E-pass aids travelers from SARs, Taiwan who lose papers

China's immigration authorities have said a temporary e-travel pass will be issued to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents if they lose their travel documents on the mainland to help them continue traveling by air and rail without delay.

The National Immigration Administration said the new pass, which came into effect on Thursday, can be applied for through its online service platform, 12367, and is valid for one week. Residents can apply for it up to twice a month. Previously, travelers who misplaced their documents had to obtain written confirmation from a local immigration office, often limited by office hours.

The NIA also announced that residents from these regions can now ask mainland immigration authorities to link their travel and residence permits, reducing the need for cross-verification when applying for bank cards or internet access.

An immigration official said the initiative is part of broader efforts to address the needs of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents through innovative solutions. The NIA has worked with more than 20 departments and enterprises, including the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Bank of China and China State Railway Group, to streamline immigration-related processes in transportation, finance and telecommunications.

Hong Kong lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king expressed her gratitude to the central government and the NIA for mobility initiatives benefiting Hong Kong residents. Lee, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, suggested earlier this month that emergency e-passes, currently valid only on the mainland, should also be accepted at mainland-Hong Kong border checkpoints to facilitate smoother travel.

Kingsley Wong Kwok, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, welcomed the new policy, citing the growing travel needs of Hong Kong residents, who made nearly 82 million visits to the mainland last year.

"Many travelers have faced issues such as lost documents, with the federation receiving 170 requests for assistance related to lost travel passes," Wong said, adding that some residents were unable to apply for physical temporary permits outside office hours, leaving them stranded.

Wang Jia-cheng, a piano instructor from Taiwan living in Langfang, Hebei province, frequently travels to Beijing for lectures. He called the e-pass a positive development for travelers who misplace their documents, though he has never lost his mainland travel permit for Taiwan residents during his six years on the mainland.

Wang also emphasized the importance of digitalizing the travel permit, which requires renewal every five years — a process that can take from a week to a month and cause inconvenience, especially for high-speed rail travelers during the renewal period.

"I also hope the validity period of the mainland travel permit for Taiwan residents can be extended," he said.

Virginia Lou, a Macao resident who travels to Guangdong province nearly every two weeks, was among the first to use the 12367 app to navigate the e-pass application process. She recalled an exchange trip to Guangzhou a few years ago when a group member lost his travel permit and was unable to buy a train ticket, ultimately having to take a cab at a significant cost.

Lou said the e-pass is essential but noted areas for improvement in the application process. For example, applicants must provide a mainland mobile number to receive a verification code, which could be difficult for those without one.

"Additionally, the process asks for the expiration date of the physical permit, which can be difficult to verify without the document on hand," she said.