Non-Chinese Hong Kong and Macau residents will be able to travel to China more easily as Beijing eases visa rules to further integrate these two special administrative regions into the mainland. From July 10, long-term residents of Hong Kong who are not Chinese nationals will be eligible to apply for a five-year travel permit.

Currently, Hong Kong residents who are Chinese are able to pass immigration into mainland China through faster channels with what’s colloquially referred to as a ‘Home Return Permit’ card. Soon, non-Chinese Hong Kong residents will also be able to use self-service immigration gates with the new mainland travel permit card.

Mainland China is currently already trialling visa-free entry for travellers of French, Australian, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, New Zealand, Dutch, and Malaysian nationalities – these travellers are allowed to stay in China for 15 days. However, this new card for Hong Kong and Macau foreign residents will not be limited to any nationality or industry, and interested individuals can apply through the China Travel Service. Successful applicants can travel between Hong Kong and the mainland without needing another visa, and for up to 90 days at a time, with a five-year validity period.

Under this new permit, Hong Kong travellers will still not be allowed to work, study, or engage in controlled activities such as news gathering while in mainland China – these will require applying for other relevant visas and permits.