A woman endorses her Hong Kong & Macao travel permit through a self-service machine in Guiyang on April 1. [Photo/www.gog.cn]
The Exit-entry Branch Administration of Guiyang Public Security Bureau welcomed its first batch of Chinese mainland citizens from outside the city to apply for exit-entry permits on April 1. Under previous policies, restrictions were placed so that people had to apply for these permits in the places where their household registration is located.
Following the voice prompts of a self-service machine, Tian Jiao, whose household registration is in Wuhan, Hubei province, successfully obtained her Hong Kong & Macao travel permit in five minutes. "It's really convenient. Previously, it took me nearly three hours to get the permit after a lot of processes," she said.
Chinese citizens residing on the mainland will be able to apply for passports and travel permits at every exit and entry management department across the country, according to the latest policies, which took effect on April 1.
To date, eight access points are available for people in Guiyang, capital city of Guizhou province, to apply for exit-entry permits.
"With the improvement of living standards, the demand for people to apply for passports or travel permits is more diverse. The new policies lifted restrictions of different regions and groups of people, simplifying the applying and processing procedures. Chinese mainland citizens do not have to submit residence permits, employment certificates, and other materials," said Duan Fengtian, director of the Exit-entry Branch Administration of Guiyang Public Security Bureau.
Duan said that the new policies have further expanded the processing channels for tour groups to apply for travel permits to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. They are able to get travel permits at public service windows or through self-service machines.
Meng Limei, an employee of Guizhou Overseas International Travel Agency, instantly enjoyed the benefits from the new policies. She had more than 30 Hong Kong & Macao travel permits endorsed in just a single morning, and tourists of the tour group come from inside and outside the province.
To date, 13 24-hour self-service machines have been put into use in Guiyang.
In addition, the government affairs service platform of the National Immigration Administration will be put into operation simultaneously. The platform can provide 24-hour online service for the Chinese mainland citizens to deal with exit-entry matters through service websites, the National Immigration Administration's app, and third-party platforms.
Zhao Yandi contributed to this story