. Economies with hesitations around the scheme or domestic regulation which hindered immediate participation were able to monitor the progress of the scheme and sign up when the economy was comfortable to do so. Early adopters of the scheme tended to be economies that already had high levels of visa free arrangements which meant the risk to sign up for the scheme was reduced. However, this also meant that initial participation in the scheme from those economies was lower as there was less need for a citizen to apply for a card if the economy they were travelling to already allowed visa free access. In comparison, economies which viewed the scheme as a greater threat to border security waited to observe the success of the scheme before signing up but found greater value in participation.

Some economies were able to join the scheme quicker than others. For economies like Peru, who approved its incorporation into the scheme in 2000, a coordinated effort was required between relevant domestic authorities to create regulation so that the economy would be able to participate in the scheme. It was officially implemented in 2003. Included in this regulatory change was the necessary work on how Peru would decide the criteria for a businessperson, determining who would be eligible for the scheme. The ABTC Operating Framework maintains a broad definition of a businessperson which ensures economies can offer eligibility and flexibility to a wide range of people under its own domestic laws and policies. Individual economies are responsible for further clarifying the definition which can mean some travellers are ineligible.

There were some reservations with the scheme when it first launched. The criteria that must be met to apply for the ABTC, coupled with the requirement that each economy individually approve the cardholder meant that the approved participants were low risk.

Characteristics of the ABTC Cooperation

To receive an ABTC, applicants who meet the criteria must make a single application to the economy for which they hold a passport or have permanent residence (in the case of Hong Kong, China). If this economy assesses the application as meeting the relevant criteria, the applicant’s details are provided to the other participating economies who conduct their own assessment of whether to grant pre-clearance. When all economies have made a pre-clearance decision, the applicant receives an ABTC that lists the economies to which they have permission to travel. The work is shared between economies as each is responsible for managing the processing of their own pre-clearance applications and no economy has any influence over the processing timeframes of another. The ABTC Operating Framework provides that pre-clearance processing times are expected to be kept as short as possible and that pre-clearance should be completed within 2-3 weeks of economies receiving the request. However, processing of the application can generally take much longer, 3-6 months on average. Applicants are able to receive an interim card which is sent out once the five priority economies that the applicant has self-selected have provided clearance which helped to partially reduce the long waiting times cardholders were experiencing.

Canada and the United States are transitional members. This means they participate in some, but not all aspects of the ABTC scheme. While transitional members do not participate in the preclearance portion of the scheme, they do issue ABTCs to their own citizens so that they can utilize fast-track passenger processing lanes in other economies. The United States offers foreign cardholders expedited visa appointments, when feasible, and access to specialized passenger processing lanes upon arrival.

The ABTC gives frequent business travellers fast-track entry and exit through special APEC lanes at participating airports and, for cardholders of fully participating members, multiple short-term entries to precleared APEC economies without having to make a separate visa application to fully participating members.

Benefits of the APEC Business Travel Card vary between economies

The advertised benefits of the ABTC are attractive for business travellers seeking to regularly travel within the Asia-Pacific region. ABTC holders are able to travel to economies that are full members of the scheme for business purposes without needing to pay for and take the time to submit separate visa applications each time they travel. This reduces the expense for businesses collaborating and trading within the Asia-Pacific region, particularly for those who travel frequently for business.

Separate APEC cardholder lanes at airports aim to reduce waiting times when travelling and provide a smoother experience. Peru and Chile specifically noted businesspeople appreciate the special entry lanes for the quicker transit times through the airport, which makes it easier to schedule business meetings. While quicker movement through airports is attractive for busy business travellers, this benefit is not necessarily guaranteed. At busy airports, cardholders waiting in the specific lane can spend just as long, or even longer waiting to be processed than travellers using the regular lanes. Additionally, infrequent travel by ABTC members through certain airports can result in cardholder lanes being neglected as it is less cost effective to keep the lane constantly staffed. Greater levels of communication and training for border officers has been pinpointed as an effective way to reduce these issues, particularly in smaller airports where ABTC holders are less common.

