Hong Kong and Macao residents will be able to apply for the reissuance of the Mainland Travel Permit directly in the mainland starting October 10, authorities said on Monday. 

(File photo: Xinhua)

The Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, or “Home Return Permit”, is a legal entry-exit document for Hong Kong and Macao residents to travel to and from the mainland and is proof of identity for Hong Kong and Macao residents in the mainland. But the document can only be reissued in Hong Kong and Macao.

With the new policy in place, applying for the travel permit can be handled in all exit and entry organs above the county level in the mainland with the same procedures as in Hong Kong and Macao. The time for an applicant to receive a new travel permit has also been reduced to 7 business days.

Statistics show that 215 million people from Hong Kong and Macau traveled to and from the mainland in 2019, 2.5 times the number in 1996 before the reunification. The new policy can save travel costs of 180 million yuan ($26.4 million) for Hong Kong and Macao residents a year.

(Comipiled by Shi Yuanhao)