Viet Nam is preparing to grant APEC Business Travel Cards to its concerned citizens as soon as possible, announced the Ministry of Public Security's Immigration Department Wednesday.
Accordingly, Vietnamese APEC Travel Card holders will be exempt from visa and resident registration procedures when traveling to countries honoring the ABTC.
Card holders can use express immigration lanes at airports and are eligible to remain in the country for a maximum of 90 days per visit. The ABTC is valid for three years and cannot be extended.
Over 10,000 foreigners, nearly half of which are Australian, have received permission to enter Viet Nam under the ABTC program since its launch in January 2006, assesses the Ministry of Public Security's Immigration Department.
The ABTC is said to be one of APEC’s most successful programs in contributing to the promotion of cooperation in trade and economics amongst its member economies. The program was first introduced by Australia in 1996 to facilitate the mobility of APEC businesspeople throughout the involved nations.
Of APEC’s 21 participating economies, 17 had become official ABTC members prior to June 30: Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand, as well as Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Viet Nam.
Related link:
Travel Card for APEC Businessmen
