The National Immigration Administration has announced ten new measures to support high-level opening-up and high-quality development. Among them, six measures will take effect starting Wednesday, including the expansion of the pilot scheme for multi-entry talent permits to Hong Kong and Macao.
The policy will now apply to the entire Yangtze River Delta, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and all national pilot free trade zones. Eligible talents in these regions can apply for multi-entry permits valid for 1 to 5 years to travel to Hong Kong or Macao, with each stay limited to no more than 30 days.
In addition, facial recognition smart clearance systems will be promoted at major ports, including Huanggang, Luohu, Liantang, Futian, and Wenjindu, as well as Hengqin in Zhuhai and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB).
Meanwhile, five additional ports—HZMB, West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, Guangzhou Pazhou Passenger Port, Hengqin, and Zhongshan Port—will be included as designated ports for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, expanding the total number of eligible ports from 60 to 65.
According to the announcement, citizens from 55 countries eligible for the visa-free transit policy may enter China without a visa via any of the 65 designated open ports across 24 provinces, provided they carry valid international travel documents and onward tickets with confirmed dates and destinations. They may stay within the permitted areas for up to 240 hours.
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