What are the procedures for issuing ABTCs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs at the Immigration Department?
- What is an APEC business travel card?
- What does the application for issuing APECs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs at the Immigration Department include?
- What is the application form for issuing ABTCs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs?
- What are the procedures for issuing ABTCs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs at the Immigration Department?
What is an APEC business travel card?
In Article 1 of the Regulation on the issuance and management of travel cards of APEC entrepreneurs issued together with Decision 45/2006/QD-TTg, the definition of the APEC business travel card is as follows:
APEC business travel card (hereinafter abbreviated to ABTC) means a kind of document issued by competent authorities of countries or territories participating in the Scheme on APEC business travel card to their business people in order to facilitate their travels to conduct business cooperation, commercial, investment or service activities; to participate in conferences and seminars; or for other economic purposes in countries and territories within APEC participating in the Scheme. ABTC holders, when entering or departing from countries or territories stated in their ABTC, need not obtain visas of such countries or territories.
In addition, according to Article 2 of the Regulation on the issuance and management of travel cards of APEC entrepreneurs issued together with Decision 45/2006/QD-TTg (amended by Clause 1 Article 1 of Decision 54/2015/QD-TTg) as follows:
- ABTCs shall be valid for five years from the date of issue and shall not be extended; In case of expiration, the new one shall be issued..
- ABTCs shall be valid for entry and exit only when they are produced by their holders together with valid passports. Upon each entry or exit, ABTC holders shall be issued by participating countries or territories certificates of permitted stay for a duration provided for by such countries or territories.
What does the application for issuing APECs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs at the Immigration Department include?
Pursuant to subsection 1 Section A Part II Administrative procedures issued together with Decision 6968/QD-BCA in 2022, instructions for preparing dossiers are as follows:
- 01 application form for issuance or re-issuance of an ABTC card (form X05), with confirmation and photo border of the head of the enterprise or the agency directly managing the entrepreneur.
- 02 new photos of size 03cm x 04cm, white background, bare head, straight face, no stained glasses (01 photo pasted on the application form and 01 photo to leave).
- Written permission to use an ABTC of the competent authority
Note: When submitting the application, the entrepreneur must present a valid passport. In case an agency or enterprise sends another officer or employee to submit and receive a card on behalf of an entrepreneur, such officer or employee must present a referral letter of the agency or enterprise, his or her ID card or citizen ID card and the passport of the applicant.
- Number of application: 01 set
What is the application form for issuing ABTCs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs?
The application form for issuing ABTCs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs is specified in Form X05 issued together with Circular 28/2016/TT-BCA as follows:
Download the application form for issuing ABTCs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs here
What are the procedures for issuing ABTCs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs at the Immigration Department?
The procedures for issuing ABTCs to Vietnamese entrepreneurs at the Immigration Department are guided in subsection 1, Section A, Part II of administrative procedures issued together with Decision 6968/QD-BCA in 2022 as follows:
- Step 1: Prepare the application in accordance with the provisions of the law.
- Step 2: Submit the application
The applicant directly submits the application during office hours on weekdays at one of the two headquarters of the Immigration Department - Ministry of Public Security:
+ No. 44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi City.
+ No. 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
The applicant specified in Clause 3 Article 1 of Decision 54/2015/QD-TTg shall contact the competent authority to allow the use of the card.
* The officer receiving the application checks the legality and content of the application:
+ In case the application is complete and valid, an appointment letter shall be issued to return the result to the applicant; requests the applicant to pay fees to the fee collector before the fee collector hands over the receipt of collection to the applicant.
+ In case the application is missing or invalid, the officer receiving the application shall guide the applicant to complete the application.
The applicant can request to receive the results through the postal service and must pay delivery service fees.
Note: Time to receive applications: From Monday to Saturday morning every week (except Tet, public holidays).
- Step 3: Returns the result:
+ The applicant directly receives the results at the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security; When coming to receive the results, the applicant brings an appointment letter and the receipt of money for comparison.
+ In case of refusal, it shall reply in writing clearly stating the reason.
+ In case of receiving results via postal services, the applicant follows the instructions of the postal service provider.
+ Time to return results: From Monday to Friday every week (except Tet, public holidays).
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