Travel Gossip: Updates to China Customs Health Declaration

Traveling can be an exciting adventure... but dealing with customs and health declarations a tedious task. 

For those who frequently cross the borders of the Chinese mainland, the Health Declaration Code process is a familiar (wearisome) ritual, requiring travelers – both Chinese citizens and foreigners alike – to provide a plethora of information.

This typically includes details about the traveler's residence history over the past 14 days, their health condition, flight information, and – until recently – a pre-departure COVID test result. 

READ MORE: China Scraps COVID Tests for Inbound Travelers

However, a significant update on September 16, has simplified this process once again.

Key Changes

• Removal of Certain Declaration Fields: Gone are the days of specifying your domestic residence and seat number on your flight. These fields have been eliminated from the declaration.

• Simplified Reporting for Residence History and Contact Information: The requirement to provide extensive details about your travel history and contact information has been streamlined.

These changes have led to a significant reduction in the number of fields that travelers need to complete when applying for Health Declaration Codes. 

• For entry declarations, the information has been reduced from 18 items to 10. 

• For exit declarations, it has gone from 17 items to 9. 

• Travelers between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong or Macau now only need to complete 9 items, down from 11.

The updated user interface for Health Declaration. Screenshot by That's

While travelers will still need to apply for a Health Declaration Code each time they enter or exit the Chinese mainland, these ongoing optimizations and simplifications in the process suggest a future where these declarations might become even more hassle-free.

A must have image on your phone. China Customs Health Declaration WeChat mini program code.

Whether you're a seasoned traveler or an occasional globetrotter, these changes should make your journey a bit smoother. For more travel-related updates and information, stay tuned to our WeChat official account, That's GBA!

[Cover image by Billy Jiang/That's]