China is set to resume issuing visas for foreigners: All you need to know

China will resume issuing visas to tourists and other foreigners from March 15 marking a step in the country’s move to leave its strict Covid restrictions behind, China’s embassy in the US said in a statement.

With this, visa-free entry will resume into Guangdong province for foreigners in groups from Hong Kong and Macau and for those on cruise ships stopping in Shanghai, the statement added.

China moved away from its Covid-zero policy which involved frequent lockdowns, mass testing and closing borders that affected the country’s economic growth. The policy was abruptly scrapped in early December after protests across China. In January, China ended mandatory quarantine for inbound travelers.

This comes as China’s new premier Li Qiang called for more effort to meet a 5% expansion target for 2023 this week. In China, only 115.7 million inbound and outbound trips were made in 2022 which is less than a fifth of those flown in 2019 before the pandemic hit, according to data from China’s Ministry of Public Security. Mainland residents made 64.6 million trips last year, data showed.

China has also loosened Covid test requirements for travelers from New Zealand, Russia and Malaysia from March. China still requires some countries, including the US, to provide negative PCR tests before boarding flights.