How to apply for an APEC Business Travel Card

If you are an Australian passport holder who meets eligibility criteria and would like to apply for a card, you need to:

• complete an application form
• attach a passport photo and a photocopy of the details page of your passport
• provide the department with your business card and ABN and/or business website address to enable us to undertake business bona fides checks.

In some circumstances the department may also require you to provide further documentary evidence to assess your eligibility claims.

Application form

To apply for an APEC Business Travel Card, you must complete an application form. Printed copies of the form are available upon request.
See: Application for APEC Business Travel Card (100KB PDF file)

Application charge

There is a non-refundable charge for this application. Application processing will begin after your payment has been received. The preferred method of payment is by credit card.
See: Business Visits Visa Charges

How and where to lodge an application

To lodge by…	Send your application to…
mail	APEC Business Travel Card Unit International Business Relations Section Department of Immigration and Citizenship PO Box 25 Belconnen ACT 2616
courier	APEC Business Travel Card Unit International Business Relations Section Department of Immigration and Citizenship 6 Chan St Belconnen ACT 2617

Application processing

All APEC Business Travel Card applications undergo two-stage processing:

1. The department assesses the application against all eligibility criteria. When Australian processing has been completed, the department will send you a letter containing your application number and other general information.
2. The department will then send clearance requests to the other economies (this is like a visa application on your behalf). Your APEC Business Travel Card is automatically issued once you have received pre-clearances from all participating economies.

Processing times

To enable the APEC Business Travel Card Scheme to provide maximum benefit to business people, participating economies make every effort to process clearance requests as efficiently as possible. The average processing time is 7 weeks for most economies. Chinese clearances take significantly longer, but a reduction in processing time is expected.

Interim Cards

If you want to receive your APEC Business Travel Card and start travelling, but have not yet received clearances from all participating economies, you may request an Interim Card.

You can also use the application status tracker to check how many economies have already cleared you.

Interim Cards are the same as normal cards in all respects, except that they cannot be used to travel to economies that have not yet provided clearance to you. You can request an Interim Card by email. Please provide your application number, full name and preferred mailing address.
See: APEC Business Travel Card Enquiry Form

Important: The three year validity of your card begins from the date your first (either interim or final) card is issued. When all economies have completed processing your application, your final card will be issued automatically.

Application status

If you have already applied for an APEC Business Travel Card, you can track the status of your application on the APEC Business Mobility Group website.
See: Check Application Status

Passport details

As your APEC Business Travel Card is linked to your passport, you must inform us if you have obtained a new passport since applying for your APEC Business Travel Card.
See: APEC Business Travel Card Enquiry Form

We will then send you a new APEC Business Travel Card with your new passport number on it. Until you receive your new APEC Business Travel Card, you must carry your existing card and old passport, as well as your new passport, when travelling.

Renewing your APEC Business Travel Card

If your old APEC Business Travel Card expires (or has only six (6) months validity remaining) and you would like to apply for another APEC Business Travel Card, you must lodge a new application.

The process for renewing your APEC Business Travel Card is exactly the same as making an initial application. Australia is required to seek pre clearance with each economy each time a new application is lodged. The validity of each new card remains at three years.
See: How to apply for an APEC Business Travel Card