China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore agreed to the extension at the APEC Business Mobility Group meeting in Dalian, but no shared effective date has been announced
![Five APEC economies to allow 90-day business stays]()
China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore have agreed to raise the permitted stay for APEC Business Travel Card holders from the current 60-day cap to 90 days per visit. The agreement emerged from the Second Meeting of the APEC Business Mobility Group, convened in Dalian, China, on August 23 and 24, 2026, according to a statement published by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 27, 2026.
No common effective date has been set. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that each of the five economies will independently decide when to activate the longer stay allowance. ABTC holders planning travel to any of these five destinations should continue observing the 60-day limit until the relevant national or territorial authority formally implements the change.
Once activated, the extension will close the gap between these five economies and other ABTC participants, where 90-day business visits are already standard. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for example, already confirms that pre-cleared ABTC holders may remain in Japan for up to 90 days per visit. directly with the nearest Malaysian diplomatic mission or through the official MyVISA portal.
What is the APEC Business Travel Card?
The APEC Business Travel Card is a pre-clearance travel document designed to simplify short-term business travel across the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region. Holders who have been pre-cleared by a given economy can enter that destination for business purposes without obtaining a separate visa or entry permit each time they travel.
The card supplements rather than replaces a passport. ABTC holders are still required to present a valid travel document at immigration and comply with the entry rules of whichever economy they are visiting.
Each ABTC is valid for up to five years from the date of issue. The specific economies that have granted pre-clearance to an individual cardholder are printed on the back of that person's card. Only those listed economies will allow the cardholder visa-free business entry.
ABTC holders also gain access to dedicated fast-track immigration lanes at major airports across all 21 APEC member economies, including transitional members. This benefit applies on both arrival and departure.
Which APEC economies fully participate in the ABTC program?
Nineteen of the 21 APEC member economies fully participate in the ABTC scheme: Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Cardholders with pre-clearance from any of these 19 economies can enter for short-term business visits without a separate visa. The maximum permitted stay varies by destination, ranging from 60 to 90 days per visit, depending on the individual economy's rules.
The two remaining APEC economies, Canada and the United States, participate only as transitional members. Cardholders traveling to either country must still obtain a visa or travel authorization through normal channels. The ABTC provides only fast-track immigration lane access in Canada and the United States, not visa-free entry or pre-clearance.
When does the 90-day stay take effect in these five economies?
No specific effective date has been announced for any of the five economies. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated only that the timeline will be set individually by each participating economy.
This means China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore may each activate the 90-day allowance on different dates. Approximately 60 delegates from 20 APEC economies attended the Dalian meeting, which followed the theme of the APEC "China Year" focused on regional economic cooperation.
Until each economy formally confirms the change, the current 60-day maximum continues to apply for all ABTC visits to China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Travelers should monitor announcements from their destination's immigration authority rather than assuming the longer stay is already in force.
Can ABTC holders stay 90 days in every APEC economy?
Holding an ABTC does not guarantee a 90-day stay in every participating economy. Entry conditions, including the maximum permitted length of stay, are set individually by each of the 19 fully participating economies. The stay an ABTC holder receives depends on which economy they are visiting and whether that economy has granted them pre-clearance.
| Economy group |
ABTC stay limit |
Visa-free entry |
| China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore |
Currently 60 days (moving to 90 days, date TBD) |
Yes, with pre-clearance |
| Japan, Australia, and most other full participants |
Up to 90 days |
Yes, with pre-clearance |
| Canada, United States (transitional members) |
N/A |
No. Standard visa rules apply |
The ABTC is strictly a short-term business travel credential. It does not confer residency rights, permission to take up local employment, or the ability to settle permanently in any participating economy. Each economy also retains the right to set its own eligibility requirements for ABTC applicants, and the pre-clearance process involves background screening by every economy the applicant wishes to visit.
