China is currently not open for tourists, with only citizens and foreign nationals with valid residence permits being allowed to enter.
ALl arrivals into China must complete a three-week quarantine after arrival and submit to a wide variety of COVID-19 tests.
Any travellers, and their household members, arriving from countries where new coronavirus strains have been discovered must take four nucleic acids (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction RT-PCR) tests.
The Chinese authorities have placed restrictive measures on the residents of Shanghai, such as fitting electronic door alarms to prevent infected people from leaving their homes and evacuating people to sanitize their homes.
Anyone in Shanghai who is found to be infected with COVID has to go to a central government-run facility.
When are the Chinese authorities likely to reopen the country for tourism?
The Chinese authorities have a five-year plan for civil aviation development, with international flights gradually restarting between 2023 and 2025.
The plan is aimed to be divided into two phases due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 will be a year of strengthening coronavirus prevention and control measures in the country and establishing a more detailed support measure to help bolster recovery.
This will lead to phase two of the plan between 2023 and 2025, where the aim will be to improve the level of opening up throughout the country, enhance the local market, and restore the international market.
What are the restrictions on arrival to China?
All visitors to China must:
- Have a valid Visa or residence permit
- Proof of a negative PCR test, taken no more than 48 hours before departure
- Undertake a 14-day quarantine (at least 14 days, could be up to 21)
- Undergo COVID testing on arrival and must consent to blood tests to be released from quarantine
Passengers on plans from other countries that are not allowed entry into China are not allowed to treat Chinas as a “just passing through” country either – even when they are in an airport.
How do I get a visa to travel to China?
If you want to travel to China, you need to apply for a visa (or official permit) and have a compelling reason for visiting.
If you travel to China without a visa, you may be refused access, arrested or even deported.
To apply for a visa for China, you need to contact the Chinese Embassy in your native country.
What is the current mask requirement in China?
Health authorities in Beijing, the Chinese capital, have been lifting the requirement for people to wear masks outdoors, as the city reported several days of no new cases of COVID on the trot.
However, this may change with no prior notice.
Who is affected by China’s latest travel ban?
Anyone who is not a Chinese national will be affected by China’s latest travel ban.
However, foreign nationals who want to visit China for emergency reasons can still apply for special entry visas.
Peace of Mind PCR Test
If you have symptoms of COVID or want to ensure you are not currently infected with COVID before going to an event, meeting a friend or visiting an elderly relative, then our gold-standard PCR test will give you the ultimate peace of mind.
According to the NHS, symptoms of COVID in adults and children can include:
- A high temperature or shivering
- A new continuous cough
- A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- An aching body
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or being sick
The symptoms of COVID are very similar symptoms to those of other viral infections, such as colds and flu. If you are not sure what your symptoms are indicating, then it may be worth taking a COVID PCR test to give yourself peace of mind. Free NHS testing for COVID has now ended, so the only option you have in this case is to purchase a test from a private provider.
Fit2FlyTest are proud to be one of the few private providers of COVID tests with our own in-house laboratories. We are not a middleman sending your test off to a laboratory to be tested, we are the laboratory.
Buy your Peace of Mind PCR Test from us, take it in the comfort of your own home, and then use the prepaid return label included to send your sample back to our laboratories. We will have your results within 6-8 hours of receiving your sample, giving you peace of mind that you can return to your daily life safely.
When analysed by Public Health England and Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, our test correctly identified all positive and negative samples without exception. With 100% specificity toward the SARS-CoV-2 Virus, this kit will only detect the presence of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
Further Reading
- Gov.uk – China travel advice
- Reuters – Beijing resumes mass COVID tests
- South China Morning Post – Taiwan cuts COVID-19 Quarantine for arrivals
- Bloomberg – Shanghai’s COVID measures to remain even as spread slows
