Hong Kong permanent residents book up service centre to get new mainland travel permit
- Online phase of application process for multi-entry travel permit launched on July 1, but in-person appointments only available from Wednesday
Bookings at a Hong Kong Island centre offering registration for a new five-year multi-entry mainland China travel permit for the city’s permanent residents with foreign passports are full for the first three weeks after the policy’s launch last Wednesday.
The Post discovered on Tuesday night that the earliest available appointment at the China Travel Services (CTS) centre in Central was for the afternoon of July 30.
But the CTS website said spots are available at the New Territories West service centre in Tuen Mun for as early as July 12.
The online phase of the application process has been available since the policy was announced on July 1, but in-person appointments at centres to complete the process only launched last Wednesday.
The new permit will allow non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau to visit the mainland for short-term investment, family trips, tourism, business, seminars and exchanges several times for a period of up to five years.
Permit holders can stay for up to 90 days on each trip and have self-service clearance at control checkpoints once they have their fingerprints taken at ports of entry.