Advertisement
Advertisement
Coronavirus China
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
Chinese tourists pose with local dancers at the airport in Bali, Indonesia, following the opening of China’s international borders in January. Photo: Xinhua

Flying direct to China from New Zealand? No need for Covid-19 PCR tests from Wednesday

  • Travellers only need to take a RAT and declare negative results on arrival, Chinese embassy in New Zealand says
  • It is not clear if Chinese embassies in other countries might make similar announcements
Passengers flying directly from New Zealand to Chinese destinations will no longer need to provide negative PCR test results as of Wednesday, in a sign that mainland China is opening up further to overseas visitors.

Travellers will only need to take a self-administered rapid antigen test (RAT) within 48 hours before departure and declare the results on arrival, according to the Chinese embassy in New Zealand.

The announcement comes after China earlier this year lifted most Covid-related border controls that had been in place since early 2020.

It is not clear if Chinese embassies in other countries might make similar announcements.

01:35

Cambodia welcomes its first tour group from China since Covid pandemic

Cambodia welcomes its first tour group from China since Covid pandemic

Under the new rule, airlines will no longer check test results during check-in from New Zealand. Arrivals will only need to fill in a health declaration form stating the result on the social media platform WeChat, or the China Customs app or its website.

China reopened its international borders in January, just weeks after easing most domestic pandemic restrictions under its “zero-Covid” policy. On February 6, all testing requirements and quota restrictions for cross-border travel to and from Hong Kong and Macau were scrapped.

However, while quarantine upon entry was scrapped, Chinese authorities still required airlines to check overseas passengers’ negative PCR test results taken within the previous 48 hours.

China’s cross-border trips at 3-year high as Hong Kong, Macau open up fully

New Zealand was also on the list of 20 countries where China allowed group tours to resume after the border reopening, with the first Chinese group tour due to land in Auckland on Friday, according to an earlier statement from the embassy.

Other curbs on travel to and from China, especially with regard to Japan and South Korea, have also been eased in recent weeks.

Chinese embassies in Japan and South Korea had stopped issuing visas in a tit-for-tat move in early January, after those countries imposed travel restrictions over a Covid-19 surge in China.
But China has been gradually reopening to visitors from both nations since late last month, after they resumed normal visa issuance.

03:01

South Korean street vendors eagerly await Chinese tourists amid tit-for-tat Covid travel measures

South Korean street vendors eagerly await Chinese tourists amid tit-for-tat Covid travel measures

Japan has announced that instead of testing all arrivals from China, it would only test by random selection from Wednesday, according to Kyodo News. However, travellers must still show a negative test result at check-in.

The Japanese government, which no longer limits direct flights to and from China to the four major airports of Narita, Haneda, Kansai and Chubu, has also said it will allow airlines to increase the number of direct flights.

China was hit by a wave of Covid-19 infections in the weeks after lifting its strict zero-Covid policy of testing and lockdowns in December. The wave prompted Japan to limit flights from China and require on-arrival Covid-19 tests, while South Korea suspended short-term visas for Chinese visitors.

1