Shanghai took another concrete step toward reviving cross-strait leisure traffic on May 15 when all 20 municipal exit-entry service halls simultaneously started processing tourism permits for Kinmen and Matsu. Under the arrangement, Shanghai household-registered residents—as well as holders of long-term Shanghai residence permits—may now walk into any district-level hall and apply for a Mainland–Taiwan Travel Permit together with either an individual-tour or group-tour endorsement covering the offshore Taiwanese islands. The policy responds to steadily rising pent-up demand for the so-called “mini three links,” a ferry network that allows mainland travelers to reach Kinmen or Matsu via Fujian coastal ports rather than flying to Taipei. Before the pandemic, weekend shopping trips and family visits generated more than 1.5 million passenger movements a year; flows remain only one-third of that level.
![Shanghai Exit-Entry Halls Begin Accepting Kinmen & Matsu Tourism Permit Applications]()
For applicants who would like expert support navigating these requirements, VisaHQ can help. The service’s China-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides clear checklists, online submission tools and real-time tracking for Mainland–Taiwan Travel Permits as well as many other visas, saving travelers and corporate mobility teams valuable time.
Shanghai authorities hope convenient, city-wide acceptance points—supported by appointment slots inside the public-security bureau’s online portal—will help the market rebound during the summer peak. Officials emphasise that securing a Chinese exit endorsement is only the first step. Visitors must still obtain an ‘‘entry permit’’ for Taiwan: individual-tour travelers must appoint an approved travel agency to lodge the electronic application with Taiwan’s immigration authorities, while group tourists rely on their organising agency to file collectively and travel as a cohort. Shanghai’s culture-and-tourism bureau has published an updated list of 48 licensed agencies in Shanghai and Fujian authorised to handle the paperwork. Practically, a tourism endorsement is valid for six months and good for a single round trip; once a traveller returns to the mainland the endorsement is extinguished. Those planning to visit both Kinmen and Matsu on separate occasions will need to re-apply. Authorities also remind travellers to leave the islands before the stay period stated on the Taiwan entry permit, and to allow sufficient time for ferries—particularly during the typhoon season when sailings can be cancelled at short notice. For corporates with Taiwan‐facing operations, the policy simplifies short visits by mainland staff to audit suppliers or attend project kick-offs on the islands. Mobility managers should update their travel checklists: employees now have the option to submit Kinmen/Matsu applications at the service hall nearest to their Shanghai office rather than using a single central counter, potentially shaving days off lead times.
For applicants who would like expert support navigating these requirements, VisaHQ can help. The service’s China-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides clear checklists, online submission tools and real-time tracking for Mainland–Taiwan Travel Permits as well as many other visas, saving travelers and corporate mobility teams valuable time.
Shanghai authorities hope convenient, city-wide acceptance points—supported by appointment slots inside the public-security bureau’s online portal—will help the market rebound during the summer peak. Officials emphasise that securing a Chinese exit endorsement is only the first step. Visitors must still obtain an ‘‘entry permit’’ for Taiwan: individual-tour travelers must appoint an approved travel agency to lodge the electronic application with Taiwan’s immigration authorities, while group tourists rely on their organising agency to file collectively and travel as a cohort. Shanghai’s culture-and-tourism bureau has published an updated list of 48 licensed agencies in Shanghai and Fujian authorised to handle the paperwork. Practically, a tourism endorsement is valid for six months and good for a single round trip; once a traveller returns to the mainland the endorsement is extinguished. Those planning to visit both Kinmen and Matsu on separate occasions will need to re-apply. Authorities also remind travellers to leave the islands before the stay period stated on the Taiwan entry permit, and to allow sufficient time for ferries—particularly during the typhoon season when sailings can be cancelled at short notice. For corporates with Taiwan‐facing operations, the policy simplifies short visits by mainland staff to audit suppliers or attend project kick-offs on the islands. Mobility managers should update their travel checklists: employees now have the option to submit Kinmen/Matsu applications at the service hall nearest to their Shanghai office rather than using a single central counter, potentially shaving days off lead times.
