Full guide: Applying for an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) in Singapore

With borders reopening around the world, travellers are once again coming to grips with pre-COVD headaches like visa/electronic travel authorisation (ETA) requirements and long queues at immigration.

But what if I told you there was a way of enjoying visa/ETA-free travel and expedited immigration clearance for up to five years, all for just S$100?

All it takes is an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC). 

What is the ABTC?

ABTC Homepage

FAQs

The ABTC is a scheme designed to facilitate the movement of business travellers between APEC member economies, namely: 

ABTC cardholders enjoy two main perks: 

1. Fast-track immigration through special APEC lanes at participating airports
2. Multiple, short-term entries to precleared APEC economies without visa or ETA requirements

Expedited immigration

ABTC cardholders get access to priority immigration lanes at participating airports, which can be either a mild convenience or an absolute lifesaver. Remember, even if you’re a regular First or Business Class traveller, most airports don’t have priority immigration queues for premium cabin passengers!

FYI: Some countries go above and beyond the requirements by having an expedited security lane as well for ABTC cardholders, such as Bangkok.

Visa/ETA-free entry

ABTC cardholders do not need to apply for a visa or ETA when visiting APEC countries. 

For example, ABTC holders are exempt from applying for a K-ETA when travelling to South Korea, or an NZeTA when going to New Zealand. In fact, the NZeTA app was intelligent enough to figure out I had an ABTC, and updated my records accordingly!

For the maximum duration you can stay in each country when entering via the ABTC, refer to this table.

Do also note that the ABTC cannot be used by persons wishing to engage in paid employment or a working holiday, or professional athletes, news correspondents, entertainers, musicians, artists or persons engaged in similar occupations.

While the ABTC is “not designed for tourism purposes”, in practice it can also be used when entering a country for non-business purposes. You should, of course, honestly declare the purpose of your visit when asked by an immigration official. 

Who is eligible to apply?

To apply for an ABTC in Singapore, you must be a Singapore citizen without any past criminal convictions, and one of the following:

1. A bona fide business person representing an economically active business entity; or
2. A member of a professional body (for example, a doctor, lawyer or accountant); or
3. A public officer representing a ministry, government department, economic agency or statutory board, travelling in official capacity.

(2) and (3) are pretty straightforward, but (1) is more open to interpretation. 

Here’s the good news: there’s no minimum travel or minimum company size requirement. So long as you travel abroad for business, you’re eligible to apply for an ABTC.

Where it gets tricky is that unless you’re the director of your company (and can provide ACRA records to support it), you can’t sign your own letter. Support letters must be on the company’s letter head (or failing which, endorsed by the company stamp), and signed by a member of senior management or a HR personnel. 

So it really boils down to the kind of relationship you have with your HR department. Some will sign it without so much as a glance, others will make you jump through every hoop imaginable. Having dealt with the latter before, I can only offer my commiserations. 

ICA provides the following templates (in PDF format) for your reference:

• For bona fide business person
• For member of professional body

Applying for an ABTC in Singapore

ABTC Application

Applications for the ABTC in Singapore are processed via ICA. There is a S$100 non-refundable application fee, and the ABTC is valid for five years or the validity period of your passport, whichever is shorter.

This means that if your passport is due to expire soon, you may want to hold off on applying for an ABTC until you receive a replacement. The ABTC is tied to a specific passport number, so if you replace your passport, you need a new ABTC. 

Processing time is understandably slow, given the number of countries involved. ICA stipulates a wait time of at least 3 months, and in practice I’ve waited 5-6 months for my past two cards. 

To start enjoying the benefits sooner, you can select up to five priority economies for pre-clearance during the application process. Once those five countries have cleared you, an interim ABTC will be sent which you can begin using first.

Strictly speaking, each country does their own pre-clearance and it’s possible you’ll get approved by some countries and not others. In practice though, it’s highly unlikely any individual country will deny you access. You can see the countries which have cleared you on the back of your card.

You can track which countries have approved your application via this link. Alternatively, you can write to ICA_ABTC@ica.gov.sg to check on your application status (provide your full name and IC number).

What about the virtual ABTC?

In March 2021, the APEC Business Mobility Group announced the launch of a virtual ABTC, which is exactly what it sounds like: an app-based version of the ABTC. 

The virtual ABTC is an innovative new method for travelling on the ABTC. It brings the existing Scheme into the digital era, providing the much-valued service on cardholder’s smart devices. The virtual ABTC is a more secure, efficient, convenient and user-friendly service. Importantly, it provides real-time updates, so that a cardholder can immediately benefit from using their virtual-ABTC

-APEC BMG

To date, the virtual ABTC has been rolled out for the following countries:

• Australia
• Brunei
• Chile
• Indonesia
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Peru
• Philippines

Given its fetish for all things digital, Singapore is surprisingly absent from the list. I’m sure ICA is working on it though, and hopefully this will lead to faster issuance going forward.

Conclusion

If you’re a Singapore citizen (or a citizen of any other eligible country) who travels for work, paying S$100 to avoid all visa/ETA fees and immigration queues for up to five years is a no-brainer.

The main issue I foresee is getting someone to sign off on the support letter, assuming you don’t run your own company or aren’t a member of a professional body. But once you’ve cleared that hurdle, waltzing up to the shortest immigration queue every time is one of the best feelings in the world.