The popularity of a scheme can depend on the advantages offered to participants. Variations in the extent to which it benefits certain groups can lead to inequal participation rates between economies. In the case of the ABTC, economies which already have visa free travel schemes with a greater number of economies see less benefit from the scheme and tend to have lower rates of participants. For example, Singaporean citizens tend to already have visa free access to many economies so participants in the scheme may use the card mainly for the fast-track lanes at airports rather than for the visa component. In comparison, Peruvian citizens would ordinarily need to obtain visas to access many APEC economies, so the multi-economy visa access provides a clear and valuable benefit to Peru cardholders and the Peru economy as this reduces the need to process individual visas for each entry and exit.

Economies may have different views on the advantages of a scheme, depending on the level of effort required. ABTC preclearance application processing requires significant resourcing, even though economies may not see a reward from this work if the applicants never visit their economy. This is especially an issue for smaller economies such as Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.  In 2014, Papua New Guinea received only 500 cardholder visits and roughly 900 cardholders visited New Zealand [2] .

 Peru noted that large volumes of applications can place a burden on the workforce, especially as it can be difficult to source workers with skills in this area.

Challenges of the ABTC Scheme

A common challenge expressed by both economies and clients is the length of time it takes for cardholders to receive pre-clearance approval from all 19 economies participating in the ABTC scheme. The average length of time for this process is three months, however, longer wait times are not uncommon and in some instances, approval can take up to a year. The ABTC Operating Framework sets an expectation of pre-clearance being completed within two – three weeks of receiving a request.

Although e-Government services continue to expand rapidly across the region as the virtual ABTC is rolled out, ABTC applications remain largely paper-based, which requires economy staff to manually enter all data into the ABTC system. Manual entry increases the likelihood of application errors which will need to be followed up. The increase in the duration of the card from 3 to 5 years has eased some of the resourcing burdens on economies due to the reduced frequency of reapplications.

Other challenges for governments include providing greater application process transparency and support for applicants, safeguarding client data, improving ABTC system functionality, achieving parity in technical capabilities of economies, and clarifying acceptable uses of the card.

There is also a perception that the process of reapplication for a card after expiry is redundant. Current cardholder applicants are less likely to pose any security risks yet further time and money must be spent by cardholders and APEC economies to go through the process again after the expiry of a card. This demonstrates the disconnect between economy processing staff, who view the ABTC as a travel document similar to a passport or visa, and cardholders, who view the card as a convenience that applicants must go through a strenuous process to receive.

Lessons Learned

The Virtual ABTC will be a quicker, more efficient tool for economies and cardholders. The Virtual ABTC was launched by the APEC Business Mobility Group during the APEC Leader’s Week in November 2020. The Virtual ABTC displays a digital version of the card on a mobile application which cardholders can present to enter an APEC economy. Security measures are included in the app to prevent fraudulent duplication and misuse.

On 1 March 2021, Australia transitioned to the Virtual ABTC and now offers it to approved Australian cardholders. While the intention is for the Virtual ABTC to eventually replace the physical version, each economy will determine its own timeline for transitioning. As transitional members, Canada and the United States will not have the ability to access the virtual ABTC at this time.

The developers of the virtual card have used the lessons learned from the physical card to create a card that is more secure, efficient, convenient and user-friendly, particularly as APEC members are looking for safe and effective measures to open up borders and resume international travel.

A major inconvenience with the physical card was the lengthy wait times for using the card. The new virtual card has removed this issue and provides a quicker service. When each economy approves the application, that economy will appear on the app and cardholders will then be able to use the card to access that economy. This reduces the length of time cardholders need to wait between submitting their application and being able to use their card. Peru noted that updated real-time information on the status of the virtual card has been a major benefit.

A benefit for economies is that they will no longer need to expend resources printing and sending physical cards. For Australia, this was a major benefit for transitioning to the virtual card, particularly as Australia used to print physical cards for other economies that did not have the necessary resources. Australia’s transition to the virtual card, and subsequent decision to stop printing cards, has encouraged those economies to transition to the virtual card as well. Chile has also noted that processing times for cards are quicker since its transition to the virtual card.

The new virtual card has the same design as the physical card, to help economies and cardholders understand and feel comfortable using the virtual card. This has meant that economies would not need to spend extra time retraining staff as the process at the border works much the same. While some economies would prefer extra security measures such as QR code, the design team recognised that it would be difficult to install specialist security software across all economies. Peru noted that not all cardholders are proficient users of technology and applications, and this can cause issues in the short term.

