After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, China will start issuing all types of visas and opening its borders to travelers in an effort to boost the country’s tourism.
After its declaration of a “decisive triumph” over Covid-19 in February, it made the statement on Tuesday.
Beginning on Wednesday, all visa kinds will be issued. Visa-free entrance will also be reinstated in locations like Hainan Island and for cruise ships docking in Shanghai, both of which were previously exempt from the need.
Foreign nationals from Hong Kong and Macao will once again be able to enter Guangdong without a visa, while foreign nationals with valid visas issued before March 28, 2020, will be permitted admission into China.
There was no mention in the announcement of the need for immunization records or Covid-19 tests that were negative.
The measure will “better ease the exchange of Chinese and foreign personnel”, according to the announcement put on the websites of various Chinese missions and embassies.
To try to stop the virus, China had adhered to a strict “zero-Covid” plan that included abrupt lockdowns and daily Covid-19 testing before abandoning the majority of the program in December in the face of mounting criticism.
In response, China has “optimized mechanisms for remote testing of people traveling to China from relevant countries,” permitting pre-boarding antigen testing rather than nucleic acid testing, according to Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, in a statement to media on Tuesday.
“All these have been well implemented, and the epidemic risk is generally controllable,” Mr. Wang said at a daily briefing.
According to Mr. Wang, China’s legalization of outbound group excursions for Chinese nationals, the results of which have been encouraging, and the general improvement in economic conditions led to the relaxing of visa requirements.
“China will continue to make better arrangements for the safe, healthy, and orderly movement of Chinese and foreign personnel on the basis of scientific assessments and in light of the situation,” he said. “We also hope that all parties will join China in creating favourable conditions for cross-border exchanges.”