Crowds are everywhere during this May Day holiday, and that familiar feeling of massive crowds has returned! According to Ctrip’s 2023 May Day Travel Report, key statistics for travellers over the May Day holiday are as follows:

DATA

• Air travel distance hit a 4-year high
  
• Cross-provincial hotel bookings accounted for over 70% of total reservations
  
• Ticket purchases for domestic scenic spots surged 9 times year-on-year
  
• Outbound travel orders rose nearly 7 times year-on-year
  

The May Day travel boom is believed to be just the first wave of trial trips after the normalization of pandemic prevention measures. Many travellers have already made travel plans for the National Day holiday and the Chinese New Year.

We keep a close eye on global entry and exit updates and have compiled the latest entry and exit policies of various countries for May. Let’s take a look.

Note: Entry policies are subject to change and are for reference only.

Chinese Mainland

No nucleic acid test required for entry into China

✔ Visa Policy

Foreign nationals holding visas issued before March 28, 2020 and still valid are permitted to enter China.

Visa-free travel policies across regions have been resumed.

✔ Entry Policy

Starting from April 29, all passengers arriving in China may take an antigen test within 48 hours prior to boarding instead of a nucleic acid test. Airlines will no longer check pre-departure test certificates.

Submit declarations via the WeChat mini-program 'Customs Passenger Health Declaration' before arrival for smooth entry.

Hong Kong and Macao

Full resumption of border crossing

✔ Entry to Macao

Travellers entering Macao from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong or Taiwan do not need to present any COVID-19 test certificates. Those arriving from overseas countries must hold a negative antigen or nucleic acid test result taken within 48 hours prior to entry.

Starting from April 28, the guidelines on mask-wearing have been adjusted. In short, masks are not required outdoors. Mask-wearing is recommended on public transport and in indoor venues. Masks are mandatory for people with fever or other symptoms, or those who test positive for COVID‑19!

✔ Entry to Hong Kong

Travellers arriving in Hong Kong from the Chinese Mainland or Macao are no longer required to provide nucleic acid test results, but they need to complete a health declaration before entry.

Travellers arriving in Hong Kong from overseas countries or Taiwan Region need to take a nucleic acid test within 48 hours before flight departure or a rapid antigen test within 24 hours before departure. They may enter Hong Kong upon obtaining a negative test result.

United States

Barriers for Chinese nationals travelling to the US have been removed

The White House recently announced that the national public health emergency related to the COVID‑19 pandemic will be lifted effective May 11.

Effective May 11, international air passengers entering the United States will no longer need to show proof of COVID‑19 vaccination. Starting May 12, non-US travellers entering the United States via land ports and ferries will also no longer be required to present vaccination documentation.

Canada

Entry policies return to pre-pandemic rules

According to Canada’s official website, for all travellers entering Canada by air, land or sea:

• Proof of COVID‑19 vaccination is not required;
  
• Pre-departure testing is not required;
  
• No COVID‑19 testing is needed before departure or upon arrival;
  
• No quarantine is required after entering Canada;
  
• ArriveCAN is not mandatory. However, to save time at the border, you may use the customs and immigration features of ArriveCAN to submit declarations in advance if you are flying to a participating international airport;
  
• Pre-cruise testing is not required for cruise passengers;
  
• Travel documents are still required as always;
  
• No health screenings for boarding flights or trains, and mask-wearing is not required on planes and trains.
  

来源：https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid

Japan

Full liberalization of entry rules

Starting from April 29, Japan fully lifted its entry restrictions. Travellers are no longer required to present COVID‑19 vaccination certificates or nucleic acid test results, and the COVID‑19 quarantine measures upon arrival have been abolished.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) resumed flights between Tokyo Haneda Airport and Beijing as well as Shanghai on April 1. Among these routes, flights between Tokyo and Shanghai have returned to daily service.

Air China also announced that flights between Chubu Centrair International Airport and Beijing, which had been suspended for 3 years and 3 months, will resume operation on May 19. After that, flights to and from Tianjin, Shanghai, Dalian and other destinations will be gradually restored.

来源：https://www.cn.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_zh/00_000485_00186.html

Thailand

No COVID‑19 vaccination certificate required

Current entry requirements for Thailand:

1. No need to present COVID‑19 vaccination certificates;
   
2. No requirement for health insurance;
   
3. Travellers who develop suspected COVID‑19 symptoms during the flight must take a nucleic acid test upon arrival in Thailand and obtain a negative result.
   

Starting June 1, Thailand will officially levy an entry fee on foreign visitors with two charging standards:

• 300 Thai baht per person (approximately 60 Chinese yuan) for foreign tourists entering by air;
  
• 150 Thai baht per person (approximately 30 Chinese yuan) for foreign tourists entering by land and sea.
  

United Kingdom

UK scraps entry testing rules for visitors from China

Effective April 5, 2023, travellers from Chinese Mainland to England are no longer required to show negative nucleic acid test results before departure.

The previously optional on-arrival nucleic acid test for passengers aged 18 and above arriving at London Heathrow Airport from Chinese Mainland was also cancelled on March 17, 2023.

来源：https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Germany

Entry restrictions lifted for travellers from China

©pexels

The official website of the German Embassy in China has recently updated the latest information on visa applications. All entry restrictions for people travelling to Germany from China have been fully abolished. Starting from May 1, 2023, tourist visits to Germany will also resume.

Greece

Non-stop flights keep increasing

As early as one and a half months ago, visitors travelling to Greece were no longer required to fill in the Passenger Locator Form (PLF), nor present vaccination certificates, recovery certificates or negative COVID‑19 test reports from PCR or rapid antigen tests.

Now, exchanges between China and Greece will become much smoother.

It is reported that starting from June 9, 2023, Air China will add a third weekly non-stop flight (on Fridays) on the Athens-Beijing route.

Detailed flight information is as follows:

CA 863

Aircraft type: A330

Beijing — Athens

Departure: 02:30

Arrival: 08:15

Frequency: every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

CA 864

Aircraft type: A330

Athens — Beijing

Departure:14:15

Arrival: 04:30 (next day)

Frequency: every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

Finally, an important reminder: Entry and exit regulations are subject to change at any time. The above information is for reference only. Travellers with travel plans are advised to keep track of the official entry and exit policies released on official websites.