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China reminds travellers, airlines about Covid testing rules for arrivals
- Chinese embassies in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo alert passengers about PCR test requirements, saying customs will do spot checks
- While the entry guidelines are not new, the announcement comes as Beijing clashes with the US, Japan and South Korea over curbs on tourists
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Chinese authorities have reminded foreign travellers to conduct Covid-19 tests before boarding flights to China.
The Chinese embassies in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo announced on Sunday that airlines operating flights to the mainland were responsible for checking passengers’ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results, and only those with negative results would be allowed to board their flights.
“To ensure the safety of international travel, starting January 17, airlines operating flights to the mainland shall be in charge of checking for passengers’ negative PCR test results taken 48 hours before departure … China Customs will conduct spot checks on travellers during arrival,” the embassies said.
Those who display Covid-19 symptoms upon arrival must undergo testing by customs, and those who test positive will have to self-quarantine.
Since January 8, China-bound travellers no longer need to quarantine upon arrival but they must still take PCR tests 48 hours before their flights and submit online health declarations to China’s customs authority.
China has required travellers to provide health declarations and negative PCR test results since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.
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