China is once again open to the world. The question is how open the world is to visiting China…
In this post:
China resumes issuance of visas for foreigners
At the start of the pandemic, China pursued a zero-COVID strategy, and closed its borders to the world. Not only did the country stop welcoming most foreigners, but a lengthy quarantine in a facility was also required. With the endless coverage we’ve seen of the country’s lockdowns, it almost seemed inconceivable that “easy” travel to China would ever become a thing again.
That all changed in early 2023. China was dealing with an unprecedented coronavirus outbreak, and the government realized a zero-COVID strategy was no longer practical. As a result, China pursued exactly the opposite approach, and decided to end most restrictions and “let it rip.” As it impacts travel, the country ended its travel quarantine requirement.
The catch is that up until now, China hasn’t actually resumed issuing visas for foreigners. This has meant that Chinese nationals have been allowed to travel freely, while foreigners haven’t been able to travel to China, even if they had valid visas issued before the pandemic.
That has finally changed. As of March 15, 2023, China has resumed the issuance of visas to foreigners, in line with pre-pandemic policies. Chinese embassies are once again issuing all types of visas to foreigners, including visas for tourism, business, and medical affairs.
Furthermore, visa-free entry is being resumed for select travelers, including for entry to the Hainan province, for cruises to Shanghai, for the Guangdong province for those from Hong Kong and Macao, etc.
Will people be open to traveling to China?
It’s nice to see China once again opening to the rest of the world. After all, it’s a country with 1.4 billion people, and with a lot to offer in terms of culture, history, food, etc. I imagine China will see a significant number of business travelers, as well as travelers visiting friends and family.
However, pre-pandemic, China was also a pretty popular destination for tourists who didn’t otherwise have any ties to China. I know I’ve been a countless number of times. With that in mind, I’d be fascinated to see what visitor numbers are like for China in the next couple of years.
I have to imagine that a lot of people who would have previously visited China aren’t necessarily comfortable doing so anymore, or are at least hesitant. That’s nothing against the people of China, but rather reflects concerns that many people have about the government on a variety of levels.
The other challenge with travel to China is that international capacity to and from the country is nowhere near where it was pre-pandemic. That’s largely due to lack of demand, but it’s also because China added all kinds of flight bans that were largely made reciprocal, which limit how much service foreign airlines can offer to China (and in turn, limit how much service Chinese airlines can offer to other countries).
China isn’t part of the Open Skies agreement, so airlines can’t just freely add as many flights to China as they want, pending airport slots. Rather everything in this regard is a bilateral negotiation, and that can get heavily political.
Bottom line
China ended its travel quarantine at the beginning of 2023, and is now resuming the issuance of visas as of March 15. This is a significant development, since for the first time in around three years it will be possible to visit China in the same way as you could before the pandemic.
Personally I think China has an uphill battle in terms of attracting visitors (aside from business travelers and those with family ties), but I could be wrong.
With China having reopened, would you consider traveling there? If not, what would it take for you to visit?
I have a leisure trip to China coming up later this year, is it easier to apply for one of the shorter visas (3 or 6 month) and the 10 year requires more paperwork? I thought since it is the same price, why not go for the 10 year visa? I could end up going back, and why go through the hassle and expense again if I don't need to.
Definitely go for the 10 year visa if you're going to apply. As to the hassle and expense, you can look into 144-hour visa-free transit if it applies to you. Among other requirements, you have to depart China onward to a different country than where you originated, but that may be not so difficult to do if you usually plan multi-country Asia vacations.
All I can think of is …Does Ben actually scroll through these comments and think - Why
Exactly.By the way does @Ben think YinDaoYan is the appropriate username for this community?Because it means vaginitis in Chinese.
Plenty of people waiting to get back and visit China, folks. Perhaps some Americans are hesitant but that doesn't apply to most of the rest of the world.
Zero interest in visiting China, and HK only for a less than 24th transit.
A great pity, as HK was in my top 10 of favorite cities to visit; no more unfortunately as is grinds down to become just another big Chinese city.
I read that even the outrageously garish neon signs hanging over nearly every street have been given the official chop. They made HK distinctive, and part of its charm. Sad.
"The catch is that up until now, China hasn’t actually resumed issuing visas for foreigners." This is incorrect. This is only correct when referring to tourist and business visas.
You also do not mention what is perhaps the most important part. If you have a valid visa that is not cancelled or expired you can use it again (or it becomes valid again). So if you received a ten year tourist visa 5 years ago,...
"The catch is that up until now, China hasn’t actually resumed issuing visas for foreigners." This is incorrect. This is only correct when referring to tourist and business visas.