To date, the roll out of the virtual card has been hampered due to worldwide border restrictions restricting travel between economies. However, developers are confident that the benefits of the virtual card will encourage economies to transition, and that cardholders themselves will champion this change.

  [1] APEC (n.d.), APEC Business Travel Card Goes Digital , https://www.apec.org/Press/News-Releases/2021/0304_ABTC .

[2] Tetlow, J. and C. Wood (2014), “Supporting Continued Growth in Trade and Facilitation: End to End Review of the APEC Business Travel Card”, Washington: APEC Business Mobility Group .

[3] APEC (n.d.), APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) , https://www.apec.org/Groups/Committee-on-Trade-and-Investment/Business-Mobility-Group/ABTC .

  [4] Part of the information in the case study above has come from discussions with a variety of economies including Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, the United States and others.  

Date :  Finalised in 2022.

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Apec business travel card (abtc) scheme, before applying.

This webpage sets out the arrangement for bona fide business travelers who wish to apply for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Business Travel Card (ABTC) under the ABTC Scheme for travelling within the APEC economies.

The aim of the Scheme is to enhance the mobility of business travellers among the APEC economies, thus promoting business within the region.

The ABTC is plastic and the size of a credit card. It is normally valid for five years Note 1 . The card is good for multiple visits of two to three months to participating economies Note 2  without the need for a visa if pre-clearance has been granted.

For card holders travelling to a participating economy where pre-clearance has been granted, they can use the special service lanes at selected control points for entry and exit clearance and enjoy streamlined immigration clearance upon presentation of the card and their valid national passport. In Hong Kong, card holders are allowed to use "resident" counters where available.

Card holders can use the special service lanes at selected control points of participating economies regardless of whether pre-clearance has been granted by that economy. For card holders travelling to a participating economy where pre-clearance has not been granted, they are still subject to usual immigration clearance process, such as presenting valid passports and where applicable, valid visas.

Card holders travelling to the United States can use the "fast-track" lanes (currently designated for aircrew) for passenger clearance at all international airports in the United States upon entry. However, ABTC holders are still subject to the usual immigration clearance process as applicable to other travellers, such as presenting valid passports and where applicable, valid visas for the United States. Should an ABTC holder require a visa for urgent business travel and find that there are no appointments available for the next working day, he/she may fax the US Consulate General's office at 2147 3586 to request a special appointment slot.

Card holders can also use the special service lanes for passenger clearance at the major international airports in Canada upon entry. ABTC holders may follow signage with the APEC logo to access the lane. However, they are still subject to the usual immigration clearance process as applicable to other travellers, such as presenting valid passports and where applicable, valid visas for Canada.

Note 1: Applications lodged on or after 1 September 2015 will be granted an ABTC normally valid for five years. Applications lodged on or before 31 August 2015 will be granted an ABTC normally valid for three years.

Note 2: The arrangement does not apply to Chinese citizen of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for entry into the Mainland. They should continue to use the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents (commonly known as the “Home Visit Permit”) for such entry. It also does not apply to ABTC holders of Hong Kong (China) for entry into Chinese Taipei.

The APEC economies participating in the Scheme are :

• Brunei Darussalam
• People's Republic of China
• Hong Kong (China)
• Republic of Korea
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• The Philippines
• Chinese Taipei
• Vietnam 

A business person residing in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may apply for an ABTC if he/she:

• holds a Hong Kong permanent identity card and a valid national passport;
• has not previously been denied entry to any of the participating economies;
• has never been convicted of a criminal offence;
• must be a bona fide business person who needs to travel frequently on short term visits within the APEC region to fulfil business commitments.

A bona fide business person is taken to mean a person who is engaged in the trade of goods, the provision of services or the conduct of investment activities. It does not include entertainers, musicians, artists or persons engaged in similar occupations.

To facilitate our referral of your application to other participating APEC economies, please complete the application form ( ID 900 ) in English with your recent colour photograph, and enclosed with:

• a photocopy of the applicant’s Hong Kong permanent identity card (only the side with his/her personal particulars and photograph is required);
• a photocopy of the applicant’s valid passport showing his/her personal particulars, nationality, dates of issue and expiry;
• another identical photograph of the applicant; and
• a letter from the applicant’s employing company supporting his/her application.

