Some new reports from China have been causing a lot of excitement across the UK travel industry as it has been announced that China will resume issuing visas to foreign travellers again for the first time since the beginning of Covid.
Following 3 years without tourist activity in response to the Covid pandemic, the government in China finally announced that this is going to change. According to reports, China’s embassy in the United States claimed that all categories of visas for international travellers entering China will be issued today, on Wednesday the 15th of March. This comes following China opening its borders again for the first time since early 2020.
Though this news has not yet been confirmed for visitors from the UK, many reports and travel businesses have indicated great confidence that the UK will soon be included among the international travellers that can cross Chinese borders again with a visa. This measure against travellers was originally put in place by the government of China to reduce the number of Covid cases within the country. However, just last month, in February, authorities declared China’s victory over the Covid virus.
The areas of China that did not require a visa prior to the pandemic in 2020 will resume their visa-free entry rules once the border has reopened, according to the ministry in China. This means that those who wished to travel to China prior to Covid without needing a visa, won’t need a visa now either.
Reports state that Beijing will also lift some of the restrictions for a few different locations. Hainan island cruise ships passing through the Shanghai ports will no longer have to face the strict Covid restrictions, according to Beijing authorities.
It was also declared that any visas issued to travellers prior to the 28th of March 2020 that are still valid today in 2023 will now allow entry into China again, so travellers will not need to apply for a new visa while still holding a valid one.
Despite all this great news, the restrictions for UK travellers are not officially confirmed yet, and the UK Foreign Office has not yet updated the Foreign Travel Advice page to reflect the news. According to the FCDO, eligibility for visas to enter the mainland of China is still ‘restricted’ until further notice.
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