Japan-China travellers still face delays despite resumption of visa services

Travel agents have warned that flights between the two countries remain rare and expensive and many Japanese are reluctant to visit China because of Covid
Japan says it has resumed normal services for Chinese citizens, but some agencies in China have said single-entry visas are not yet available

Coronavirus China

Amber Wangin Beijing

Published: 2:30pm, 31 Jan 2023

Why you can trust SCMP

Travel between China and Japan will remain disrupted even though the two countries have started issuing visas again, travel agents have warned.

China’s embassy in Japan said on Sunday it had resumed issuing ordinary visas for Japanese citizens. The service was suspended earlier this month after Japan strengthened its Covid-19 checks on travellers entering the country from China.

Nippon Travel Agency Shanghai said the resumption was good news for Japanese citizens operating businesses in China.

But a staff member at the agency said Japanese citizens were still reluctant to visit China “because of the pandemic situation in the country”, adding that flights between the two countries are limited and expensive.

The move was also welcomed by the Japanese government, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno saying on Monday that his country will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation in China and deal “flexibly” with border control measures.

The Chinese mainland recorded 6,364 Covid-19 deaths in hospitals from January 20 to 26, according to data released on Sunday. The death toll has dropped by nearly half compared with the previous week.

China opened its borders on January 8 and announced it would gradually resume outbound travel after it abandoned its zero-Covid policy the previous month.

China will allow group tours to 20 countries to resume from February 6, but Japan is not among the approved destinations.

According to several Chinese travel agencies, applications for travel visas for Chinese nationals have not yet returned to normal.

“People can only apply for a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa which has a high requirement for the applicant’s income. Other types such as single-entry visas cannot be issued, ” according to a staff member at Beijing Utour International travel agency.

BTG International Travel & Tours said the issuing of visas to Chinese citizens going to Japan and South Korea would depend on “international relations”.

02:50

‘A little scary’: Japanese hopeful yet wary about return of Chinese travellers

However, a statement from the Japanese embassy in Beijing on January 20 went against what these agencies said, saying that its visa service in China, which was temporarily reduced because of the Covid-19 pandemic, had resumed normal operations.

The embassy has not responded to requests for comment.

Beijing authorities have criticised some countries for setting “discriminatory entry restrictions” on travellers from China.

Last week both France and South Korea said they would extend restrictions on travellers from China such as mandatory Covid-19 tests on arrival.

China has so far not resumed issuing short-term visas for South Korean citizens and said the measures will be “adjusted” if South Korea cancels its “discriminatory” restrictions.