A.  Benefits for cardholders 

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) cuts through red tape of business travel, and gives accredited business people pre-cleared entry to participating APEC economies. Card holders enjoy: 

• pre-cleared short-term entry to participating economies (no need to individually apply for visas or entry permits each time you travel). For information about the period of stay allowed in each participating economy, see a summary at the website of the APEC Business Mobility Group at www.businessmobility.org/key/stay.html; and

• multiple entry to economies that have granted approval through the ABTC pre-clearance system (cards are valid for three years)

Why the card was developed 

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) was developed in response to the need of business people to gain facilitated and streamlined entry to the economies of the Asia-Pacific region. 

The Philippines takes pride in being one of the pioneers, along with Australia and Korea, of the ABTC scheme, which was conceived in 1996 in response to clamors for enhanced business mobility, including facilitated port entries and exits for bona fide business people in the APEC region. 

At present, the Philippines is of one of the seventeen (17) members of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) scheme. The other  members  include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile,  Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, People’s Republic of China, Peru, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Issued only to bona fide business persons, the ABTC works like a visa with a validity of three (3) years or upon the expiry date of the holder’s passport. It provides each holder facilitated entry and exits through special APEC/ABTC lanes at major airports of these participating economies. An ABTC holder, however, is still required to carry his or her valid passport. 

B. Who is eligible 

If you want to apply for the card, you need to be a business person who: 

• holds a valid passport of a participating APEC economy;
• travels frequently to conduct trade and investment activities within the APEC region; and
• has never been convicted of criminal offense; and
• qualifies to hold an ABTC in accordance with the eligibility  criteria, as determined by ABTC-Philippines.

C. How to Apply 

If you are a Philippine passport holder and wish to apply for an ABTC, you may coordinate with either of the following three (3) business organizations which will, consistent with their respective criteria and guidelines, endorse your application to ABTC Philippines:

D.  Procedure 

The application, together with its supporting documents, may be filed either with the PCCI, MBC or PHILEXPORT. If the application and its supporting documents are found in order, it will be endorsed by the sponsoring business organizations to ABTC-Philippines (Visa Division-DFA).  A processing fee is charged by PCCI, MBC or PHILEXPORT for ABTC applications. 

ABTC-Philippines will conduct an evaluation and screening of the applications forwarded by the endorsing business organization to determine whether the applicant is eligible to apply for and hold an ABTC in accordance with the ABTC Operating Framework as agreed upon by all ABTC participating economies. 

If the documentation is incomplete or the applicant is found not qualified and eligible to hold an ABTC, ABTC Philippines will refer the application back to the endorsing business organization.  

E. Standard Documentary Requirements 

1.      Accomplished ABTC Application

2.      Copy of passport(s) including pages with visa stamps/stickers and departure/arrival stamps proving that applicant is a frequent traveler within the APEC region

3.      Bureau of Immigration and National Bureau of Immigration Certificates/Clearances

4.      Certificate of Membership (MBC/PCCI/PHILEXPORT)

5.       Resume/Curriculum Vitae (to include a statement of the  basis/justification of the request for an

6.       ABTC)

7.      Employment or Company Certificate (to include current position, duties and responsibilities within the company)

8.      Company Profile (to specifically include):

a)      total capitalization

b)      organizational chart

c)      name(s), address(es) and  telephone(s)/fax(es) and e-mail(s) of business partner(s) in the APEC region

d)      past and current  business activity in the APEC region

e)      annual volume  (in peso or dollar) of  past and current transactions with business  partners  in APEC).

f)        Other pertinent information to justify issuance of an ABTC:

Notes: 

1. Travel frequency within the APEC region at the time of application is taken to mean that the applicant regularly travels, at least three (3) times a year, within the territory of ABTC participating economies, for business, not for purely tourism, purposes.

2. ABTC-Philippines may limit the number of ABTC issuance for officials representing one company, depending on the company size, capitalization or type (e.g. family-owned.). 

3. ABTC-Philippines reserves the right to require additional documents necessary to establish applicant’s eligibility.

Further information

General information on APEC and travel within the APEC region may be obtained from: 

-the APEC Business Mobility Group website;
-the APEC Secretariat website;
-the APEC Travel Handbook which details visa and entry requirement for the region

F.   Application form 

You can download application form by clicking here  (PDF file, 1.04 MB). 

(Please print the document back to back on a colored printer with Legal size, 8.5 x 13 paper)
 

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Scheme 

What is the card? 

The size of a credit card, the ABTC gives accredited business people streamlined entry to participating economies. This occurs through simple pre-clearance system that allows business people, through a single application, to obtain multiple short-term entry permits to these economies. 

The card means an end to the time-consuming need to apply for visas or entry permits and an end to a long airport queues on entry/exit. 

Card holders enjoy: 

• pre-cleared entry to participating APEC economies (no need to apply for visas or entry permits);
• multiple short-term entry to these economies; cards are valid for three (3)  years or the life of the  holder’s passport;
• faster immigration processing on arrival; and
• entry and exit through special APEC lanes at major airports

Who is eligible? 

Business people who: 

• are passport holders of participating economies
• travel regularly to conduct trade and investment activities in those economies
• have not been convicted of criminal offense
• qualify under the ABTC eligibility criteria as determined by ABTC Philippines

There are sixteen (16) participating economies of the ABTC scheme. These include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, Peru, Singapore and Thailand and Vietnam. 

Each member maintains the right to determine who will enter its economy and to preserve existing conditions of entry. 

The card does not replace a passport; cardholders will still need to carry their passports when they travel. 

How to apply 

If you are a Philippine passport holder, you may coordinate with either of the following three (3) business organizations which will, consistent with their respective criteria and guidelines; endorse your application to ABTC Philippines:  

Further information 

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