
Entry regulations
China
Find all entry regulations for flights to China in the following table*.
Prior to Travel
A one-time airport transit with a stay of up to 24 hours is possible without a visa. In some cities, a stay of 72 or 144 hours is also possible. The prerequisite for all visa-free transit stays is entry via one of the prescribed border checkpoints and onward travel to a third country that was not the starting point of the trip. A valid ticket and, if necessary, a visa of the third country must be presented accordingly. Onward travel with connecting flights within China is not permitted.
In the past, travellers with Turkish, Iraqi or Pakistani visas in their passports have been excluded from the scheme and turned back. The decision is made upon entry.
Applicants who have a passport issued after 1 January 2014, must partly present the expired passport together with the current one for the application. If the passport has been confiscated, a corresponding declaration must be made. It must be explained which countries have been visited in the last three years as well as the length of the respective stay.
Biometric data will be taken (fingerprints), for which fees will be charged. The visa must be applied for in person.
Travel exclusively to Hainan Island can be made visa-free through an accredited travel agency in Hainan for a period of up to 30 days. For further travel, a visa must be applied for in advance.
Travellers must also register for visa-free stays, which can be done by a hotel.
There are no known restrictions
There are no known restrictions
Non-essential travel to China is currently advised against.
The so-called '3G rule' has been suspended for entry into Germany, i.e. entrants no longer have to prove that they have either been vaccinated, recovered, or tested. This regulation has been extended until 7 April 2023. As regards air travel, masks must generally be worn on all flights if mask-wearing is compulsory in either the country of departure or the country of destination. The implementation is enforced by the operating airline and may therefore vary. Travellers are advised to carry at least one mask with them at all times. For information on mask mandates, please see the respective category.
Prior to Entry
Tourist travel to China is possible again as of 15 March. Cruise ships are allowed to dock in Hainan and Shanghai. The borders to Hong Kong and Macao have already been open again without restrictions (i.e. without test regulations and daily entry quotas) since February.
Since 8 January, a health form must be filled out for entry.
Visa-free transit stays in China have been possible again since 8 January.
Information on quarantine regulations, testing requirements and possible exceptions for transit travellers that have been vaccinated can be found in the respective categories (if available).
Test to be presented upon entry: Rapid test. Rapid-Tests to be conducted within hours prior to entry: 48 hours.
Children and minors are not generally exempt in case testing requirements apply.
Since 29 April, a rapid antigen test result can be presented instead of a PCR test result. The test result required to obtain the green QR code upon entry must be uploaded to Chinese customs authorities via the online health declaration. Alternatively, this can also be done via WeChat or official app. Special rules, e.g. for travellers that show symptoms, have been dropped.
In most cases, travellers are considered fully vaccinated if they have completed the primary vaccination series, i.e. having received two doses of an authorized two-dose-vaccine or one dose of an authorized single-dose vaccine. Travellers who have been vaccinated must currently meet the same requirements for entry as all other travellers.
Only the relevant embassies, consulates and national authorities can provide binding information on which vaccines are accepted for entering a country.
There is no quarantine on entry for completely immunized persons.
In most cases, travellers are considered fully vaccinated if they have completed the primary vaccination series, i.e. having received two doses of an authorized two-dose-vaccine or one dose of an authorized single-dose vaccine. Travellers who have been vaccinated must currently meet the same requirements for entry as all other travellers.
Only the relevant embassies, consulates and national authorities can provide binding information on which vaccines are accepted for entering a country.
There is no quarantine on entry for incompletely vaccinated persons.
There is no quarantine on entry for those who have recovered.
Convalescents are subject to the same testing requirements as all other travellers.
On Site
Restrictions are eased for those vaccinated or having tested negative.
Since December 2022, a PCR test is no longer required for access to places of public life. Only hospitals require proof of testing; this is integrated via an application on WeChat.
Current value: 0. Previous week: 0
Data source: Our World in Data / European Center for Disease Control. The data is only available at country level and is updated daily.
On 8 January 2023, the measures taken locally were relaxed countrywide. There are no longer any COVID-19-related travel restrictions within the country.
After entire 68 cities were briefly affected by full or partial lockdowns in September 2022, the strict measures of the "Zero Covid" strategy were first relaxed on 7 December 2022 and then again on 8 January 2023.
Since April, masks have only been compulsory in medical facilities, not in public transport or even outdoors.
In the cities and provinces, there may be local restrictions on the opening of shops and stores.
Local restrictions on opening restaurants are possible.
Hotels and other accommodations are open.
In regions currently little affected by COVID-19 ('low risk areas'), public life is back to normal, but in places with new hotspots restrictions may be imposed.
Public transport is operating normally.
Domestic air traffic is always subject to restrictions in the event of local lockdowns. Air traffic to cities in lockdown may be suspended. However, new lockdowns are not very likely at this time.
According to information from April 2023, isolation is no longer mandatory. The Chinese government recommends staying at home in case of mild symptoms.
Departure
At the moment, nothing is known about a general mandatory COVID-19 test when leaving China, but in most cases, travel to the airport (especially from areas affected by lockdowns) is only possible with a negative test result.
Entry/return to Germany
For travellers entering from a risk-free area, there is no obligation to register online before returning to Germany. The exact regulations are available on the Ministry of Health‘s information sheet.
There are no known restrictions
There is no obligation to test before entering Germany.
There is no obligation to test after entering Germany.
According to the Robert Koch-Institute, it is a risk-free area. There is no quarantine obligation after entry into or return to Germany.
There is no testing or quarantine requirement for completely immunized persons on entry/return.
Vaccinated persons are exempt from national quarantine and testing obligations. (Caution: In Germany, only the vaccines by BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Novavax have been approved so far.) Further information is available from the Federal Government.
According to the Robert Koch-Institute, it is a risk-free area. There is no quarantine obligation after entry into or return to Germany.
There is no testing or quarantine requirement on entry/return for incompletely vaccinated persons.
According to the Robert Koch-Institute, it is a risk-free area. There is no quarantine obligation after entry into or return to Germany.
There is no testing or quarantine requirement on entry/return for those who have recovered.
Recovered persons are exempt from quarantine and testing obligations nationwide, area of active circulation of highly contagious virus variants. Those who have recovered need proof of a positive PCR test (or other nucleic acid detection) at least 28 days and no more than 3 months ago. Recovered persons must not have any symptoms of a possible COVID-19 infection. Further information is available from the Federal Government.
*All information is without guarantee and is based exclusively on information provided by external sources, e.g. the German Foreign Office. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of this information. Please inform yourself about the applicable entry requirements before your flight.