APEC Business Travel Cards: An Overview

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Mobility Group introduced the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) program in 1997 with the aim of facilitating the travel of business people between APEC countries. In participating economies, ABTC holders can enjoy expedited immigration clearance, visa free entry, and in some cases, longer stays. The ABTC may be used only for business travel and not for tourism, social visits or other non-business activities.

Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are ABTC participating economies. As transitional member states, Canada and the United States do not yet fully participate in the ABTC program.  

Expedited immigration clearance

ABTC holders are permitted to use the APEC immigration lanes at major international airports in APEC member countries, thereby avoiding arrival and departure queues at immigration counters.

Cardholders are required to present a valid ABTC with the requisite member country initials marked on the back of the card (e.g. “SGP” for Singapore), signifying the holder is pre-cleared to enter that country.  Travelers must also show a passport issued by a designated APEC country which is valid for at least six months, as well as an onward/return travel itinerary or air ticket.

Visa-free entry

The ABTC is especially useful for nationals who would normally need to obtain a visa prior to traveling to a given country. If the card holder is pre-cleared for entry, as evidenced by the country initials on the back of the card, the ABTC would generally take the place of a business visa and be admitted into the country under that status. While this is generally true, conditions could still vary depending on the receiving country. For example, the ABTC may not be used by residents of mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to enter one of the other two locations, and these travelers will still be required to show the required special travel permits.

Longer stays

Certain countries grant longer stays for ABTC holders than they would receive if using just their passport. In Malaysia, for example, card holders may enter for 60 days, whereas if they received the usual Social Visit Pass, the stay will vary depending on nationality. Likewise, in the Philippines, card holders receive 60 days up front, while most nationalities are granted an initial 30 days on 9(a) visitor status. However, in South Korea, while most card holders receive 90 days, certain nationals receive a shorter stay, such as 60 days for nationals of China, Russia, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and 59 days for nationals of the Philippines.

It must be noted that ABTC applications are personal applications that have to be supported by the applicant’s home government. The approval process by other member countries can also take a long time to obtain. Furthermore, we understand that some countries are more supportive than others of helping their business travelers to obtain the card. Eligibility criteria vary between countries, and business people should contact their home government for details. Individual business travelers (and their employers) should take these factors into account when considering whether to apply for an ABTC.

As Southeast Asia enters the new era of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), it will be interesting to see whether plans will develop for the creation of an ASEAN business travel card similar to the ABTC offering.