China’s post-pandemic travel plans slowed by 8-week wait for visas to Europe, as understaffed processing offices struggle to cope with demand

Chinese tourists and business visitors are being frustrated by the long wait for visas to European countries and having to cancel or rearrange travel plans

Many visa application centres closed or downsized during the pandemic, and some countries, including Germany, still have restrictions for Chinese travellers

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China may have reopened after the Covid pandemic, but Chinese tourists and business travellers are frustrated at the processing times for visas for European countries, taking up to two months instead of a few days. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 1:45pm, 8 Feb 2023Updated: 3:09pm, 8 Feb 2023

China’s rapid dismantling of Covid restrictions has caught some embassies and consulates in the country off guard and understaffed, causing complications in issuing visas and delaying the resumption of international business activity.

Joerg Wuttke, head of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said some Chinese executives are waiting as long as six to eight weeks to get business visas to travel to Europe. Prior to the pandemic, typical applications could be completed sometimes in a matter of days.

Schengen-area countries are most affected, in particular Germany, which counts China as a key trading partner. At least two leading foreign business groups in China have called for a return to systems and processes used before the pandemic. Chinese tourists wishing to travel to Europe have also faced visa delays, forcing some to cancel or rearrange plans.

Wuttke attributed the bottlenecks with German visa approvals to a lack of resources to handle the spike in demand. “They simply have no staffing to actually cope with the introduction again,” he said.

Joerg Wuttke, head of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, attributes the bottlenecks with German visa approvals to a lack of resources.

Compounding matters, China’s Covid policy reversal coincided with Christmas and the Lunar New Year holiday, when businesses largely shut down as workers returned to their hometowns. Many millions hadn’t been home during the years of restrictions.