The applicant may nominate a maximum of five economies which the applicant needs to visit as a priority when he/she submits the application. The nominated economies will expedite the processing of the applicant’s application as far as possible. Nomination of economies is optional. If the applicant wishes to make the nomination, please complete the "Options for receiving an interim card" ( SF/IM/1609 ) and submit it together with his/her application.

The applicant may be required to submit further supporting documents and information in connection with his/her application when necessary.

Online Application

Click here for online submission of application and uploading of supporting documents.

Other Means of Submission

The completed application form and "Options for receiving an interim card" (if applicable) should be sent by post or in person to the Other Visas and Permits Section, Immigration Department, 7/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

Underpaid mail items will not be accepted by the Immigration Department. For proper delivery of your mail items, please ensure your mail items bear sufficient postage with return address before posting. ( Details )

The current prescribed fee for new issue of the card is HK$540; a fee of HK$210 will be charged for card replacement for the remainder of its validity period. The fee is payable upon collection of the ABTC. The relevant fee could be settled by cash, EPS, Octopus, Faster Payment System (FPS) or cheque. The cheque should be crossed, made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”, properly dated and signed. Application fee should not be sent.

After Applying

Once the receipt of application has been acknowledged, applicant can enquire the application status here  or through 24-hour telephone enquiry system (852) 3160 8663.

After the completion of local processing of the application for ABTC in Hong Kong, the application will be referred to other participating economies of the ABTC Scheme for processing of the applicant’s pre-clearance request. A notification letter with ABTC Application Number will be sent to the applicant’s business postal address. The applicant can then check the pre-clearance status via the ABTC System website by inputting ”Hong Kong, China” and his/her ABTC Application Number. Should the applicant find the pre-clearance results meet his/her business needs, he/she may request for the issue of an ABTC by sending a written request with his/her signature to the Department by post or by fax 2824 1161. The applicant will be informed by letter when the card is ready for collection.

If the applicant submitted "Options for receiving an interim card" upon submission of the application, an ABTC will be automatically issued when all nominated economies have processed the pre-clearance request and a letter will be sent to the applicant for collection of the ABTC.

The applicant may collect his/her ABTC either in person or authorise a representative to collect it on his/her behalf. Upon collection, the applicant or his/her authorised representative must produce the applicant’s original valid passport for inspection if this has not been done when the applicant submitted the application or if the application is submitted online , and submit the applicant’s previously granted ABTC for cancellation (if any).

ABTC is valid for a maximum of 5 years from the date of issue. There is no renewal process. If the 5-year validity has expired or is soon going to expire, the applicant is required to reapply a new ABTC in exactly the same way as an entirely new application. The old ABTC will be cancelled upon collection of the new ABTC. On the other hand, an ABTC may have a shorter validity if the applicant’s passport bears a shorter validity.

When one or more economies approved the applicant’s pre-clearance request after the issuance of his/her first ABTC, the applicant may request for the issuance of an ABTC with the most updated pre-clearance results. Please make the request* in writing with the applicant’s signature to the Department. Such replacement with only updating of pre-clearance results is free of charge.

When all concerned economies have processed his/her pre-clearance request, the applicant still needs to provide a written request for the issue of an ABTC regardless an interim ABTC had been issued to him/her or not.

Since the ABTC is linked to the applicant’s current passport, the applicant is required to apply for a replacement ABTC if his/her new passport bears a different number. Please make the request* in writing with the applicant’s signature and attach a copy of his/her new passport to the Department for issuance of replacement ABTC. A replacement fee will be charged for card replacement for the remainder of its validity period and is payable upon collection of the replacement ABTC. Upon collection, the applicant or his/her authorised representative must produce the applicant’s original valid new passport for inspection if this has not been done when the applicant submitted the replacement application, and submit the previously granted ABTC for cancellation (if any).

If the applicant lost the ABTC or if there is any card damage, please make the request* in writing with the applicant’s signature to the Department for issuance of replacement ABTC. A replacement fee will be charged for card replacement for the remainder of its validity period and is payable upon collection of the replacement ABTC.

* The request for the issue of replacement ABTC with the applicant’s signature can be sent to the Department by post or by fax 2824 1161. The applicant will be informed by letter when the replacement ABTC is ready for collection.

