China's National Immigration Administration on Monday unveiled 10 new measures to improve exit and entry services.
The new policies include expanding the pilot travel endorsement program for talents to travel between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong or Macao special administrative regions.
Starting Nov 5, the program, previously available to talents only in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, will be extended to the Yangtze River Delta region, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and all pilot free trade zones nationwide.
Mainland professionals eligible for the policy can apply for a travel endorsement for multiple entries to Hong Kong and Macao, valid for one to five years, with each stay in the two SARs limited to no more than 30 days.
Another measure allows mainland residents to apply for family visit permits to the Taiwan region from anywhere in the country. Starting Nov 5, mainland residents planning to visit relatives in Taiwan can submit their application to any exit-entry administration office at or above the county level, following the same procedures as in their place of household registration.
The new policies also expand facial recognition-based clearance at ports connecting the mainland with Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Starting Nov 5, the system, which is already in use at the Shenzhen Bay and Gongbei ports in Guangdong, will be applicable to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Xiamen Gaoqi international Airport, and other major ports.
Travelers aged 14 and above, including residents from the mainland, those (including non-Chinese nationals) from Hong Kong and Macao, and Taiwan residents holding a five-year mainland travel permit, will be able to clear customs using facial recognition for faster passage.
China unveils 10 new policies to improve entry-exit services
