China: Authorities lift entry ban for foreign students with valid residence permits from Aug. 24 /update 50

Event

Authorities in China will allow foreign nationals with a valid Chinese residence permit for study or an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) to enter the country from Aug. 24. Students who have recently been admitted to Chinese colleges may apply for a visa at Chinese embassies at most locations. The relaxation of entry measures for foreign students reportedly applies only to those pursuing long-term academic courses and not short-term vocational training. An entry ban on foreign tourists remains in effect.

Domestic Measures
China continues to implement a zero-COVID strategy nationwide. Officials are imposing stay-home measures, entry and exit controls, nonessential business closures, and public transport suspensions in areas with COVID-19 activity. Authorities can implement lockdowns at short notice, which could result in disruptions to medical care and other basic services, including food deliveries.

Some local governments are conducting mass testing drives for residents as a precaution and require individuals to present a negative COVID-19 test result to take public transport and enter airports, train stations, and subway stations, regardless of the risk level. Some locations have banned interprovincial tours to and from cities and provinces with medium- and high-risk areas. Provincial and municipal governments likely prohibit the entry of people who have been to places with COVID-19 cases in the last seven days and may require arrivals or departing travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test result typically taken within 24-48 hours. In almost all major cities, public transport operators also require passengers to share health code information before boarding mass transit. Officials require facemasks on public transport. Depending on the severity of COVID-19 activity, authorities could halt public transport, including air travel, and restrict residents from departing cities where outbreaks occur.

The central government classifies districts and neighborhoods as high-, medium-, or low-risk areas depending on COVID-19 activity. Individuals residing in or with recent travel history to high- and medium-risk areas face travel, movement, and gathering restrictions. Authorities have locked down specific communities in these locations, requiring residents to remain in their homes and undergo multiple rounds of COVID-19 testing. Officials may permit some people to depart affected communities with a negative COVID-19 test result. Officials will continue to erect roadblocks and checkpoints on routes into high- and medium-risk areas in response to further outbreaks; localized transport and business disruptions are almost certain in affected areas.

Lockdown measures have prompted factory closures and business disruptions in the affected areas. Nevertheless, local officials may allow companies to operate under a closed-loop system where employees live and work on-site and undergo regular testing. While the state council has issued a directive to facilitate transport on roads and ensure the movement of freight and logistics, local authorities could continue to close expressways to cities or impose exit and entry controls depending on COVID-19 activity.

Supply chain delays and increased processing times could occur at ports across China, particularly in locations with strict COVID-19 measures. Local authorities could enact restrictions in additional cities at short notice, potentially exacerbating manufacturing and shipping delays.

International Travel Restrictions
The government continues to ban most foreign nationals, except those with valid residence permits, from entering China. However, foreigners with invitations from provincial or municipal governments and some family members of foreign employees with emergency humanitarian needs can apply to enter the country. Authorities also permit foreigners fully vaccinated with American or Chinese-produced COVID-19 vaccines to apply for visas for work, business, or humanitarian reasons. Diplomatic personnel and C visa holders, generally flight and shipping crew members, are exempt from entry bans.

Essential business travel from Singapore, South Korea, and the US can occur under fast-track arrangements to certain cities and municipalities. Companies or government agencies can apply for special passes for inbound visitors, who must test negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of departure from Singapore or within 72 hours before departure from South Korea and obtain a visa. Passengers must undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival in China and self-isolate at designated facilities until their results are available. Singapore travelers must also adhere to a preplanned itinerary, refrain from using public transport - except for private hire vehicles - for the first 14 days and download and use a health pass while in mainland China. Arriving passengers testing positive for COVID-19 will undergo treatment at their own expense.

Authorities require most inbound passengers to take a PCR test within 48 hours of boarding, another PCR test within 12 or 24 hours before departure depending on their location, and additional COVID-19 testing in each country they transit. Shortened time limits for testing may apply to some locations and passengers from certain locations may be required to take an additional PCR test 72 hours before departure. Authorities could modify testing requirements for entrants at short notice; respective Chinese missions will update country-specific rules. Regardless of nationality or residency, most travelers are barred from using land border crossings. Exceptions exist for cargo transport, though backlogs remain possible at border checkpoints.

Before travel, all authorized passengers must apply for a health certificate via the local Chinese diplomatic mission. Authorities have adjusted health certificate requirements for some countries, including the US, permitting travelers to China to use transit flights. Chinese citizens must update their information through WeChat to obtain a health code before boarding flights. The government continues to conduct health screenings, including body temperature scans and nucleic acid testing, at ports of entry nationwide. International arrivals in some locations, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao, may be subject to mandatory anal COVID-19 swabs. Most international travelers must quarantine for seven days at government-designated facilities at their own cost, undergo regular testing, receive a negative test result before exiting quarantine, and subsequently undergo three days of self-quarantine.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) manages international airline flight volume based on COVID-19 testing outcomes for passengers. Authorities could suspend a carrier's route at short notice if more than five passengers test positive for COVID-19. Chinese and US regulators continue to limit available outbound flights. Authorities also restrict Chinese airlines' international operations and limit capacity on aircraft. Some airlines continue to suspend services to and from mainland China due to significantly decreased demand. Land borders are prone to closures and processing delays during periods of increased disease activity.

Advice

Consider postponing nonessential travel to mainland China. Confirm all scheduled international flights. Consult airlines and Chinese diplomatic facilities for details on restrictions prior to any travel. Follow all official instructions and closely monitor official announcements on any other precautionary restrictions. Confirm all travel and business reservations. Allow additional travel time due to screenings at airports, train stations, and other transport hubs. Make allowances for possible business disruptions.

Resources

Beijing Capital International Airport
Shanghai Airport Authority
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
World Health Organization