China

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.

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.

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).

Convalescents are subject to the same testing requirements as all other travellers.

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.

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.

In the cities and provinces, there may be local restrictions on the opening of shops and stores.

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.

According to information from April 2023, isolation is no longer mandatory. The Chinese government recommends staying at home in case of mild symptoms.

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.