Tips for a Smooth Mainland Travel Permit Application to China for Hong Kong Permanent Residents.
By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law
AJ Halkes
Recently, I applied for a travel permit to Mainland China and discovered a few tips that might make your experience smoother:
1. Have Your Access to Information Letter Ready: Ensure you have the original letter from the Immigration Department before your interview. From online application to receiving it by registered mail took only seven days for me.
Note: If you’re not at home, you can collect the registered letter from your nearest post office, which might add a couple of days.
2. Schedule Your Appointment with Time to Spare: Allow enough time for the issuance of the access to information letter. The Immigration Department suggests allowing up to 21 days.
3. Prepare Necessary Documents in Advance: When filling out forms online, have information from travel documents of relatives, emergency contacts, etc., ready. This will save you time.
4. Double-Check All Information: Ensure all details are accurate, including middle names, Chinese names, if applicable, and other necessary information.
The Centre Process:
Upon arrival, I received a barcode and photographs quickly. There was a modest cost for this service, and the application processing fee was HKD260. The staff at the centre were exceptionally helpful, checking my documents and issuing a ticket number swiftly. The entire process took about 25 minutes, with only around 10 minutes spent waiting.
I left with a form / letter indicating that my card would be available for pick up in four weeks.
I can’t say all immigration department responses will be so swift, or that all centres will be as efficient and effective but my personal experience of the process left me with no complaints at all. Hong Kong certainly gets stuff done efficiently when it puts its mind to it.
Recently, I applied for a travel permit to Mainland China and discovered a few tips that might make your experience smoother:
1. Have Your Access to Information Letter Ready: Ensure you have the original letter from the Immigration Department before your interview. From online application to receiving it by registered mail took only seven days for me.
Here’s the link
https://lnkd.in/gXRfbmAf.
Note: If you’re not at home, you can collect the registered letter from your nearest post office, which might add a couple of days.
2. Schedule Your Appointment with Time to Spare: Allow enough time for the issuance of the access to information letter. The Immigration Department suggests allowing up to 21 days.
3. Prepare Necessary Documents in Advance: When filling out forms online, have information from travel documents of relatives, emergency contacts, etc., ready. This will save you time.
4. Double-Check All Information: Ensure all details are accurate, including middle names, Chinese names, if applicable, and other necessary information.
The Centre Process:
Upon arrival, I received a barcode and photographs quickly. There was a modest cost for this service, and the application processing fee was HKD260. The staff at the centre were exceptionally helpful, checking my documents and issuing a ticket number swiftly. The entire process took about 25 minutes, with only around 10 minutes spent waiting.
I left with a form / letter indicating that my card would be available for pick up in four weeks.
I can’t say all immigration department responses will be so swift, or that all centres will be as efficient and effective but my personal experience of the process left me with no complaints at all. Hong Kong certainly gets stuff done efficiently when it puts its mind to it.