China eases Covid entry restriction to allow transit via third country

A notice from the Chinese embassy in the US says travellers can now get health codes needed to board flights when travelling to China via third countries

News is likely to reduce burden on businesses and follows a move to reduce quarantine requirements earlier this week

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China still has some of the world’s toughest Covid-19 controls on inbound travel. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:30pm, 2 Jul 2022

China is preparing to further relax its entry requirements, allowing international arrivals to transit via a third country.

According to a notice published on Friday on the website of the Chinese embassy in the United States, from July 1 the embassy will issue a health code for passengers who fly from the US and enter via a third country, or who transit through America.

Passengers have to take a Covid test to receive a “green code”, which they have to present before boarding. Previously, the embassy would only grant the codes to US citizens flying directly from the United States, the notice said.

China has also loosened restrictions for citizens of other countries recently.

Although the move may make it easier for foreign businesses to send staff to China, the country still has some of the strictest quarantine requirements and entry controls more than two years into the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, China’s National Health Commission released new guidelines, saying those entering the country must spend seven days in a government-run facility and three days monitoring at home or another designated site. Previously they were required to spend 14 days in quarantine and seven at home.

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