In good news for China expats who have been stuck outside the country for months, rules for re-entry are about to get a lot easier. According to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Immigration Administration yesterday, those with valid visas and residence permits can re-enter China without an additional permit from midnight on Monday, September 28.

China expats who had left China but still had valid documents had recently been permitted to re-enter the country only if a special permit had been secured two weeks before travel.

The new rules will only apply to those with residence permits for work, personal matters and family reunion. In addition, people whose residence permits in the same categories expired after March 28 can present their expired papers and relevant supporting materials to Chinese embassies or consulates in their home countries as long as their reason to reside in China remains unchanged.

Further details, such as whether this applies to all nationalities and job categories and whether foreigners currently in China will now be able to come and go, remain hazy.

The adjustment comes six months after China effectively closed its borders to all foreign nationals in an attempt to quell imported cases of COVID-19. All returnees will, of course, be required to submit to a 14-day quarantine on arrival, as per China’s epidemic prevention measures.

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Keywords: China expats