On 14 March 2023, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated the country visa and entry policy to resume visa issuance and several visa-free entry policies. Among other changes, the new policy will resume the validity of visas issued before 28 March 2020, including 5- and 10-year multiple-entry business visas as well as long-term tourism and family visitor visas.

Aside from recognising visas issued before the pandemic, China will also start to issue visas of all categories, including tourist visas. The country will also resume the issuance of port visas and resume visa-free entry policies for Hainan, Shanghai cruise group tours, Guangdong foreign group tours form Hong Kong or Macao SAR, and ASEAN group tours to Guilin, Guangxi.

Issuances of most kinds of Chinese visas were suspended for much of the pandemic, although previous relaxations to the policy in 2022 and early 2023 had already resumed the issuance of most visa classes including those for business visits, work and study. The shift to resume the issuance of tourist and other types of visas is a significant step towards reopening China to the outside world.

China currently still requires passengers from the UK to China to present negative NAT test results for Covid-19 taken within 48 hours prior to departure. However the country has recently suspended or relaxed these requirements for a number of other countries – including Thailand, New Zealand, Malaysia, Iran, Mongolia, Indonesia and several others – and will accept self-declared results of rapid antigen tests for travellers from those countries from March 15^th. The UK also still requires NAT tests for travellers entering from China (including Hong Kong).

References

Notice on the Adjustment of Chinese visa and the policy of entry to China. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. http://news.china.com.cn/2023-03/14/content_85167292.shtml

Chinese Embassies in several countries: from 15 March, to replace NAT test results with Antigen results. Huanqiu. https://world.huanqiu.com/article/4C3kKUC3fnn