China's Spring Festival is approaching, many international students and parents consider returning to China for the New Year, recently China has actively adjusted the visa and entry policies to China, the motherland welcomes overseas travelers to go home for the Spring Festival to simplify the process of entry is more convenient!
1. Cancel the "black code" for entry into China
From 0:00 on November 1, 2023, China Customs will cancel the declaration requirement for the customs health declaration card for all inbound and outbound passengers.
The cancellation of the Entry-Exit Health Declaration Card, commonly known as the "black code", means that China's entry-exit procedures have fully returned to the pre-epidemic normal.
2. Relax visa restrictions for U.S. tourists
Recently, the Chinese Embassy in the United States issued the Notice on the Waiver of L (Tourist) Visa Application Materials for Chinese Embassies and Consulates in the United States. According to the notice, in order to further facilitate personnel exchanges between China and the United States, starting from January 1, 2024, the Chinese embassy and consulates in the United States will reduce the L (tourist) visa application materials: those in the United States who travel to China can apply for a visa to China without providing application materials such as round-trip air tickets, hotel orders, itineraries or invitation letters. Depending on the case, please refer to the requirements of the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in the United States.
3. It is more convenient for Chinese to return to China to pay
In recent years, overseas Chinese have a feeling when they return to China, domestic people generally use mobile payment, and cash is basically not used, while overseas countries such as Canada are still accustomed to using bank cards and cash and other payment methods, and there is an unsuitable situation.
In order to solve this problem, the People's Bank of China has established a special working mechanism to organize and promote various tasks in an orderly manner. In a nutshell, this solution is "large-value card swiping, small-amount code scanning, and cash pocket".
The first is to improve the environment for accepting overseas bank cards. Organize all branches of the People's Bank of China to find out the acceptance of outdoor cards for domestic merchants under their jurisdiction, and work with departments of commerce, culture and tourism to designate key business districts, airports, railway stations and other major foreign-related venues, and guide commercial banks and payment institutions to accelerate the opening of foreign card acceptance by key merchants. This is known as "big card swipe".
The second is to enrich the supply of mobile payment products. It has guided Alipay, Tenpay, China UnionPay and other companies to launch products such as "Binding Wild Cards", "Outsourcing and Internal", and UnionPay Travel Card, and innovated and developed digital RMB solutions to meet the mobile payment needs of overseas people coming to China. This is a "small amount scan".
The third is to improve the environment for the use of cash. Organize banks to carry out ATM foreign card acceptance transformation, and improve the ATM coverage rate that supports foreign card cash withdrawal. Continue to carry out special rectification work on the refusal to accept RMB cash. This is the last "cash pocket".
In addition, the People's Bank of China (PBoC) continues to optimize its account services. Guide banks to implement classified and hierarchical management of accounts, optimize the account opening process, and improve the convenience level of opening bank accounts for overseas people in China.
4. China's official announcement of new visa-free entry rules
Recently, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that China has decided to expand the scope of unilateral visa-free countries on a trial basis, and implement a unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from six countries: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia.
From December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024, holders of ordinary passports from the above-mentioned countries can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, family and friends and transit for no more than 15 days.
Previously, China also officially announced a new policy: citizens of 54 countries, including Canada, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, can apply for China's 72/144-hour transit visa-free!
5. The visa fee for going to China will be reduced
According to the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, after the implementation of the "Category B and B Management" for new coronavirus infection, the Chinese government has continued to optimize the visa and entry policies for foreigners to China to promote personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries.
As a temporary measure, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad will charge a visa fee of 75% of the current fee from December 11, 2023 to December 31, 2024. For details, please consult the Chinese embassy or consulate in your local area.
Subsequently, a number of Chinese embassies abroad announced that they would reduce visa fees for China, involving Canada, the United States, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Fiji, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, etc.
The Chinese Embassy in Canada has announced new visa prices
The Chinese Embassy in Canada announced that in order to facilitate the exchange of people between China and foreign countries, the visa fee for China will be reduced from December 11, 2023 to December 31, 2024. The reduced visa fees are as follows:
1. Canadian citizens: 75 Canadian dollars per person (regardless of the number of entries)
2. U.S. citizens: $190 per person (regardless of number of entries)
3. Citizens of other countries (unless otherwise agreed):
● Single entry: $40 per person;
● Double entry: $60 per person;
● Multiple entries within half a year:
$75 per person;
● Multiple entries within 1 year:
CAD 110 per person;
● Group visa: CAD 30 per person.
6. No appointment is required to apply for a visa
Recently, the Chinese Embassy in Canada issued a notice announcing that from November 20, 2023, online appointments for visa applications will be cancelled.
Applicants can submit their applications directly at the corresponding China Visa Application Center without the need to make an appointment. The specific process is as follows:
1. Applicants should log in to the website of the Visa Application Center to complete the online application form, download and print the paper application form (full form), and sign on the confirmation page and the last page.
2. Submit the application form and other required documents to the corresponding visa application center.
Previously, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the United States also issued a notice to implement walk-in visa applications from October 23, 2023. After logging in to the Chinese Visa Online Application System (COVA) to complete the form, visa applicants can submit their applications at the document hall of the embassy or consulate with the visa application materials, and there is no need to make an appointment online.
7. Introduce measures to exempt fingerprints for visas
Recently, the Chinese Embassy in Canada issued a notice: according to the work arrangement, before December 31, 2024 (inclusive), the Chinese embassy and consulates in Canada will continue to exempt eligible applicants for business, tourism, family visits, transit and crew visas from one or two entries.
8. The Hague Convention came into effect, and the study abroad documents were simplified
On November 7, 2023, the Hague Convention officially entered into force! The Convention aims to replace the traditional chain authentication with one-step authentication, simplify the international authentication process of public documents, and greatly improve the efficiency of the international circulation of public documents.
The core content of the Hague Convention mainly includes the following two points:
• Cancellation of consular legalization: Under the Convention, States parties no longer require diplomatic or consular legalization of certain documents. At present, the signatories include the European Union countries, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Australia, Russia, Canada, etc.
● Implementation of additional certificates: In order to verify the authenticity of the signature, identity of the signatory and the seal of the document, the circulation of documents between the contracting parties only needs to apply for an additional certificate (Apostille), and there is no need for "double authentication".
This means that the mainland will begin to issue additional certificates, and the documents affixed with additional certificates can be used among the States parties to the Convention without the need for consular legalization by foreign embassies and consulates in China.
At the same time, it also means that when you apply for studying abroad and carry out the notarization and double certification of materials, you can more conveniently and quickly handle the health certificates, degree certificates and other documents needed to study abroad, and at the same time, the processing fee has also been greatly reduced!
What documents can be used for apostille?
Apostille is applicable to all kinds of documents, including personal documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, green card, etc.), study abroad documents (transcripts, academic certificates, etc.), supporting documents (single certificate, certificate of no criminal record, death certificate, etc.), business documents (registration certificate, contract, etc.).
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CAN GO TO THE PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS DESIGNATED BY THE HAGUE CONVENTION TO APPLY FOR THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, WHICH WILL CERTIFY THEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONVENTION AND ISSUE CORRESPONDING VALID SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (APOSTILLE). These certificates will be considered consular legalized, so international students no longer need to go through the cumbersome legalization process at an embassy or consulate.
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