Hong Kong, Macau residents can apply for temporary mainland travel permits via app

Hong Kong and Macau residents can apply for temporary mainland Chinese travel permits using a mobile app from Thursday, with the policy one of two new measures announced by the country’s immigration authorities to allow for smoother travel.

The Exit and Entry Administration said that residents from the two cities, alongside those from Taiwan, could now apply for the seven-day permits if they had lost their regular papers while travelling on the mainland and needed to fly domestically or go somewhere by train.

The application process could be done instantly using the National Immigration Administration’s mobile app, it added.

Central authorities said the new measure could help prevent delays if someone lost, forgot or damaged their standard permits but urgently needed to travel by plane or train on the mainland.

But the temporary permit cannot be used to cross the mainland’s borders.

The previous system required Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan residents who had lost their mainland permits while travelling to visit public security authorities and file an application in person.