ABTC CARD (APEC)

GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION FOR Permission to Use
APEC Business Travel Cards (ABTC)

1. SUBJECTS BEEN ISSUED WITH APEC CARD (ABTC)

a. Entrepreneurs working in state-owned enterprises hold the following positions:

  • Chairman of the Members’ Council, Chairman of the Board of Directors, President of the company; Members of the Members’ Council, members of the Board of Directors; General Directors, Deputy General Directors, Directors, Deputy Directors of enterprises, banks or bank branches;
  • Heads, Deputy Heads of Management Boards of Industrial Parks, Export Processing Zones and Economic Zones;
  • Chief accountants, heads, deputy heads, heads and deputy heads of departments directly related to business, trade, investment and service activities in enterprises; Head of branch of the enterprise.

b. Entrepreneurs working at enterprises affiliated to socio-political organizations hold the following positions:

  • Chairman of the Members’ Council, Chairman of the Board of Directors, President of the company;
  • General Director, Deputy General Director or Director, Deputy Director.

c. Entrepreneurs working at the Vietnam Federation of Trade and Industry hold the following positions: 

  • Chairman, Vice President;
  • Head, Deputy Head, Director, Deputy Director, Head of Department.

d. Entrepreneurs working at enterprises legally established in accordance with Vietnamese law hold the following positions:

  • Owners of private enterprises, Chairman of the Members’ Council, members of the Members’ Council;
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors, members of the Board of Directors;
  • Company president;
  • General Director or Director, Deputy General Director or Deputy Director of the enterprise;
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors, members of the Board of Directors, General Director or Director of cooperatives or unions of cooperatives;
  • Chief accountant, departmental director or department head directly related to business, trade, investment and service activities in enterprises; Head of branch of the enterprise.

e. Cadres, civil servants and public employees have the duty to attend conferences, seminars, meetings and activities on economic cooperation and development of APEC;

f. Chief Representative, Deputy Head of Representative Office of Vietnam Trade Representative in APEC member countries and territories.

2. APEC PARTICIPANTS:

The member economies participating in ABTC include: Australia, Chile, China, Brunei, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Mexico, Vietnam.

3. CONDITIONS FOR APPLICATION OF APEC CARD (ABTC)

1. For agencies and organizations where the entrepreneur is working:

There is a need to send personnel to travel frequently and short-term to attend conferences, seminars, annual meetings and activities on cooperation and economic development of APEC.

2. For enterprises where the entrepreneur is working:

  • The enterprise has operated continuously for 12 months or more, strictly complied with the provisions of law on commerce, tax, customs, labor, social insurance and other relevant laws.
  • Enterprises must have direct business cooperation and signing activities with partners of APEC member economies.
  • There is a need to send personnel to travel frequently and short-term to carry out business cooperation, trade, investment, service or other economic purposes in APEC member economies.

3. For business people applying for ABTCs

  • Being full 18 years old and having full civil act capacity;
  • Currently working, holding actual positions at agencies, organizations or enterprises for 12 months or more up to the time of applying for permission to use ABTCs;
  • Not falling into the cases of temporary suspension of exit as prescribed in Article 36 of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese citizens.

 4. ORDER FOR AND PROCEDURES FOR REGISTRATION FOR APEC CARDS (ABTC) INCLUDING:

Step 1: Prepare documents

For the case a, b, c, e, f For the case d
Required profile
  • The original of the written request for permission to use the ABTC card, signed by the leader of the agency, organization or the legal representative of the enterprise;
Profiles on a case-by-case basis  

  • A certified true copy or a certified electronic copy of the decision to send officials on a business trip;
  • A copy of one of the papers and documents proving the duty to attend conferences, seminars, meetings and activities on economic cooperation and development of APEC.
  

  • A certified copy or an authenticated electronic copy of a commercial contract signed by an enterprise directly or via electronic transactions with a partner of an APEC member economy with a term of no more than 2 years up to the date of registration. Suggested points to use ABTC cards;
  • In case there is no commercial contract, there must be documents proving the need to cooperate with partners of APEC member economies;
  • Enclosed with documents showing the contract, signed documents, cooperation has been performed;
  • A certified copy or a certified electronic copy of the businessperson’s decision to appoint to a position;
  • Report on the enterprise’s observance of social insurance obligations in the last 12 months and the entrepreneur’s social insurance payment process up to the time of requesting permission to use ABTC card, enclosed with supporting documents ;
  • The enterprise’s latest year’s financial settlement report has been approved by a competent authority.
Note
  • If the documents are in a foreign language, they must be notarized or authenticated into Vietnamese;
  • If the copy is not authenticated, the original must be presented for verification and comparison.

Step 2: Submit application for permission to use ABTC

Entrepreneurs submit a set of documents including the above documents at:

At specialized agencies of ministries and sectors, People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, socio-political organizations, Vietnam Federation of Trade and Industry or online via the National Public Service Portal or Portal of public services, branches, People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

 

Step 3: Submit an application for ABTC card at the Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security or online through the National Public Service Portal or the Public Service Portal of the Ministry of Public Security

Within 06 months from the time the competent authority permits the use of ABTCs, agencies, organizations and enterprises shall have to carry out procedures for new issuance of ABTCs. If the above time limit is exceeded, the agency, organization or enterprise is responsible for requesting the competent authority to re-issue a document permitting the businessman to use the ABTC card.

Records include:

  • The application form for ABTC card according to form TK06;
  • 02 recent photos, size 3cm x 4cm, bare head, straight face, no glasses, white background;
  • The original of the written request for issuance of ABTCs, signed by the leader of the agency, organization or the legal representative of the enterprise, using form CV02 in the Appendix;
  • The original document permitting the use of the card issued by the competent authority.