China extends five-year visas to foreign permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau

Foreigners who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau and are looking to visit mainland China can apply for multiple-entry travel visas with validity of five years, China's National Immigration Administration said on Monday.

From July 10, foreign permanent residents of the two Chinese-ruled cities will be eligible to apply for such visas to enter the mainland, according to the administration.

Each stay shall not exceed 90 days.

Foreigner permanent residents intending to work, study, or engage in news reporting on the mainland, must apply for other visas or residence permits, the administration said.

The move, announced on the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to Chinese from British rule, is one of many steps taken since China reopened its borders post-COVID to woo back foreign tourists and business travellers.

The special travel permit is also a reward for foreigners who are permanent residents in Macau and more so for Hong Kong, whose international appeal has waned due to criticism over the city's handling of the pandemic and Beijing's crackdown on street protesters in 2019-2020.