China To Resume Issuing All Visa Types On March 15 After 3-Year Hiatus - Foreign Ministry

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th March, 2023) China will resume issuing all categories of visas for foreign citizens from March 15 after a three-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry added that foreigners would also be able to enter China on valid visas issued before March 28, 2020.

Visa-free travel policy will resume for the island of Hainan and to Shanghai for cruise ship passengers, as well as the visa-free entry to the southern province pf Guangdong for groups оf foreign nationals traveling from Hong Kong and Macao and visa-free entry to the city of Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for tourist groups from the ASEAN countries, the statement added.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has not explained yet, if the current visa regime will be similar to that before the pandemic with regard to the duration of stay and other details, or there will be any new regulations.

In March 2020, China temporarily prohibited the entry for foreign nationals with valid visas and residence permits and stopped issuing new visas due to the pandemic of COVID-19. Over the last three years, entry to China has been granted mainly for those with employment and family visas while the country followed zero COVID policy.

The negative impact of the strict anti-pandemic measures on economy and mass demonstrations that started in the largest cities of the country last fall accelerated the change in the COVID-19 strategy of the government.

From January 8, China fully abolished quarantine and PCR testing for visitors from abroad. From February 6, China resumed the practice of group tours for the Chinese citizens in a test mode. At first, group tours to 20 countries were allowed to be followed by another 40 countries from March 15.