Visa application streamlined for expats with Chinese vaccines

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On March 14th, China simplified its visa policy for foreigners applying to enter the Chinese mainland via Hong Kong who have received China-produced COVID-19 vaccines.

The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region issued a notice on March 12th exempting foreign visa applicants who have received a Chinese vaccine from having to provide health certification. Chinese experts said it can be seen as a trial for China to explore vaccine visas and hopefully can be expanded to other parts of the world.

对接种中国生产新冠肺炎疫苗人员来华提供签证便利的通知

Notice on Visa Facilitation for Applicants Inoculated with COVID-19 Vaccines Produced in China

Screenshot of the notice issued by the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong

为有序恢复中外人员往来，自2021年3月15日起，中国外交部驻香港特别行政区特派员公署将对已经接种中国生产的新冠肺炎疫苗，并持疫苗接种证明材料的以下签证申请人提供便利：

In view of resuming people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries in an orderly manner, starting from 15 March 2021, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR will provide the following facilitation for visa applicants who have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China and obtained the vaccination certificate: 

 （一）赴华从事各领域复工复产活动的外籍人员及其家属，可按照新冠疫情前的要求准备材料并递交申请，即无需提供省级外事、商务部门或央企的《邀请函（PU）》、《邀请函（TE）》及《邀请核实单》。

1. Foreign nationals and their family members visiting the mainland of China for resuming work and production in various fields need only to provide the documents required before the COVID-19 pandemic when applying for a visa. The Invitation Letter (PU), Invitation Letter (TE) or Invitation Verification Notice issued by the foreign affairs offices or the departments of commerce of the provincial (including autonomous regions and municipalities) governments or the headquarters of central state-owned enterprises are no longer required.

（二）适度扩大因“紧急人道主义需要”赴华人员签证审发范围。适用人群：中国公民或永久居民的外籍家庭成员，包括配偶、父母、子女和其他共同生活的近亲属（指兄弟姐妹、祖父母、外祖父母、孙子女、外孙子女）。赴华事由：家庭团聚、赡养、探亲、来华奔丧或探望危重病亲属。符合上述条件者，可递交签证申请。

2. The scope of applicants eligible for applying for a visa out of emergency humanitarian needs will be expanded as appropriate. Foreign family members of Chinese citizens or permanent residents of China, including spouse, parents, children and other close relatives living together (referring to siblings, grandparents and grandchildren), may submit visa applications for the purposes of reuniting with family, taking care of the elderly, visiting relatives, attending funerals or visiting critically ill relatives.

（三）持有效APEC商务旅行卡人员，可凭有效APEC商务旅行卡及中国内地邀请单位出具的邀请函，申请办理商贸类签证。

3. Holders of valid APEC business travel cards may apply for the M visa by presenting the original valid APEC business travel card and the invitation letter issued by the inviting party in the mainland of China.

请注意，以上相关便利仅适用于已经接种中国生产的新冠肺炎疫苗（接种中国生产的疫苗并按规定时间间隔打完2针或接种中国生产单针疫苗后满14天），并持疫苗接种证明材料的签证申请人，在递交申请时不再需要提供核酸检测阴性证明和《过去14天旅行轨迹和健康申报表》。

Please be noted that the above-mentioned visa facilitation applies only to applicants who have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China (either having received two doses of Chinese-made vaccines with the stipulated gap in between, or having received a single-dose Chinese-made vaccine at least 14 days prior to the application) and obtained the vaccination certificate. A proof of a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result and the Health and Travel Record Declaration Form for Visa Application are no longer required.

In addition to Hong Kong,  China Macau and Chinese embassies in multiple countries including Japan, Israel, Thailand, and Federated States of Micronesia will streamline visa application procedure for foreigners who have been inoculated with China-produced vaccines starting from Monday, in an effort to resume normal personnel exchanges in the post-epidemic era, according to the notices issued by the embassies recently.

Starting from March 15th, people visiting China for business purposes and have been inoculated with Chinese COVID-19 vaccines can prepare materials and apply for visas according to requirements in pre-epidemic times, said a notice issued by the Chinese Embassy in Japan.

Screenshot of the notice issued by the Chinese Embassy in Japan: http://www.china-embassy.or.jp/chn/lsfws/lsb/

Foreign family members of Chinese citizens or permanent residents who go to China for emergency humanitarian needs, including spouses, parents, children and other close relatives, if the reason for visiting China is a family reunion, visiting relatives, funeral or caring for critically ill patients, can apply for visas once their vaccination certificates are obtained.

Screenshot of the notice issued by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan:http://pk.chineseembassy.org/eng/lsfw/hn/

Foreign nationals with APEC Business Travel Cards can also resume visa applications with invitation letters, according to the statements by the embassies in Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Before the issuance of the notice, the embassy had suggested a "no travel for non-essential purposes" policy to avoid cross-infections from international personnel exchanges.

The Chinese Embassy in Israel, Thailand, and Federated States of Micronesia have also issued similar notices as of press time, stressing that people visiting China for business purposes no longer need invitation letters provided by provincial-level foreign affairs or commerce departments, or by central state-owned enterprises. 

Chinese embassies in these countries also noted in the statement that COVID-19 nucleic acid tests and serology IgM antibody tests taken within 48 hours are still required upon arrival, and travelers must follow local quarantine rules at their destinations in China. 

It is worth noting that such detailed requirements were not specifically laid out in the simplified visa policy on Sunday for foreigners applying to enter the Chinese mainland via Hong Kong.

The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region issued a notice on Friday exempting foreign visa applicants who have received a Chinese vaccine from having to provide health certification. Chinese experts said it can be seen as a trial for China to explore vaccine visas and hopefully can be expanded to other parts of the world.

Source: Global Times & GDToday;

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/nOQabzEaOg59xYDrs3DByw

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