You also do not mention what is perhaps the most important part. If you have a valid visa that is not cancelled or expired you can use it again (or it becomes valid again). So if you received a ten year tourist visa 5 years ago, then you could use it again.
Agree with your comments about the increase of flights being political. The demand for more flights is there.
Does anyone know if it will be possible to use an existing tourist visa to enter China? Mine is still good until 2026 and I would hate to have to apply again.
Yes you can use it. You don't have to apply again. Safe travels and don't forget to tip all your restaurant servers in China. (Just kidding, there's no tipping culture unlike in uncivilized America.)
Yes. I have friends over there, and was one of my best trips. Shenyang, Shanghai.
Highly recommend Beijing (obviously) and the island province of Taiwan too.
Island province? The bots are strong with that one. Taiwan is an independent country, as should be Hong Kong and Macao.
Sweet. Getting in line for my URCove Brand Explorer ;-)
Way ahead of you there JoePro
Who wants to visit the land that the evil communist regime CCP has caused millions of people died and committed suicide due to its ruthless, barbaric deadly zero covid policy accompanied by massive lockdown. The country is collapsing and 9 out of 10 people couldn't find a decent paying job. Are you kidding? People should ban China until a regime change.
nice try, but maybe you should read a bit more. 1 - it's not collapsing; B - unemployment % is way lower than in the west, and 3 - the Covid death toll is not in the "millions". Try getting your head out of your rear end and maybe you'll end up learning something. As for regime change, I'm sure they're doing better economically than whatever shithole country you are from.
Oh DARLENE... people should ban the USA until:
1. The government buys back all guns and repeals the Second Amendment.
2. The starting salary for a public school teacher is $75,000 plus a cost-of-living supplement.
3. Any destination in any city is reachable by safe, clean, punctual, and accessible subway or light rail.
4. The right to an abortion is constitutionally protected.
5. Four-year university tuition is free for all undergraduates.
Oh DARLENE... people should ban the USA until:
1. The government buys back all guns and repeals the Second Amendment.
2. The starting salary for a public school teacher is $75,000 plus a cost-of-living supplement.
3. Any destination in any city is reachable by safe, clean, punctual, and accessible subway or light rail.
4. The right to an abortion is constitutionally protected.
5. Four-year university tuition is free for all undergraduates.
6. Single-payer healthcare guarantees every citizen the right to a same-day appointment with an MD or DO.
I think I can agree with assertion like "CCP caused millions of people died and committed suicide" and the covid policy is ruthless and barbaric (after onset of Omicron, it was somewhat sane in 2021 when more countries had a zero covid policy including democracies like Australia). I don't fully agree with "the country is collapsing" - if your standard of decent pay is US standards, then many regimes cannot achieve this
Good to hear the resumption of visas. Thinking of going there for summer vacation, it's been a long time since my last time. Just waiting for the Big 3 (well, more specifically MU because I'm a Skyteam flyer) to resume more regular services to Europe and go back to charging non-ridiculous fares.....
Air China is way better.
I have to fly Skyteam if I want it to count for status.
Every single Air China plane I boarder in the last eight years before Covid smelled of piss.
Oh all the hypocrisy.
You're not going to China, yet you still embrace Chinese goods.
Your phones and computers are from China. Why are you still using them?
You are completely right Eskimo…. It’s past time to decouple!
I am going to PRC - Shanghai, specifically - at the end of this year as part my 'rebooted' Asian Escapade(tm), to visit my many friends there I have not seen in 3 years, and not because I "embrace" Chinese goods, a very murky concept considering how trade, commerce, manufacturing and much more have become globalized...
NOBODY F***ING CARES ABOUT YOUR 'ASIAN' ESCAPADE which we all know is sex tourism because you can't get any girls in the USA despite your high end career.
Getting unhinged by the day. You don't care about my Asian Escapes because I am doing yearly something that you can only do in your dreams of doing. For short, the green monster known as envy. Oh, about the "sex tourism" to get girls that elude me in the US, I am quite certain that is a "projection" of your own problem.
I believe the time has come for the forum host here to begin...
Getting unhinged by the day. You don't care about my Asian Escapes because I am doing yearly something that you can only do in your dreams of doing. For short, the green monster known as envy. Oh, about the "sex tourism" to get girls that elude me in the US, I am quite certain that is a "projection" of your own problem.
I believe the time has come for the forum host here to begin cracking down on crackpots like this poster, something that VFTW started doing, which has rid the site of trolls, who seem to have been flocking to this site...
Last time I address you. Have a nice life.
Coming from the guy with a picture of a female body part (verified icon from google image reverse search) as his avatar on a travel page..
