06 January 2023
On 26 December 2022, the Comprehensive Team for Joint Prevention and Control Mechanisms for COVID-19 under the State Council of the People's Republic of China announced the easing of restrictions on international travel to and from China. A day later, the National Immigration Administration of China (NIA) further announced a series of new immigration measures which shall come into force from 8 January 2023. Some of the key changes introduced are as follows
- International Travelers to China will only be required to perform one nucleic acid test within 48 hours before their flight. Those who test negative may board their China-bound flights.
- The HDC-code application requirement will be removed.
- Mandatory nucleic acid test and centralized quarantine requirements upon arrival in China will be removed.
- Bans on International flights and limitation on airline boarding capacity will also be removed.
- Port visa applications and 24/72/144-hour visa-free transit policy shall also resume.
- Issuance of ordinary passports and business/travel endorsements to Hong Kong and Macau for Chinese nationals will also resume.
In the coming days, these policies will be further modified and improved to further ease international travel to and from China and eventually lead to the full re-opening of borders of China by 2023. The normal visa policies that were in effect prior to Covid 19 in relation to business, travel, short-term family visits shall also be resumed gradually.
