The Entry and Exit Affairs Management Department of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau has announced that starting today the visa application for Beijing travelers to Hong Kong and Macao will be changed.

The new visa is more advantageous than the old one in three ways. First, the validity period of the visa is extended and it can be used for roundtrip travel to Hong Kong and Macao twice a year.

Second, if a passport is lost, there is no need now to notify the Entry and Exit Affairs Management Department to cancel the Hong Kong and Macau visas.

Third, children, senior citizens and those working in Hong Kong and Macao can assign a third party to apply for the visa on their behalf.

In the past, the validity period of the visa was only three months for Beijing residents.