@Randall from Brisbnane: Outstanding catch! I just ran the avatar through "Google Lens" and it is indeed a medical icon of a woman's genitalia, providing an iron clad proof that the man is a frustrated sex fiend, who is "projecting" his frustration on others...
China has long been open to tourists, at least Taiwan. The Republic of China opened several months ago. It is just the separatist government (People's Republic) that control the mainland that has been closed.
Let's clear up the facts. There is one legitimate government of all of China, and that's the CPC.
Nope. Taiwan is legitimate. The CPC is a murderous, communist regime.
Luxury escapes in Australia keeps advertising Wuhan - seriously. The comments about n the FB post are hysterical.
Only ignorant people think Wuhan is unsafe or undesirable to visit.
Hard pass.
China, Russia, North Korea, and other nations ruled over by fascist goons....I have no need to go there. Enjoy your hellish dystopias without me.
HAHAHAHAHA
USA: Unmitigated gun violence despite kids and teachers being shot in class. Half the country is deplorable racists whose life is MAGA hats and Doritos chip stained Ford F-150s that clog our streets and worsen climate change, which they deny. The other half of the country is reckless with other people's money and espouses libertarian nonsense up until the point of insolvency, whereupon they immediately cry for federal bailouts. Our nation's largest airline stranded...
HAHAHAHAHA
USA: Unmitigated gun violence despite kids and teachers being shot in class. Half the country is deplorable racists whose life is MAGA hats and Doritos chip stained Ford F-150s that clog our streets and worsen climate change, which they deny. The other half of the country is reckless with other people's money and espouses libertarian nonsense up until the point of insolvency, whereupon they immediately cry for federal bailouts. Our nation's largest airline stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers in the last week of December 2022, peak holiday season, because of ancient software that nobody bothered to update because this country is all about making short term money at the expense of anything prudent. Our suburban sprawl is chock full of Karens complaining about having to tip at Starbucks while her teenage kids get high on meth because there's nothing else to do in the local area other than go to Applebee's to binge on microwaved soggy chicken tenders. What about our major cities? Underfunded public transport, expensive healthcare that doesn't even get you access to an MD anymore because "Physician Assistants" have taken over the front lines, and human feces on the sidewalks of our most affluent downtowns.
China: Enormous growth opportunity for high-margin luxury brands and modern infra, well-connected Airport Express trains to city centers, a very highly educated populace where everybody is taught to be at least bilingual (Mandarin + English) and is proficient in multivariable Calculus by the second year of high school (cf. Baltimore's 23 public school districts where not a single student, not one, is proficient in the most basic of x+1 = 2, "solve for x," style of algebra.
The problem is that the fare to/from China is currently sky high... This leads to
- There is zero award availability for any US-China direct flight, 10 months out or last minute
- CX, which had been released last-minute awards, has all their flights from US cities to HKG go out full everyday now. This includes 3x daily flight LAX-HKG. Somehow all flights are full last minutes, in all cabins
- The...
The problem is that the fare to/from China is currently sky high... This leads to
- There is zero award availability for any US-China direct flight, 10 months out or last minute
- CX, which had been released last-minute awards, has all their flights from US cities to HKG go out full everyday now. This includes 3x daily flight LAX-HKG. Somehow all flights are full last minutes, in all cabins
- The one-stop routing via TYO/OSA is no longer viable, because the flights between Japan and China are still once or twice a week and both JAL and ANA maintain a ridiculously high paid fare
- Star Alliance seems to now offer much more non-stop and one-stop options between US and China than Oneworld. Given the high fare and the strong demand, this seems to be a missed opportunity for Oneworld
I'll be on a CX flight this month! Yell out "YinDaoYan" in the business class cabin and I will walk up to you ready to autograph any body part you wish.
Will never set foot in China until the Communist Party is gone, whenever that might be.
But walking around in America and being randomly subjected to mass shootings is absolutely fine?
Not promoting China and other Communist countries...but every country has their flaws and risks.
You can walk around the US and never experience mass shooting personally. But if you walk around Beijing with a Winnie the Xi shirt. You would disappear. Not the same
Forgot mass shootings, what about random crime which is much more likely? In China, one can wander the streets 24 hours per day without fear.
Try doing this with a blank piece of paper in your hand
What if you are a Uyghur or Tibetan? I definitely saw police scrutinizing Uyghur people's phones on Kashgar's streets.
Wrong!
A close friend of mine arrived at Beijing airport in a taxi and the guy fled with all his luggage.
When he got to the police station they refused to fill a stolen report. Only a lost report!
and this is with cameras everywhere...
So, you think it is safe 24hrs?
Went to the mainland in 2012. Have no desire to return.
