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

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK Government has published details of how it is assisting Ukrainian nationals who find themselves in challenging UK immigration scenarios.

We set out below a summary of the current guidance which we will look to update on a regular basis.  The full guidance can be found here:

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Due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, effective November 30, 2021 all new foreign travelers are in principle banned from entering Japan.  This ban on foreign entry will be effective for a month and may be extended further depending on the infection rates in Japan and globally.  Visa applications and valid new visa holders

On November 26, 2021, in response to the discovery of the omicron variant of the virus which causes COVID-19, the Biden Administration issued a Presidential Proclamation banning the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of noncitizens who were physically present within Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe during the past 14-day period.  This ban comes only 19 days after the U.S. government ended its COVID-19 travel bans worldwide and replaced them with a vaccine mandate for travel to the United States.  The Proclamation is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on November 29, 2021 and does not apply to persons aboard a flight scheduled to arrive in the U.S. that departed prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on November 29, 2021.
Continue Reading Omicron Variant Triggers U.S. Travel Ban from Eight African Countries

On November 1, 2021, Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that entry restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic will continue through at least February 14, 2022. Under the CECC restrictions, arriving passengers are required to quarantine for 14 days following arrival, and to complete a 7-day self-health management period after the end of quarantine.
Continue Reading Taiwan Entry Restrictions Extended Through February 2022

As previously reported, starting November 8 the Japanese government will begin permitting entry into the country for business purposes of fully vaccinated foreign travelers.  Such foreign travelers and all Japanese nationals will only be subject to a three-day self-quarantine.  The requirements for business travel have not yet been formally announced, but as per a 

On October 30, 2021, the Chilean government announced another extension of the country’s border closure due to COVID-19, effective through November 30, 2021. However, the extension comes with important modifications to the country’s “Protected Borders Plan,” including relaxed quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers and the addition of the Punta Arenas airport for international travel.
Continue Reading Chile Extends COVID-Related Entry & Exit Restrictions