China to restart broad visa approvals halted due to pandemic

China will resume issuing visas to foreigners beginning March 15, 2023, lifting sweeping restrictions in place since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, the country’s embassy in Washington announced on Monday (local time).

In addition to new travel documents being reviewed and approved, visas issued prior to March 28, 2020 that are still valid will be allowed to enter China again, according to the embassy notice. The updated policy will also allow for the resumption of visa-free travel for those arriving on cruise ships in Shanghai, as well as certain tourist groups from Hong Kong, Macau, and ASEAN member countries, according to the notice.

While most other countries began reopening to international travel earlier, China did not begin lifting its zero-Covid policies until late 2022, after protests against the strict restrictions erupted.

Earlier this month, Chinese embassies suspended the issuance of new visas to South Koreans and Japanese citizens in apparent retaliation for Covid-19 testing requirements recently imposed by those countries on Chinese travellers.

The suspensions were announced in brief online notices by the embassies in Tokyo and Seoul.
According to the Seoul notice, which was posted on the embassy’s WeChat social media account, the ban would remain in effect until South Korea lifted its “discriminatory entry measures” against China. The announcement included information on tourist, business, and other visas.

China’s Foreign Ministry threatened retaliation against countries that announced new virus testing requirements for Chinese travellers.

At least ten in Europe, North America, and Asia have recently done so, with officials in China concerned about a lack of information about rapidly spreading virus outbreaks.

The Chinese embassy in Tokyo only stated that visa issuance had been halted. The announcements appeared to apply only to new applicants, with no mention of people who already had visas.

China’s action appeared to be motivated by its demands that its citizens be treated equally with those of other countries. A dozen countries have followed the United States in requiring either a negative test before leaving China or a virus test upon arrival at the airport, or both.