Effective March 1, 2023, the Japanese government has lifted some COVID-related travel restrictions for passengers arriving from mainland China. Previously, all passengers traveling from mainland China were subject to on-arrival COVID testing. Under the new regulations, only around 20% of passengers arriving on direct flights from mainland China will be subject to on-arrival testing, with the goal of collecting samples for genome sequencing. All travelers from mainland China are still required to show proof of a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours prior to departure. Japan’s announcement comes as other countries, such as South Korea, have begun rolling back travel requirements that were imposed on passengers from China following the end of that country’s “Zero COVID” policy.Continue Reading Japan Eases COVID Requirements for Travelers from China

Following the end of the “Zero COVID” policy and a wave of new infections in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), several countries have implemented new COVID-related restrictions on travelers from the PRC mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau. Thus far, these restrictions mainly consist of pre-departure testing requirements, but they represent a departure from the previous global trend, which saw most countries relax or eliminate all COVID-related entry requirements.

*This post was updated with additional information on January 9 and 10, 2023.Continue Reading More Countries Institute COVID Requirements for Travelers from China

Effective January 5, 2023, the United States will require nearly all air travelers from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, and Macau to present a negative COVID test or documentation of recovery before boarding their departing flight, according to a press release from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). The test must be taken within two days of departure. The new precaution applies regardless of the traveler’s nationality, and only individuals under age two are exempt. The move represents the first new COVID-related travel restriction imposed by the United States since the rollback of pre-travel testing requirements earlier this year. The United States joins a growing number of countries that are considering COVID-related precautions for travelers from China following the abrupt end of the PRC  government’s “Zero COVID” strategy.Continue Reading United States Imposes COVID Testing Requirements on Travelers from China

International travelers are continuing to face Covid-19 entry requirements, however, China has recently announced that it will simplify its visa applications for foreign nationals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, specifically Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the Chinese embassy located in the Philippines, they will be returning to pre-pandemic visa requirements for those fully vaccinated.