China Travel Law

Exclusive Tours to China

Entry Regulations

A valid visa, passport, as well as other necessary credentials and documents, are required for an individual to enter China. The visa should be approved prior to entering China. For any travelers visiting Tibet, a Tibet Travel Permit is required, which must be obtained 15 days before entering Tibet. If your tour only covers Hong Kong, no China visa is required to apply.

Health checks are required when entering China. For foreigners coming from yellow fever-infected areas, valid vaccination certificates should be shown when entering China. People suffering from an infectious disease like leprosy, AIDS, HIV, VD, and tuberculosis are prohibited from entry.

A foreigner staying in China with a tourist visa is not allowed to engage in activities unfitted to his position, such as employment, study, and illegal journalist interviewing. Foreigners staying in China must abide by Chinese law and respect Chinese habits and customs.

Foreigners traveling with their own transport vehicles, such as bicycles, motorcycles, cars, boats, and aircraft, are allowed to enter China, but approval should be obtained before entering China.

Articles Not Allowed for Entering China

The following articles are prohibited from carrying when entering China:

• Various weapons including imitation weapons, ammunition, and explosives ones
• Counterfeit money and forged securities
• Printed matters like negatives, records, films, audio and video recordings, laser optical video discs, computer storage media and other articles containing materials deemed harmful to China politically, economically, culturally, or ethnically
• Deadly poisons like opium, morphine, heroin, marijuana, and other narcotics
• Dangerous bacteria, harmful insects, and other harmful animals, plants, and their products
• Food, drugs, and other articles from epidemic-stricken areas if such articles may be harmful to human beings and animals

Exit Regulations: If inbound passengers want to carry the cultural relics including works of deceased famous contemporary calligraphers and painters out of the territory, a clear declaration to the customs should be made. Once the appraisal by the Chinese administrative departments for cultural relics is made, the relics could be carried out of China.

Articles That May Not Be Taken Out of China

The articles prohibited from entry include:

• Manuscripts, printed matter, negatives, photos, records, films, audio and video recordings, laser optical video disc, computer storage medium and similar articles if they contain state secrets
• Cultural relics and relics not permitted to exit
• Endangered and protected animals and plants (including specimens), materials as well as their seeds and breeding.