Issuance Period Shortened to Two Months... Entry Without Visa
Use of Fast-Track Lanes at Airports, Swift Immigration Procedures Possible
The Ministry of Justice and the Korea International Trade Association announced on the 18th that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card (ABTC), which was previously issued only as a physical card, will be issued in a mobile format starting from the 21st.
The APEC Business Travel Card was introduced in 1997 to promote personal exchanges among businesspeople within APEC member countries. It is issued to businesspeople who meet certain criteria in APEC member countries. Cardholders can enter APEC member countries without a visa and use fast-track lanes at airports, enabling swift immigration procedures.
The countries where the card can be used include 19 of the 21 APEC member countries: Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Peru, Chile, China, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Vietnam, Mexico, and Russia.
Eligible recipients for the APEC Business Travel Card include employees of companies with annual export or import performance exceeding USD 100,000, employees of companies with overseas direct investment exceeding USD 100,000, employees of companies with overseas construction contract achievements, and employees of organizations such as the Federation of Korean Industries, the Korea Employers Federation, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, regional chambers of commerce affiliated with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea International Trade Association, and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business.
The validity period of the APEC Business Travel Card is five years, and the application fee is 30,000 KRW. Mobile cardholders do not need to carry a physical card separately and can check the card status in real time through a mobile application installed on their smartphones. Additionally, immigration officers at airports can easily verify the authenticity of the card through various security features in the application. While the issuance of a physical card takes about six months, the issuance period for the mobile card is shortened to about two months, enhancing user convenience.
The Ministry of Justice and the Korea International Trade Association explained, "With the introduction of the mobile card, it is expected that the convenience of APEC regional entry and exit for domestic businesspeople will be improved and that it will contribute to strengthening economic cooperation between countries."
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