The visa-free period of stay in Hong Kong for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Business Travel Card holders will be extended from 60 days to 90 days from Sunday.

To enjoy the visa-free stay, cardholders must have obtained pre-clearance from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The APEC Business Mobility Group recently announced that five participating economies of the ABTC Scheme – the People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; the Philippines; and Singapore – will extend the maximum stay for visiting ABTC holders to 90 days to enhance the card’s effectiveness.

While each of the five economies will determine its own implementation timeline, the mainland will roll out the new arrangements on Sunday, according to the Immigration Department.

“In line with our country’s implementation date, with effect from Nov 1 this year, ABTC holders who have obtained pre-clearance from the HKSAR will have their maximum visa-free period of stay in the HKSAR extended from 60 days to 90 days,” an immigration department spokesman said.

Other immigration arrangements regarding the entry of holders of the ABTC, which is normally valid for five years, into the HKSAR will remain unchanged.

Hong Kong residents holding a permanent Hong Kong identity card and a valid national passport are eligible to apply for an ABTC. Applicants must be bona fide business persons who need to travel frequently to APEC economies for short-term business visits, have no criminal record and have never been refused entry to any of the participating economies.

ABTC holders may also use the special service lanes at selected control points of the participating economies for speedy immigration clearance.

Apart from the HKSAR and China, 17 APEC economies currently participate in the scheme. They are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Vietnam.

In addition, the United States and Canada are transitional members of the ABTC program, and do not process pre-clearance applications referred by other participating economies, the immigration department said, adding that ABTC holders are still required to meet relevant entry requirements, including applying for necessary visas, if applicable.