From July 10, foreign permanent residents of the two Chinese-ruled cities will be eligible to apply for such visas to enter the mainland, according to the administration.

Each stay shall not exceed 90 days.

Foreigner permanent residents intending to work, study, or engage in news reporting on the mainland, must apply for other visas or residence permits, the administration said.

The move was announced on the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to the Chinese from British rule and is one of many steps taken since China reopened its borders post-Covid-19 to woo back foreign tourists and business travellers.

The special travel permit is also a reward for foreigners who are permanent residents in Macau and more so for Hong Kong, whose international appeal has waned due to criticism over the city’s handling of the pandemic and Beijing’s crackdown on street protesters in 2019-2020.