The APEC business travel card – ABTC. How it works and how to get one

Mixing business and travel can be tricky when foreign destinations and visas become involved. Fortunately, trade agreements and regional initiatives can make this kind of travel easier to facilitate.

One initiative out there is something called the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card ABTC. This article will take you through what this is and whether you can get one as an Australian.

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What is the ABTC?

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC is a regional cooperative forum that is held between a range of economies or countries that have interest in growing prosperity and economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region. APEC countries are mainly focused on trade and economic issues in the region and try to facilitate this through initiatives to help the movement of goods, people, investments and services across participating countries.¹

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is one initiative that was implemented to help foster the APEC mission of facilitating trade through allowing more lenient travel rules.. This card is targeted at business owners or those who frequently travel to any of the participating economies This can also include senior government officials.

The ABTC is not designed to replace a passport and must be presented in conjunction when crossing any border, as well as any other requested documentation.²

Which countries are part of the APEC economies

There are 21 countries that are fully participating members of the ABTC scheme. They are¹:

Countries
Australia Brunei Chile China Hong Kong China Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia	Mexico New Zealand Papua New Guinea Peru Philippines Russian Federation Singapore Chinese Taipei Thailand Vietnam

Two of the countries are transitioning members to the ABTC scheme. These economies are³:

• The United States
• Canada

The main difference between these types of memberships is that only fully participating members will offer pre-clearance travel. This means that everyone will need to apply for any applicable visas to the US or Canada before they travel, even though they hold an ABTC.

What are the benefits of travelling with an ABTC card

Some of the benefits of travelling with an ABTC card include to the participating member countries include³:

• Pre-clearance travel
• Fast track immigration at major international airports
• Permission to stay for 60 or 90 days at a time
• Undertake business or facilitate trade
• Access to a Virtual ABTC

A Virtual ABTC (VABTC) is a virtual version of the physical card. Only some countries have made a VABTC available to successful applicants including Australia, Mexico, Peru, Brunei, Chile, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Philippines and Thailand.³

How long is the validity

The validity of the ABTC card varies depending on if you are applying from within a fully participating country or a transitional country. For those from one of the fully participating such as Australia, you’ll be issued with up to five-year of validity.³

How do you get an ABTC

To get an ABTC will vary depending on your citizenship or where you have valid residency. Each country will have their own specific application process. Here is how to apply as an Australian citizen and some differences for foreign applicants.³

Application for Australian citizens vs Foreign applicants

If you want to apply for an ABTC card from Australia, you will be able to apply online through the Department of Home Affairs Immigration Portal by making an ImmiAccount. When you do this you will need to⁴:

• Make sure you meet all eligibility requirements
• Have the required documents ready
• Fill in your personal and business details
• Pay the application fee of $200 AUD

When you apply, you can nominate up to 5 of the participating economies for priority consideration for your application. It can take anywhere from two to three months to be approved.³ To renew a ABTC, it is recommended to reapply around three months before the card expires. You can do this through the ImmiAccount.⁴

Foreign Applicant

As a foreign applicant, you’ll need to prove you are a valid permanent resident in Australia and follow the same steps as the typical Australian citizen takes to apply. If you want to apply from outside Australia in one of the other economies, you will need to provide proof of authorisation to live and work in the region you apply from.³

Eligibility for the ABTC

Not everyone can apply for an ABTC and must meet specific eligibility requirements. The main eligibility requirement is holding a passport of a participating economy.

So if you are from Australia, you will need to provide your Australian passport. All applicants must have a clean criminal record as well and be in one of these professional roles⁴:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
• A regional or country lead of a registered business
• Owner or director of a registered company
• A board member
• Vice President
• Executive, Director
• Senior Manager
• An nominated employee

To support the individual applying, the business or organisation will need to prove their engagements overseas.

What documents are required

You should have the following documents ready to support an application⁴:

• A copy of the passport's bio-data page
• Three other identification documents

On top of this, there will need to be evidence provided of your or the sponsoring business's involvement in trade or investment activities among any of the APEC countries. Some ways to prove this can come in the form of⁴:

• Verifiable Australian or overseas business registration certificate
• Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Registration with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)

You will then need to provide supporting evidence that a business is engaged in trade, services, or investment activities. You can do this with⁴:

• Publicly available product/service information
• Client list of reputable businesses
• Document proving the business office's address in Australia and another APEC economy
• Business licence authorising business operation in an APEC economy

For those involved in a start-up business, they’ll need⁴:

• Evidence of viability and business planning
• Comprehensive market research proof
• Details of products/services intended for trading
• Established client base or news articles corroborating operations
• Financial documents
• Support letter from a recognized business peak body

Those who lodge an incomplete application could delay or have their submission refused and not end up receiving an ABTC.

What to keep in mind

One of the main things to keep in mind is that the ABTC are granted based on the notion that foreign investment or trade is being facilitated. Generally, a ABTC card should not be used for travel for these purposes³:

• Tourism
• Student
• For a spouse or children of a cardholder
• Local employment in a participating country
• Certain occupations that have their own visa

Some participating countries may allow for some of these arrangements.

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Important FAQs

Here are some extra key things to know when it comes to the ABTC cards.

What to do if you lose your ABTC

If you lose your physical ABTC, if you should report the card stolen will depend on the guidance of the country the card was issued in.³ In Australia, it is not necessary to report a card lost as Australian ABTC holders should have access to the VABTC. If you lose access to your VABTC by losing the device that it is on, you’ll be able to log in to a different device to access it.⁴

How to renew your ABTC

You can renew a ABTC via your ImmiAccount. If you still meet the eligibility requirements for holding an ABTC, you will be granted a new card.⁴

What if your situation or details change

If things such as your contact details or employment change, you must advise us using the APEC Business Travel Card Enquiry Form.⁵

In this form, you will need to provide:

• Full name
• Your ABTC application number
• Email
• Passport number
• Address
• Details about your situation

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Sources:

1. APEC forum info
2. APEC ABTC card
3. APEC business
4. Home Affairs ABTC
5. Home Affairs enquiry form

Sources checked on: 14 November 2023