The Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration began to handle applications for Taiwan-bound tourism yesterday.

The first group will leave on Friday from Pudong International Airport.

Two local travel agencies can organize tour groups to Taiwan - Shanghai CYTS Tours and the Jinjiang International Travel Service Co Ltd.

Travelers need to supply residency permits and ID cards before the administration will issue passes to Taiwan.

Local tour agencies said the application procedures for subsequent groups, which will set out from July 18, will be different but details have yet to be announced.

CYTS said that as tourists must provide local residency certificates, people holding certificates from other provinces or cities cannot apply for the Shanghai groups.

Tourists from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan must enter and exit in groups. Tourists who don't leave the island within the permitted period will be sent back to the mainland with other tour groups, or by other means, the state tourism authority said.

The first tour group for Taiwan will total 600 travelers including 100 from Shanghai. The tourists will set out separately from Shanghai, Beijing, Xiamen, Nanjing and Guangzhou, and meet up in Taiwan.

They will stay on the island for 10 days, a trip costing 12,888 yuan (US$1,841).

(Shanghai Daily July 2, 2008)