APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Application — 4 Visits in 2 Years, Cards per Company, 5-Year Validity

Procedure

1. 1. Check eligibility and company requirements

   The applicant must need to travel frequently to APEC member economies for business, for example 4 or more visits in the last 2 years. The company must meet one of the requirements in Article 3 of the regulation, such as holding a trade business number with annual exports or imports of USD 100,000 or more in the previous or current year, overseas direct investment of USD 100,000 or more, or an overseas construction license with contract records. The applicant must be an executive of that company or a staff member in charge of import-export or overseas investment.

2. 2. Confirm the number of cards per company and prepare the applicant list

   The number of cards is based on headcount by corporate registration (business registration for sole proprietors). Companies with fewer than 20 employees may receive 2 or fewer, 20 to fewer than 50 employees 5 or fewer, 50 to fewer than 100 employees 10 or fewer, and 100 to fewer than 500 employees 20 or fewer, with larger limits for larger companies. Employees posted to overseas subsidiaries, branches or liaison offices can be counted as staff of the Korean parent company, so the list should include existing card holders as well.

3. 3. Prepare the application form and personal, company and sector documents

   Each applicant prepares the application in Form 1, a passport photo, a consent form for collection, use and third-party provision of personal information, a pledge, a passport copy with the back digits of the resident registration number removed, and a criminal record certificate. The company submits a recommendation request, an applicant list and employment confirmation, a list of card holders, a copy of the business registration certificate and a withholding tax return, and attaches sector documents such as an export-import performance certificate for trading companies or an overseas direct investment report and foreign currency remittance confirmation for investing companies. Names, positions and passport details are checked to match across all documents.

4. 4. Filing with the Incheon Airport Immigration Office and member approval

   The application is submitted to the issuing authority, the Incheon Airport Immigration Office, and the applicant is verified through an email address in the applicant's name. The office reviews the documents and any departure restrictions or grounds for refusal, then enters the data into the ABTC system and requests approval from each member economy, so approval timing differs by economy. The office may request additional materials or inspect the business if needed.

5. 5. Reissuance and reporting after issuance

   The card is valid for 5 years from issuance, and if the holder gets a new passport or changes the verification email, reissuance is applied for with the Form 3 application. If the card or the phone holding the mobile card is lost, a loss report is filed within 14 days. If status changes through retirement, dismissal, or a merger or split of the company, it must be reported within 14 days and any physical card returned.

Required documents

• Application for the APEC Business Travel Card (Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Form 1)
• Passport photo (3.5cm wide, 4.5cm high)
• Consent form for collection, use and third-party provision of personal information, and pledge
• Passport copy with the back digits of the resident registration number removed
• Criminal record certificate
• Company documents: recommendation request, applicant list and employment confirmation, list of card holders, copy of business registration certificate or unique number certificate, withholding tax return (tax payment certificate for one-person companies)
• Sector documents: export-import performance certificate, overseas direct investment report and foreign currency remittance confirmation, overseas construction contract certificate, or foreign-invested company registration certificate, as applicable
• Letter of authorization (when filed by an agent)

Fees

Industry range of several hundred thousand won · We provide a quote after consultation depending on the number of applicants, the type of company requirement and whether a physical card is also requested. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 2
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 3
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 4
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 5
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 6
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 7
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 8
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 11
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 12
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Article 13
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Annex 1
• Regulation on the Issuance and Management of the APEC Business Travel Card, Addenda (Ministry of Justice Directive No. 1576), Article 2

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-12

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• A person who submitted false documents to obtain or try to obtain a card and the head of that company, or a person who used a card outside its purpose and procedures or used an invalid card, may be barred from issuance for 3 years from the date the fact becomes known.
• If the holder loses the status held at application through retirement, dismissal or similar, the card becomes invalid, and failing to report within 14 days or to return a physical card may bar both the holder and the company head from issuance.

Frequently asked questions