The current prescribed fee for new issue of the card is HK$540; a fee of HK$210 will be charged for card replacement for the remainder of its validity period. The fee is payable upon collection of the applicant’s ABTC. The relevant fee could be settled by cash, EPS, Octopus, Faster Payment System (FPS) or cheque. The cheque should be crossed, made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”, properly dated and signed. Application fee should not be sent.

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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card Fact Sheet

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) Business Travel Card ( ABTC ) provides expedited border clearance for business people travelling to participating APEC economies.

Those economies that are full ABTC member economies provide qualified business travellers with immigration pre-clearance and facilitated entry to participating member economies for a single fee paid to their home economy. The ABTC is valid for a maximum of five years. Membership allows card holders multiple short-term entries into participating economies, and speeds border processing by providing fast-track entry using special APEC lines at major airports.

Both Canada and the United States are transitional members of the ABTC process. The two countries facilitate travel for ABTC holders. Foreign ABTC members must present all required travel documents, including passports, visas and permits for entry into Canada.

What is the Canadian ABTC Pilot?

The Canadian ABTC pilot was launched on June 16, 2014. It allows Canadian business travellers who are ABTC members to use special fast-track APEC lines at major airports. Canadian ABTC holders can also benefit from faster border clearance using trusted traveller kiosks when returning to Canada.

Canadian ABTC holders must obtain and present all required documentation, such as passports, visas and permits, when entering participating foreign APEC economies.

The ABTC is valid for five years, unless the cardholder’s passport and/or NEXUS card expires within the five-year period. If one of these documents expires within this time period, the ABTC will also expire. Members should check the expiry dates on all of their documents. In addition, the ABTC membership will no longer be valid if the card holder’s NEXUS membership is revoked.

Canadian business travellers

Canadian citizens who are NEXUS members who conduct regular business in the APEC region are now eligible to apply for the ABTC. Enquiries regarding the Canadian ABTC pilot should be directed to the CBSA ( [email protected] ).

Enquiries regarding the NEXUS program, go to www.NEXUS.gc.ca .

For general information on the ABTC, visit the ABTC Web site .

Foreign cardholders

Currently, 19 of the 21 participating APEC economies issue ABTCs to their qualifying citizens. These foreign ABTC holders are able to enter Canada using the special service line at Canada’s eight major international airports in the following cities: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Halifax.

When using the special service line to enter Canada, foreign ABTC holders will continue to be required to show the following travel documents to border services officers:

• a valid ABTC;
• a valid passport; and
• a visa if they are from one of these economies: Chile, China, Chinese Taipei (unless holding  an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes the personal identification number of the individual), Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Work permits may also be required depending on the nature of the business to be conducted in Canada.

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Application for APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)

APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) provides business people streamlined entry to participating economies through a simple pre-clearance system that allows them, through a single application, to obtain a multiple short-term entry to participating APEC economies.

Participating economies in the ABTC Scheme currently includes Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, Peru, Russia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Qualifications for an ABTC, among others:

• The company/business entity represented by the business person must be engaged in international trade, and selling of goods or services and investments between APEC economies
• Applicants must have never been charged or convicted of any criminal offense
• Vested with powers and prerogatives to lay down and execute management policies in furtherance of the primary business purpose of the business entity and hold specific authority to negotiate and commit to trade and investment activities (e.g. Chairman, CEO, President, Vice Presidents, Chief Financial Officer, Regional Head and Board members of a registered company); or,
• An official nominated by the CEO, President, or Regional Head, whose work is directly involved in the trade of goods, the provision of services, or the conduct of investment activities when travelling overseas.

Applications may be filed through any of the following Certifying Business Organizations (CBOs):

• Makati Business Club (MBC) 2/F, AIM Conference Center Benavidez St., Legaspi Village Makati City Telephone No.: (+632) 7751-1137, 7751-1138 Fax No.: (+632) 7750-7406, 7750-7405 Email:  [email protected]
• Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) 3rd Floor, Commerce and Industry Plaza (CIP) 1030 Campus Avenue cor Park Avenue McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City Telephone No.: (+632) 8846-8196 loc 113 Fax No.: (+632) 8846-8621 Email Address:  [email protected]
• Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) International Trade Complex Roxas Blvd. cor Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue Pasay City Tel No.: (+632) 8230-5539 Email Addresses:  [email protected] ;  [email protected]
• Passport and ABTC details should be the same.
• Passports generally have to be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel.
• Please report the loss immediately to ABTC-Philippines and apply for a new passport. Requirements for application include a Notarized Affidavit of Loss explaining the circumstances on how the passport was lost or stolen
• As soon as the new passport is issued, inform ABTC-Philippines of the new passport number and apply for the re-issuance of the card. Some economies do not accept cards bearing passport details different from the current passport

