Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Begins Acceptance of Digital ABTC Applications

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has digitalized the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) and started accepting applications from April 1.

The ABTC allows short-term business travelers from participating Asia-Pacific countries/regions to undergo immigration inspection without a visa and to use a dedicated lane during immigration inspection. Japan has been implementing and issuing this system since 2003.

With the new system, applications are made through input on a dedicated website and file attachment; a fee payment requires the mailing of revenue stamps. After domestic approval is completed, the card is issued immediately and displayed in real-time on the app after approval by each country/region. There is no worry about losing the card. Depending on the conditions, online applications for reissuance due to a change in passport number are also possible. The fee for a new application has been reduced from 13,100 yen to 13,000 yen. It is also possible to switch from a plastic ABTC to a virtual ABTC.

However, the virtual ABTC cannot be used for travel to Russia at this moment. In addition, the United States and Canada are provisional members and require a visa. In Japan, 1,395 cards were issued in fiscal year 2021, 9,687 cards in 2022, and 25,429 cards up to February in the fiscal year 2023.