Same here, no desire to go back, and no desire to go to anywhere that can issue a lockdown at any point and force you to stay locked up somewhere for weeks.
Is ignorance still bliss? You two are presumably living in a country plagued by gun violence, racism, MAGA ignorance, non-walkable cities, and low rates of proficiency in basic math.
I live in SF, we have a lot of problems but its a walkable city with lower than average(for USA) gun violence, and MAGA. Most people here are smart.
Flying to Beijing on April 5th. Will let you know how it goes!
See you there! Yell out "YinDaoYan" while you're in line for immigration and I'll reply with my favorite restaurant for Peking duck.
Did they reinstate all previously issued Visas (Before March 2020) or do we have to apply for a new one ?
Nope! You have to reapply!
@JetSetFly this article says otherwise:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-14/china-to-resume-issuing-visas-for-foreigners-starting-march-15/102079650
Visas issued pre-March 2020 that are still valid would be accepted for entry
Ben. Yes I would travel to Shanghai and visit some old friends but I would keep a lower profile than in the past. I would avoid the touristy areas during the daytime . Shanghai is a great city.
I don’t think this is a good time to travel to Beijing and go sightseeing at tianemen square , the Great Wall , etc. You are sure to attract attention as a foreigner and not necessarily...
Ben. Yes I would travel to Shanghai and visit some old friends but I would keep a lower profile than in the past. I would avoid the touristy areas during the daytime . Shanghai is a great city.
I don’t think this is a good time to travel to Beijing and go sightseeing at tianemen square , the Great Wall , etc. You are sure to attract attention as a foreigner and not necessarily in a bad way but people like to ask for photos etc.
So due to the us China tensions yes I would go to Shanghai and feel safe. No , I would hold off on Beijing as a tourist.
Finally my family and friends may ge opposed to me traveling to China.
You are a racist whose comment on a prior post was DELETED due to my report of your comment being racist. Get out of China, get out of the USA, go to hell!
@YinDaoDan
No , you are actually the RACIST. Go back to your home province in HENAN. If you bring a dog your aunt will prepare a BBQ for you and your angry uncles. Wumao bot.
Anericans: I will never go to China again!
Corporate boss: We need you to fly to China.
Americans: Yes master
@Bob
If you are a Walmart executive and need to visit some factories probably haha If you need to audit a company facing delisting on the NYSE probably. If you work for Goldman Sachs likely:——)
Exactly.
All high and mighty and oh no the communist party, while enslaved themselves by their corporate bosses.
Communism > Capitalism.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Never.
Yeah! Why visit China where guns are banned, when you can stay in the US and see news headlines of mass shooting after mass shooting?
Why visit China where pulling your pants down in the streets will get you arrested, when you can stay in the US and finish your business on the sidewalk and people can't arrest you, in fact you can get them fired from their woke jobs if they refer to you...
Yeah! Why visit China where guns are banned, when you can stay in the US and see news headlines of mass shooting after mass shooting?
Why visit China where pulling your pants down in the streets will get you arrested, when you can stay in the US and finish your business on the sidewalk and people can't arrest you, in fact you can get them fired from their woke jobs if they refer to you as homeless instead of a "person in a temporary unhoused experience"?
Why visit China where your money is safe, when you can lose it all in Silicon Valley Bank deposits? Oh wait the government bailed you out... but what about the country of individual responsibility and pure capitalism?
️
You cannot pay me enough to go to China.
I'll pay you ten thousand bucks to go to hell.
For the damage China has inflicted on the world for the past 3 years, I have no intention of ever visiting again.
What damage are you talking about? Are you posting this comment from a laptop or device that the Chinese have manufactured and sent over to you? Have you been sleeping on a Chinese-made mattress topped with Chinese-made sheets? Did you brush your teeth with Chinese-made toothpaste before you stepped in your shower of Chinese-made tile and operated your Chinese-made faucet to get water from your Chinese-made showerhead?
Why haven't you left the USA where a...
What damage are you talking about? Are you posting this comment from a laptop or device that the Chinese have manufactured and sent over to you? Have you been sleeping on a Chinese-made mattress topped with Chinese-made sheets? Did you brush your teeth with Chinese-made toothpaste before you stepped in your shower of Chinese-made tile and operated your Chinese-made faucet to get water from your Chinese-made showerhead?
Why haven't you left the USA where a disgusting racist has embarrassed the entire population from 2016-2020?
Obviously this misguided viewpoint is the result of western anti-China propaganda. There is no "people of China" vs "the government." They are one and the same....
Obviously this misguided viewpoint is the result of western anti-China propaganda. There is no "people of China" vs "the government." They are one and the same. The Chinese government is composed of people, and they're all of one nationality: China.
