Know The Travel Restrictions Before Booking China Vacation Packages

Looking back at the history of the coronavirus pandemic, it was started in the Wuhan province of China. With the early and stringent lockdown, the country managed to control the situation and come out from the pandemic super quick. In March 2020, China put the travel ban and closed its borders for travelers from all around the world. This was the time when the pandemic began to spread through Europe. Today, with the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, the situation in some countries is improving. As per the WHO (World Health Organisation), over 40 countries have begun to vaccinate. The government is keeping a close check on the pandemic, and with the decreased cases, it has planned to ease the China vacation package restrictions for some countries on March 15th, 2021. Even though life in China has largely returned to normal, it has not given up on drastic measures. The country has started to loosen the travel restrictions but with a lot of precautions in order to prevent the outbreak of the second wave of the virus.

If you are looking forward to booking a China vacation package amidst a global pandemic, here’s every piece of information that you must be aware of. Through this leisure travel guide, we are going to update you with China's tourism inbound policy and national travel restrictions. These are the most recent policies about the temporarily enforced restrictions due to the COVID-19. To keep yourself updated with the guidelines, you must visit the official website before booking your China vacation package. 

Also read: Travel Amidst COVID-19: Stay Updated With The Latest Restrictions.

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- China’s Covid Situation- Quick Facts

- China Travel Restrictions

- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

China’s Covid Situation- Quick Facts

(as of May 2nd, 2021)

China Travel Restrictions

Although China has lifted the travel ban, they are still earnest about the situation. They are taking all the precautionary measures and have imposed various restrictions for all the travelers who are planning to book a China vacation package. Review the information provided in this leisure travel guide to know more about the restrictions. 

International Travel

As of now, China has opened its borders for selected travelers. However, keeping in mind the current situation, the country is planning to allow travelers from all across the world in October 2021. Till then, there are various restrictions for the permitted countries for crossing the border. The requirements to travel to the country are given below in this leisure travel guide.

1. Visa

A valid visa is required by all travelers who want to travel to China. It must be issued by the government after March 28th, 2020. But in some cases, no visa is required as per the mentioned date. The country permits travelers to book a China vacation package only if they have a visa for any of the three purposes- work, business, or family reunion. Such visas are valid only for the tenure of 3 months. 

2. COVID-19 Test

Although China is allowing travelers to enter the country, it requires them to submit a negative COVID-19 test report. The report of tests that are considered valid includes COVID-19 nucleic acid and IgM serum antibody. The tests have to be done no more than 2 days before the departure of the individual. A report of more than 2 days will not be considered valid. 

3. Health Declaration Certificates

Together with the two tests of COVID-19, the traveler is also required to submit a copy of the health certificate, whether Health Declaration Form (HDF) or a Health Declaration Code (HDC). Any of the certificates will work. 

4. Quarantine

Quarantining is the most critical restriction for all travelers. No matter from which country you are traveling, it is vital to be quarantined when you enter China. 14-days quarantine is required. When any traveler enters the country, he/she has to fill a health declaration form, show all the documents, get the temperature checked, and have a nucleic acid test done. After all these formalities, the traveler will be sent to the quarantine center. Before you book your China vacation package, you must be prepared for the quarantine period. 

5. Vaccine

As per the new guidelines, every traveler is required to have a confirmed history of vaccination to travel to the country. The eligible vaccines for the travel include Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. You are required to get two doses of the vaccine no less than 14 days before the date of your travel. Every traveler has to show proof of vaccination once they arrive in the country. 

Domestic Travel

As per WHO (World Health Organization) and other official authorities, China is at level 1 of COVID-19 risk. This means that the country is safer, and you can plan to book a China vacation package. Nearly all the areas of the country are at minimal risk. So, if you are planning domestic travel in the country, then you can. There is no quarantine or COVID-19 test requirement when you are traveling inter-state in the country.

Also Read: List Of States That Make COVID-19 Travel Advisory

Frequently Asked Questions

Here in this leisure travel guide, we have taken some of the top questions whose answer the travelers are looking for before booking the China vacation package. Make sure you clear all your doubts to enjoy a seamless experience.

Q1. While traveling to China, what all documents do I require to have for boarding the flight?

Ans. For traveling to China, a visa is required. If you are someone who gets successful in requesting a visa, you have to prepare yourself with some documents to board the flight to China. Here are the documents that you need to have before booking a China vacation package. You will be required to show these documents to the airline staff while boarding the flight:

- Valid passport with at least 6 months validity

- Valid visa as per the travel purpose

- COVID-19 negative test results

- Health Declaration Form (HDF) or a Health Declaration Code (HDC) certificate

Q2. Where do I need to quarantine in the country?

Ans. You can either quarantine yourself at home or apartment or can choose the hotels. The government has assigned a few hotels as quarantine centers. These hotels are just for isolation and cannot be booked with a China vacation package for leisure. All the travelers who are traveling with the family or partner can ask the hotel to make all the arrangements. However, some hotels allow the families or partners to quarantine themselves in one room while others need them to book a single room for each person. 

Q3. If the city I land is not my final destination, then where do I need to quarantine?

Ans. This is a common phenomenon. Many times travelers enter a city just to reach their final destination. In the situation of COVID-19, China travelers have to quarantine themselves in the entry city. For instance, if you have booked the China vacation package to Shanghai via Guangzhou, then you have to quarantine yourself for 14-days in Guangzhou. Once your quarantine period is over and you test negative for COVID-19, you can move to your final destination. 

However, once you arrive at your final destination, you have to quarantine yourself for 7 days and not go out. With this, you have to stay under 7-day health monitoring- which means you can go out but cannot join parties and social activities. This again combines a total of 14 days.

Q4. Which countries are open to traveling to China?

Ans. As of 15 March 2021, China opened the borders for selected travelers. There are 23 countries from which travelers can enter China. However, to cross the border, all travelers are required to get vaccinated with the specified vaccines. The travel must have got the vaccine at least 14 days prior to the travel. Some of the countries that are not allowed to travel to China are Japan, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Myanmar. 

On the other hand, the countries that are partially allowed to travel or have restrictions include Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, India, and Malaysia. Make sure you check the travel restrictions from your country to China before booking your China vacation package. To know more, look at the travel advisory and find the information about each country. 

Q5. Can I roam around the country freely after the 14-days quarantine?

Ans. Well, the answer is NO. After the completion of the quarantine period, the traveler has to go through all the tests again and get a certificate released from the centralized quarantine. Later, if you are traveling within the country or moving to another hotel, you have to follow their quarantine requirements too. They might ask you for 7 days or more quarantine, and you have to follow it. Once you are done with all the quarantine requirements, you can roam freely and enjoy your China vacation package. 

Q6. Where can I travel to China?

Ans. If you are a resident of the country that is allowed to travel to China, then you can add any of the cities in the country to your China vacation package. Although the whole region of China is open for travel, some areas like parts of Ganzi and Aba Autonomous Prefectures are closed. So, except for these areas, you can pick any of the cities and enjoy your vacation.