New regulations on issuance and management of APEC business travel (ABTC cards)

APEC business travel card, abbreviated as ABTC card, is a type of card issued by the competent authority of an APEC member economy to its businessmen after receiving consent to allow entry from other economies. other member economies.

ABTC cards come in two forms: hard cards and electronic cards. Hard ABTC cards and electronic ABTC cards have the same legal value.

Vietnamese businessmen have the right to choose to issue a hard ABTC card or an electronic ABTC card.

Conditions to be considered for issuance of ABTC card

1- Conditions for agencies and organizations where entrepreneurs are working: There is a need to send personnel to travel regularly and short-term to attend conferences, seminars, annual meetings and other related activities. APEC economic cooperation and development.

2- Conditions for businesses where entrepreneurs are working:

– The enterprise has been in continuous operation for 12 months or more, and complies with the laws on trade, tax, customs, labor, social insurance and other related laws. ;

– Enterprises must have direct signing and business cooperation activities with partners of APEC member economies;

– There is a need to send personnel to travel regularly and short-term to carry out business cooperation, trade, investment, service activities or other economic purposes in APEC member economies.

3- Conditions for businessmen applying for ABTC cards:

– Be 18 years old or older, have full capacity for civil acts;

– Currently working or holding an actual position at an agency, organization, or enterprise for 12 months or more by the time of request for permission to use the ABTC card;

– Not subject to cases of temporary exit as prescribed in Article 36 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens.

Subjects considered for issuance of ABTC cards

1- Businessmen working at state-owned enterprises:

– Chairman of the Board of Members, Chairman of the Board of Directors, President of the company, member of the Board of Members, member of the Board of Directors; General Director, Deputy General Director, Director, Deputy Director of enterprises, banks or bank branches;

– Head and Deputy Head of the Management Board of industrial parks, export processing zones and economic zones;

– Chief accountant, Head of Department, Deputy Head of Department, Head of Department, Deputy Head of Department directly related to business, trade, investment and service activities in enterprises; Head of branch of the enterprise.

2- Chairman of the Board of Members, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the company, General Director, Deputy General Director or Director, Deputy Director of enterprises affiliated to socio-political organizations; Chairman, Vice Chairman of Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry; Head, Deputy Head, Director, Deputy Director, Head of Department of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry.

3- Businessmen working at businesses legally established according to Vietnamese law:

– Owner of a private enterprise, Chairman of the Board of Members, member of the Board of Members, Chairman of the Board of Directors, member of the Board of Directors; Company president; General Director or Director, Deputy General Director or Deputy Director of the enterprise;

– Chairman of the Board of Directors, member of the Board of Directors, General Director or Director of cooperatives or cooperatives;

– Chief Accountant, Department Director or Head of Department directly related to business, trade, investment and service activities in enterprises; Head of branch of the enterprise.

4- Officials, civil servants and public employees are responsible for attending conferences, seminars, meetings and activities on cooperation and economic development of APEC.

5- Chief Representative, Deputy Chief Representative of Vietnam trade representative agencies in APEC member countries and territories.

Responsibility for using ABTC card

The decision stipulates that Vietnamese businessmen issued ABTC cards are responsible for using the card to travel to carry out business cooperation, trade, investment, service activities or attend conferences and seminars. and other economic purposes in member economies; preserve and preserve the card; Do not arbitrarily erase, delete, modify or falsify the form and information recorded on the card; Do not use the card to violate the law.

Vietnamese businessmen who are granted ABTC cards must respect and comply with the provisions of law on entry, exit, transit, residence and other regulations related to the activities of businessmen in economies. member.

Foreign businessmen using ABTC cards must comply with the law on entry, exit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.

The passport number recorded on the ABTC card must match the passport number in use.

Vietnamese businessmen who no longer work at an agency, enterprise, or organization or no longer hold the above positions must return the ABTC card to the agency, enterprise, or organization.

Immigration control for businessmen holding ABTC cards

The ABTC card is valid for entry and exit from the member economies listed on the card. Each time they enter the country, the ABTC card holder is issued a temporary residence certificate by the member economies according to the prescribed period of those member economies.

Vietnamese businessmen and foreign businessmen holding ABTC cards are responsible for presenting their ABTC cards and valid passports to the person in charge of immigration control when exiting or entering the country at border gates of member economies. .

Businessmen holding ABTC cards are given priority to complete immigration procedures at designated areas at border gates of member economies.