@YInDaoYan
Right... Just like the people of Hong Kong and Taiwan are the Chinese government as well. And all the people that protested the COVID lockdowns.
@Andrew you're missing the point and @YinDaoYan is correct. Protests occur in the west all the time. But you never see a distinction between the government and the people, something you commonly see when referring to China in the west.
There's a plurality of opinions within China regarding government policy, even within the government itself, and yes there are various protests of all manner all the time.
You're missing the point because the relevant...
@Andrew you're missing the point and @YinDaoYan is correct. Protests occur in the west all the time. But you never see a distinction between the government and the people, something you commonly see when referring to China in the west.
There's a plurality of opinions within China regarding government policy, even within the government itself, and yes there are various protests of all manner all the time.
You're missing the point because the relevant questions here are: does the government enjoy a high degree of support? is the government responsive to citizen needs? Answers to both questions seem to be yes, by all indications.
And specifically regarding what you said about Hong Kong: Hong Kong, since the 1997 handover, has been run by a person from Hong Kong. This has never happened in the 150 years of British colonization.
@Jim
You seem to be missing the point... If the people don't elect their officials, the people are not the government. You say it's supported by the people... maybe... but how can we know if they aren't allowed uncensored media or free speech against the government, or even allow other parties to start. Also, with regards to Hong Kong being led by a person from Hong Kong... It's a person handpicked by the communist party....
@Jim
You seem to be missing the point... If the people don't elect their officials, the people are not the government. You say it's supported by the people... maybe... but how can we know if they aren't allowed uncensored media or free speech against the government, or even allow other parties to start. Also, with regards to Hong Kong being led by a person from Hong Kong... It's a person handpicked by the communist party. They wouldn't allow candidates that supported democracy and free speech to run. They are just imprisoning anyone who disagrees with the communist party. The people are not the government because they do not have freedom of press and freedom of speech to make an informed decision. Also, tell the millions of Uyghurs imprisoned that they are the government and I'm sure they would disagree.
We might disagree with our governments in the West, but we do get to vote for our officials and are allowed to protest or spread information about why our elect officials are horrible so we can prevent them from being elected again. It's not a perfect system but it does help with accountability.
This is not misguided, many of my friend who traveled to china in the past, myself included, are not comfortable visiting the country as the gov become more authoritarian than pre-Covid / pre-hk protest. Many ppl of china, especially those living aboard does not support current gov’s policy therefore there is a difference.
Yeahhhh, that comment doesn't actually help make the case that China is a desirable place to visit. In fact, as I believe you, your message is another reminder that the PRC is NOT a place that any American should visit. Visit Taiwan instead, where people are still free.
You seem to be a Wumao of sorts, so I'm sure you'll tell me why I'm wrong, but many countries, where the government is made up "of the people," hold political values or a system that many people oppose. It could be Russia, Cuba, Iran, Hungary or even Texas. It's possible to support a group of people while not supporting their government.
obvious troll is obvious.
I traveled to China every year, sometimes more than once a year, to PRC since 2004, except between Jan 2020 when I left Shanghai and now due the pandemic, and I can assure you that the Chinese people and the Chinese government are not "one and the same", though many in China who have been irreversibly brainwashed may believe that they are "one and the same"...
LOL. sound like Wumaom
I personally would have no problem visiting now.
The country was always like how it is now and anyone who felt comfortable then should feel fine now also.
There are way more Hyatt hotels in the country now!
If this means Chinese airlines will be back dumping cheap tickets into Asia - North America market then I'm all for it.
No thank you. Think about the carbon emissions of such arrangements.
@Monopod
American has very little capacity at the moment so I don’t see a $484 RT fare in the works unless you want to connect through HKG. I think CX will desperately want to pick up some traffic. And HKG is a world class city and airport so that would be a seemless connection
Are the recognizing pre covid long term (10 year) visas
Yes!
What about visas issues pre-pandemic? I have 10-year multiple entry visa. When they went into lockdown they said all existing visas are invalid. Are they now valid again?
If you read the article you would know the answer is yes.
Yeah, China Southern is now restarting to pump out their massive network again. YNJ-ICN daily flights has resumed a few days ago, CAN-SIN is also bumped to daily. Still a lot of works to do to resume back to the pre-covid state of 25 hubs within China.
Common error among Chinese ESL speakers. It's work, not works.
@YinDaoYan,
Work/works, not important enough to correct people on, don’t be a pendant…..all of us native English speakers know what they mean and would never be rude enough to correct something that is grammatically correct!
I'm not a pendant! Don't accuse me of being a pendant!