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In order to enter China, a foreign traveler must present a valid
passport, a China visa or other certificate, and a quarantine
certificate to the border inspection agent at an appointed port. A
foreign traveler is required to fill out an entry card and can not enter
until the inspection agent approves and put an appropriate seal on the
relevant credentials.
Valid credentials
Passport: Passport is a credential issued by a country's governing body
to their citizens who are planning to travel or reside abroad. The
passport can be used to testify the bearer’s nationality and
identification.
Visa: All visitors traveling to mainland China, whether for business
trips or for leisure tours, require a valid visa. In order to obtain the
visa, the traveler’s passport must be valid for at least six months
after the duration of your intended stay. China visas can be applied in
Chinese embassies or consulates all over the world.
Customs Entry Procedures
There are two types of customs channels in China, the red channel, also
being called declaration channel; and the green channel, or “free to go”
channel.
Usually, a foreign traveler needs to go through the red channel and must
first file a declaration form with the customs before entering the
channel. The declaration form, which must be filled out in truth, will
lose its validity once being defaced or lost. Those who declare
dishonestly or do not declare at all will be dealt with according to the
customs law once identified.
Foreign travelers to China are allowed to carry necessary and reasonable
quantity of items for the trip. The passengers over 16 years can carry
400 cigarettes and two bottles of wine weighing 750 grams or less.
The foreign persons who have been granted diplomatic courtesy visas by
the Chinese authorities may choose to use the green channel. But they
must show their own credentials to the customs and complete required
declaration documents.
Quarantine Inspection Before Entering China
Any foreign travelers entering China are required to truthfully file a
health declaration form with the border quarantine department. Any
passengers who have infectious diseases but failed to declare shall be
barred from reentering China once being discovered. Those who have
already entered with undeclared infectious diseases shall be ordered to
depart from China immediately.
Travelers from any known infectious disease spreading regions are
required to show a valid immunization certificate for the concerned
diseases. The certificate is commonly referred to the "yellow book". If
a traveler can not produce such certificate, he or she will be put on
quarantine for six days awaiting the mandatory test results from the
border health authorities.
Any commodities coming from the potential infectious regions or those
that may become the media articles of epidemic diseases are subject to
health and quarantine inspection as well as sanitation treatments.
The following groups of persons are barred from entering China:
A. Those who were deported out of China and who are under the regulated
age.
B. Those who are considered as possible terrorists or who are believed
to undertake violence and subversive activities after entering.
C. Those who are believed to undertake possible smuggling, drug
trafficking and prostitution activities.
D. Those that are mentally ill or have leprosy, AIDS, venereal diseases,
open tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
E. Those who cannot afford what is needed in China.
F. Those who are considered to engage in the activities of endangering
the security and the interests of the country after entering.
The border inspection agent has the right of refusing the entry of the
following people.
A. Who have no valid passports, certificates or visas.
B. Who have forged, defaced credentials or have used another person’s
passports or certificate.
C. Who refuse to be inspected.
D. Who are barred from entering China by the Ministry of Public Security
or the National Security Ministry.
Exiting China
A foreign traveler should exit the country before the deadline as
established in the visa granted to the traveler. Foreign tourists must
go through the border checkpoint and provide the inspection agent with
valid passport or certificate.
The following persons are not allowed to leave the country.
A. The defendant in a criminal case or the criminal suspect identified
by people's procuratorate, or public security organizations, or the
court.
B. Who are not allowed to leave the country due to unsettled civil cases
as per court notice;
C. Others whose behaviors have violated Chinese laws and have been
identified of the need to pursue by the competent authorities.
The border authorities have the rights to prevent the following persons
from leaving China:
A. The people who hold invalid certificates;
B. Those who have forged, defaced or used other people's passports or
certificates.
C. Those who refuse to be inspected. |
