· Area of Law： Taiwan Affairs

· Level of Authority： Departmental Regulatory Documents

· Date issued：12-15-2016

· Effective Date：12-15-2016

· Issuing Authority： Ministry of Public Security

· Status： Effective

Announcement of the Ministry of Public Security
For purposes of further improving the efficiency in issuing and inspecting the two-way travel pass to Taiwan and the endorsement and enhancing the anti-counterfeiting capability of these certificates, the Ministry of Public Security decides to adopt the electronic two-way travel pass to Taiwan (hereinafter referred to as the “new pass”). The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows:
The new pass is a card-type certificate designed and made by reference to the DOC9303 TD-1 Standard of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is embedded with a non-contact integrated circuit chip and to which multiple physical anti-counterfeiting and digital security technology is applied. The personal information of the pass holder and the information about the issuance and management of the pass are printed on its front side, and the information, such as the endorsement of travel to Taiwan, is printed on its back side and can be wiped off and rewritten repeatedly by the certificate-issuing organ. The new pass is no longer affixed with paper endorsement.
II. In accordance with the Exit-Entry Administration Law of the People' Republic of China, upon the approval of the State Council, applicants shall leave their fingerprint information with public security authorities when applying for the new pass. The pass holders who have left their fingerprint information and meet the conditions prescribed by border inspection authorities may use self-service inspection passages to undergo the exit-entry formalities when leaving or entering the Mainland.
III. The validity periods of the new pass shall be five years and ten years respectively. For an applicant under 16 years old, the pass with a validity period of 5 years shall be issued to him or her; while for an applicant who has attained the age of 16, the pass with a validity period of 10 years shall be issued to him or her.
IV. Upon the approval of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance, the charging standard for the new pass shall be adjusted to CNY 100 per pass, while charging standard for the endorsement shall remain the same.
V. When a pass holder leaves or enters the Mainland with the new pass, the border inspection authority shall no longer affix exit or entry verification seal thereto, and the information on the exit and entry and endorsement of the pass holder shall be recorded and managed by the chip and the information system.
VI. A new pass holder shall avoid bending, scraping or immersing the pass in water, or exposing it to strong light, strong magnetic field or superheated environment.
VII. The public security authority of Fujian province shall start to accept and handle the applications for the new pass on a trial basis as of December 26, 2016 and stop accepting and handling the applications for the current book-type two-way travel pass to Taiwan at the same time. Other local public security authorities shall issue the new pass at a proper time.
VIII. After the launch of the new pass, the current book-type two-way travel pass to Taiwan and paster-type Taiwan travel endorsement which are still valid may continue to be used. Anyone who carries a current book-type two-way travel pass to Taiwan which is still valid may either apply for paster-type Taiwan travel endorsement or apply for the new pass.
Annex: 1. Formats of and Instructions on Electronic Two-way Travel Pass to Taiwan and Endorsement
2. Rules for the Code Reading regarding the Electronic Two-way Travel Pass to Taiwan
Ministry of Public Security
December 15, 2016