Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau

The Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau (Chinese: 往来港澳通行证), colloquially known as a Two-way Permit (Chinese: 双程证) or EEP (Exit-Entry Permit) is issued to Chinese nationals with residency in Mainland China as a travel document for the sole purpose to travel the Chinese Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The Bureau of Exit and Entry Administration of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security is responsible for the issuing of Two-way Permits and exit endorsements.

Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau
往来港澳通行证
Biometric Two-way Permit (front side)
TypeTravel document
Issued by China
EligibilityChinese citizens not permanently residing in Hong Kong or Macau
Expiration5 years (booklet version and biometric version for children)
10 years (biometric version for adult)
Cost¥80
Exit endorsements are located on the back of the Biometric Two-way Permits.

Due to the "One country, two systems" policy, Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland Chinese residents who are Chinese citizens cannot use their Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau passports to enter their respective territories normally, even though those passports are considered legally valid travel documents. The Two-way Permit is the sole travel document for personal visit, family reunion, business, and other non-government purposes to and from the two Chinese Special Administrative Regions. Exceptions are Mainland residents who are transiting to or from a third country or region, as they can use their Chinese passports when entering Hong Kong or Macau for a stay of seven days.[1][2]

Physical appearance

The new version of the permit is changed to a credit-card sized document, which also contains a biometric chip, and was first introduced in Guangdong on May 20, 2014,[3] and later issued nationally on September 15, 2014.[4] The design is similar to the Taiwan Compatriot Permit but the card's color scheme is in light blue. The personal data are directly imprinted on the front of the card while the back of the card contains heat-sensitive ink which are used to print entry endorsements.

Previous version of the permit is a passport-like booklet format, with a blue cover and the National Emblem of the People's Republic of China in gold. The words "中华人民共和国" (People's Republic of China) and "往来港澳通行证" (Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau) are displayed in simplified Chinese characters. The booklet-type permit has 32 pages for entry endorsements, and the biodata page, with the machine-readable code, is located in the back cover, unlike Chinese passports. All personal data are printed solely in Simplified Chinese, with only the name of the holder transcribed into Pinyin.

Issuing process

Two-way Permits are issued, just like the Chinese passport, by local Exit and Entry Administrations (EEA) of local Public Security Bureaus (PSB) of their places of residence. Mainland residents must apply for a new permit in person, while exit endorsements can be obtained either through the automatic endorsement machine located in EEA offices or by mail for persons residing in Guangdong. Exit endorsements are not issued to a permit with a remaining validity of less than three months.[5]

Types of exit endorsement for Two-way Permit

In general, a Mainland resident who is in possession of a valid EEP bearing a valid exit endorsement (Chinese: 往来港澳签注) may exit Mainland China and land in Hong Kong, with a limit of stay in accordance with the exit endorsement, provided that normal immigration requirements are met. The number of journeys permitted to Hong Kong are stated in the exit endorsement, i.e. single-journey, double-journey or multiple-journey; and every endorsement has a "valid for/until" date, which refers to the expiry of endorsement and shall not be confused with the length of stay. There are six types of exit endorsements issued by Ministry of Public Security:[6]

  • 个人旅游 G (individual visits): valid for 3 month or 1 year, single- or double- journey, maximum 7 days per visit; Shenzhen residents can have a special 1 year multiple-journey endorsement (but maximum 1 visit per week starting from April 13, 2015)[7] This type of exit endorsement is only issued to people who have hukou in certain regions.[8] Since January 28, 2020, issuing of G endorsement is suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
  • 探亲 T (family reunion): to visit a sibling: valid for 3 months, single journey, maximum 14 days; to visit a parent/parent-in-law or child: ibid, or valid for 3 months, multi-entry, maximum stay 90 days.
  • 商务 S (business purpose): valid for 3 months or one year, maximum 7 days per visit. Since February 7, 2020, issuing of S endorsement is suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic.[10]
  • 团队旅游 L (tour group): valid for 3 month or 1 year, single- or double- journey, maximum 7 days per visit. Since January 28, 2020, issuing of L endorsement is suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
  • 其他 Q (other purposes of visit): valid for 3 month or 1 year, single- or double- journey, maximum 14 days per visit.
  • 逗留 D (multiple exits and entries): maximum stay authorized by respective SAR immigration officers.

In addition, 奥运A was a specially-designated endorsement for 90 days multiple exits and entries during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Women who are more than 28 weeks pregnant and suspected to be entering Hong Kong to give birth must show a booking confirmation at a Hong Kong hospital.[12]

Exit endorsements issued to the booklet-type permit are affixed on one of the endorsement pages, similar to visas, while card-type permits have the information stored in the chip. The heat-sensitive ink in the back of the card ensures that the exit endorsements are visible to human eyes and can be re-printed by the special printer after the endorsement is used or invalid.

  • Booklet-type Two-way Permit (issued from 2000 until September 15, 2014)
  • Biodata page of a booklet-type Two-way Permit
  • Type Q single exit endorsement on a Two-way Permit for a stay for up to 14 days

See also

References
  1. Hong Kong Immigration Department. "Arrangement for Entry to Hong Kong from Mainland China". Hong Kong. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  2. "Entry and Exit of Non-residents". Public Security Police Force. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  3. 电子往来港澳通行证 广东明天起试点启用
  4. Guangming Daily. "电子港澳通行证15日启用 使用多项物理防伪技术". gmw.cn. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
  6. "申请往来港澳通行证和签注须知". Archived from the original on 2015-10-22. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
  7. 广东省公安厅出入境管理局 (2014-07-08). "往来港澳通行证"个人旅游"签注".
  8. “个人游”及签证
  9. "內地赴澳門自由行簽注暫停". Metro Radio (in Chinese).
  10. "中华人民共和国出入境管理局暂停办理疫情防控期间内地居民前往香港地区商务签注". National Immigration Administration. 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  11. "国家移民管理局暂停办理内地居民往来港澳地区旅游签注". National Immigration Administration (in Chinese). 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  12. Timatic Accessed July 19, 2013
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