Entering the Chinese Mainland
Immigration and quarantine requirements
Entry restrictions
- Foreign nationals with visas issued before 28 March 2020 are not permitted to enter the Chinese Mainland.
- Foreign nationals with residence permits or APEC Business Travel Cards are not permitted to enter the Chinese Mainland.
Entry restriction exemptions
- Foreigners holding diplomatic, service, courtesy or C visas
- Foreign nationals travelling to the Chinese Mainland for necessary economic, trade, scientific or technological activities; foreign nationals arriving for emergency humanitarian needs may apply for visas at Chinese embassies/consulates
- Foreign nationals with a visa issued on or after 28 March 2020
- Foreign nationals holding a Chinese Mainland Permanent Resident Card
- Foreigners with a Chinese Residence Permit issued by China (People’s Rep.) for the purpose of work, personal matters or reunions
Quarantine measures
- All passengers are subject to a medical screening and 14-day quarantine
- All passengers entering Beijing will be subject to an additional 7-day quarantine and 7-day health surveillance, following their 14-day mandatory quarantine at the government designated facilities
- All passengers entering Chengdu, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Xiamen will be subject to an additional 7-day home quarantine, following their 14-day mandatory quarantine at the government designated facilities
- All passengers entering Chongqing will be subject to an additional 7-day home quarantine, following their 14-day mandatory quarantine at the government designated facilities
- All passengers entering Nanjing will be subject to an additional 14-day home quarantine, following their 14-day mandatory quarantine at the government designated facilities
Visa restrictions
All visa free transit services have been suspended. This includes the:
- 24/72/144-hour visa-free transit policy
- Hainan 30-day visa-free policy
- 15-day visa-free policy for foreign cruise group tours through Shanghai Port
- Guangdong 144-hour visa-free policy for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong or Macao SAR
- Guangxi 15-day visa-free policy for foreign tour groups from ASEAN countries
Additionally, the visa exemption policy is suspended to nationals of Japan, Singapore and Brunei.
Pre-departure requirements
COVID-19 test
Hong Kong SAR government requirement from 29 March, 2022
From 29 March 2022, the Hong Kong SAR government requires all passengers aged three years and above travelling from Hong Kong to the Chinese Mainland to undergo a COVID-19 PCR test within eight hours of departure.
A dedicated, free-of-charge testing facility has been set up by the HKSAR government at Hong Kong International Airport. Passengers must pre-book and obtain their PCR test at this facility prior to check-in. Test slots can be booked up to one week in advance of travel, and a test time must be booked at least five (and a maximum of eight) hours prior to the flight’s scheduled departure time.
The testing facility at Hong Kong International Airport will be provided by Prenetics and can be found at the north end on the upper level of Terminal 1 – the same level the Airport Express train arrives from Hong Kong and Kowloon. Bookings can be made on the dedicated Prenetics website.
Further information can be found on the Hong Kong SAR government’s COVID-19 website.
Flights to Shanghai:
Local authorities require all passengers (regardless of age) travelling to Shanghai on a Cathay Pacific operated flight to present a test report indicating a negative PCR test result for Covid-19. The test must be either a nasal swab, throat swab or a combined nasal and throat swab and the sample for the test must be taken within 48 hours of the scheduled departure time of their flight. This report can be in English or Chinese and can be presented in paper or electronic form.
- The test report must be issued by an authorised laboratory in Hong Kong
This COVID-19 test is required in addition to the test required by the Hong Kong SAR government. To accept passengers for travel, we will need to sight both test documents at check-in.
Flights to Beijing:
Due to documentation requirements by the local authorities, all passengers (regardless of age) travelling to Beijing on a Cathay Pacific operated flight must have a PCR test report indicating that they have taken a nucleic acid test for COVID-19 within 7 days of the scheduled departure time; and that the result of the test was negative.
The test report must contains the following information:
- Passenger’s name
- Travel document no.
- Test method
- Specimen collection date and time
- Negative test result
- Test report issue date and time
- Signature of the report issuer
- The specimen collection type (ie - through either “nasal swab” or “combined nasal and throat swabs” (children aged below 6, can use a “throat swab” method)
The document must be in Chinese or English and can be accepted in paper or digital format. (for more details, can be found here)
This COVID-19 test is required in addition to the test required by the Hong Kong SAR government. To accept passengers for travel, we will need to sight both test documents at check-in.
Flights to Chongqing:
Local authorities require all passengers (regardless of age) travelling to Chongqing to present a test report indicating a negative PCR test result for Covid-19. The test must be either a nasal swab, throat swab or a combined nasal and throat swab and the sample for the test must be taken within 48 hours of the scheduled departure time of their flight. This report can be in English or Chinese and can be presented in paper or electronic form.
- The test report must be issued by an authorised laboratory in Hong Kong
This COVID-19 test is required in addition to the test required by the Hong Kong SAR government. To accept passengers for travel, we will need to sight both test documents at check-in.
General information:
A list of laboratories and health care institutions conducting COVID-19 testing in Hong Kong can be found on the Hong Kong SAR government’s website. Alternatively passengers can book and pay for a test at a government community testing centre. There is also a facility at Hong Kong International Airport. Bookings are essential at most test centres. Passengers are reminded to take their identity document with them and let the testing centre know a report is needed for airline travel.
For passengers starting their journey in all other destinations:
- All passengers (including those travelling on a diplomatic basis) departing from/transiting through nominated countries to all destinations in the Chinese Mainland, are required to take a nucleic acid COVID-19 test and IgM anti-body tests within 48 hours of the scheduled time of departure of the flight to the Chinese Mainland
- The test should be taken at institutions in the city of departure and designated or recognised by relevant Chinese embassies or consulates
- Those who test negative will need apply for a green health code with an “HS” marking or a health declaration letter and present it at check-in prior to acceptance
- As most destinations only accept a medical certificate indicating a negative COVID-19 test result in English, please ensure you have the necessary documents ready in order to travel.
Health declaration
- All passengers are required to complete a health declaration form prior to their arrival in the Chinese Mainland
Travelling with special mobility requirements
Due to the quarantine processes on arrival in all Chinese Mainland airports, there are temporary restrictions in place on travelling with a wheelchair. As these services are not currently being offered by the airport authorities, we are unable to offer this service on flights between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.
Passengers intending to travel with their own wheelchair may do so. However, on arrival in all Chinese Mainland airports, it can only be made available in the baggage reclaim hall. As arrival and quarantine processes can be lengthy, passengers may be required to walk long distances and be without their wheelchair for an extended period. On departure, we will need to accept the wheelchair at check-in, and passengers will need to be able to reach and board the aircraft unassisted.
Please note that in many airports, boarding and disembarkation will be via stairs. For safety reasons, customers must be able to ascend and descend stairs unassisted; and our airport teams are not able to provide physical lifting assistance in these circumstances.
Post-arrival COVID-19 test requirement
- All passengers will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Xiamen
Transiting through the Chinese Mainland
Transit restrictions
- Passengers are no longer permitted to transit through Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shanghai and Xiamen Airports
Transiting through Hong Kong to the Chinese Mainland
Transit restrictions
- Passengers are not permitted to transit through Hong Kong International Airport to destinations in the Chinese Mainland