China to resume issuing passports, visas as virus curbs ease

Beijing, December 28

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China said it will resume issuing ordinary visas and passports in another big step away from anti-virus controls that isolated the country for almost three years, setting up a potential flood of millions of Chinese going abroad for next month’s Lunar New Year holiday.

The announcement on Tuesday added to abrupt changes that are rolling back some of the world’s strictest anti-virus controls as President Xi Jinping’s government tries to reverse an economic slump.

The latest decision could send an influx of free-spending Chinese tourists to revenue-starved destinations in Asia and Europe for Lunar New Year, which begins January 22. But it also presents a danger they might spread covid as infections surge in China.

China stopped issuing visas to foreigners and passports to its own people at the start of the covid pandemic in early 2020.

The National Immigration Administration of China said it will start taking applications from January 8 for passports for tourists to go abroad. It said it will resume issuing approval for tourists and business people to visit Hong Kong.

The agency said it will take applications for ordinary visas and residence permits. It said the government will “gradually resume” allowing in foreign visitors and gave no indication when full-scale tourist travel from abroad might be allowed.

Health experts and economists expected the ruling Communist Party to keep restrictions on travel into China until at least mid-2023 while it carries out a campaign to vaccinate millions of elderly people.

The government has dropped or eased most quarantine, testing and other restrictions within China.

Japan and India responded to China’s surge in infections by requiring virus tests for travellers from the country. US officials said Washington was considering taking similar steps.

On Monday, the government said it would scrap quarantine requirements for travellers arriving from abroad, also effective January 8. Foreign companies welcomed the change as an important step to revive slumping business activity.