• Open Data Portal
• Official Gazette
• Office of the President
• Sandiganbayan
• Senate of the Philippines
• House of Representatives
• Department of Health
• Department of Finance
• Supreme Court
• Court of Appeals
• Court of Tax Appeals
• Judicial Bar and Council
• Bureau of Immigration (BI)
• Bureau of Customs
• Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
• National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

ABTC System

Application - check status - search.

VISA-FREE – Up to 60 days stay period | Business Travel Made Easy | Click here for more info!

Welcome To APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)

The ABTC program was designed to promote ease of travel for investors and business persons traveling for work throughout the Asia Pacific region. As ABTC holders you’ll have pre-clearance privileges, which means you can slide right through customs like a VIP.

Advantages of ABTC

Obtaining visas are a hassle. With the ABTC, you are allowed multiple entries into these countries without having a need for a Visa; VISA-FREE especially for China, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Russia

UP TO 90 DAYS

The participating countries provide a minimum period of stay of 59 days, with some going up to 90 days! It may save you lots of time and money from doing visa runs to the border and back again.

MULTIPLE ACCESS

ABTC enables you multiple access into 19 Countries; Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam & Thailand.

EXPRESS LANES

Long queues typically plague many airports and after a flight, you just want to get in and out quickly. The special entry and exit APEC lanes are available at major airports to facilitate your mobility.

UP TO 5 YEARS

The card has up to Five (5) years validity. No renewal needed for the period. No need to apply for a visa or entry permit, as the card is treated as such. Save cost and time of visa application.

LOW SECURITY RISK

As an APEC card holder, you will be designated with a lower security risk, as you have been pre-cleared by all these countries for travel. Keep your card visible when going through security checkpoints, immigration & customs.

Savings Gained From ABTC

Travel Cost for APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders was reduced by 38% during a 12-months period in 2011-2012 which resulted in a total savings of USD 3.7 million.

Application time and cost were reduced by 43%

Immigration processing time and cost were reduced by 52.4%, application fees were reduced by 27.8%, 91% abtc holders were satisfied overall with the scheme, special access to 19 countries with the abtc card.

An ABTC is literally a card that you keep with your passport. There are an estimated 500,000 APEC travel cards currently around the world. The ABTC essentially gives you special access when arriving at airports within the Asia Pacific region.

The actual ABTC itself is about the size of a credit card. On one side it will list your personal information and on the other, it will list the countries you have been approved to enter without applying for a visa ahead of time.

Our Satisfied Customers

Outstanding service and constant updates from Mr. Marvin! He is meticulous in guiding through the applications! Highly recommend for new applicators! More value-added as compared to the other providers with the same amount paid.👍

The ABTC card has really made my business travels easier. I no longer have to apply for a visa to China, this has saved me a lot of time. Plus with the priority lane accorded to ABTC cardholders – I have been on time if not earlier for my business meetings.

Very good service provided. will keep update on the status of application until successful. will recommend friends to use their service.

Good services provided and keep us updated. Will recommed to my friend

The service is good and they do provide me constant updates on the APEC card status and upon approval, deliver the card to my home. Great job and will definitely refer my friends to engage their services.

Hassle Free application. Great Service & Periodical updates on status. I travel a lot to China for work and getting a visa each time is quite troublesome. With the APEC card, I don’t need a visa anymore to 19 economies – Save time, Save Money!

It is great to receive my apec card from ABTC and thank you for a good service

It is great to receive my apec card as per promise within the time frame given , amd this card will be helpful during my travel over the 19 country , once again thank you

I am very happy to get my Apec card has promised, it was so hassle free, thanks for your prompt response and attention

Hassle-free from submission to receiving the APEC card; delivered as promised. Appreciate the periodic updates. Thanks for the good service.

Very good and efficient professional

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