China has just announced that they will be suspending the entry of any and all foreigners into the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China just announced the temporary suspension of foreign nationals. This was done to curb the non-stop spread of the Coronavirus.
The suspension encompasses all foreign nationals. These include those foreigners with visas or even residence permits. The suspension will be taking place on midnight of March 28, 2020.
Apart from the visas and residence permits, many other policies are included as well. These include but are not limited to:
- APEC Business Travel Cards
- Port Visas
- 24/72/144-hour Visa-free Transport Policies
- Hainan 30-day Visa-free Policy
- 15-day Visa-free Policy Specified for Foreign Cruise-group-tour through Shanghai Port
- Guangdong 144-hour Visa-free Policy Specified for Foreign Tour Groups from Hong Kong or Macao SAR
- Guangxi 15-day Visa-free Policy Specified for Foreign Tour Groups of ASEAN Countries
It is important to note that the visas and policies affected are the ones that are only valid at the time of the announcement.
There are a few policies and visas that are still allowed. Diplomatic, Service, or C visas are not affected by this announcement.
In addition, if you are a foreign national entering China for purposes like economy, trade, or science, or humanitarian needs will have a chance to enter.
You may still apply for visas in Chinese consulates or embassies. If a visa was given after this announcement, they will be allowed.
The suspension of visas is only a temporary measure that the Chinese government has done to combat the spread of the Coronavirus. They are currently mirroring the best practices of other countries.
China has also promised to stay in contact with other countries. If there are any needs for people to travel around, they will handle it according to the situation.
The practices mentioned in the announcement will be calibrated and customized with the ever-evolving situation of the Coronavirus outbreak.
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