As you may already know, to travel to China you need to have two COVID tests prior to departing. This short article explains what needs undertaking, where and when!
If you’re a UK resident and plan to travel to China, it’s wise to plot each stage of your intended travel and execute with military precision. A late, or even an invalid COVID test, will result in you not receiving your Health Declaration Certificate from the Chinese Embassy, and thus, you will not be able to fly to China.
Firstly, throughout COVID, China’s rules of entry have changed frequently. Check the Chinese Embassy’s announcements here in addition to reading this.
As of 03.06.21, these are the steps required relating to COVID testing before you can board your flight from the UK to China:
1: COVID Tests
- You must have two COVID tests taken within two days of departure from the UK. You need the swab PCR test and an intravenous IgM antibody test
- The tests must be taken by an approved service provider, a list of which can be found here: http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/lqfw/P020210517591229627799.pdf
- If you have had a COVID-19 vaccine, you should tell the clinic as you book, informing them which vaccine and ask whether the test results will be affected. You may need to book an antibody test that specifically evaluates IgM to the nucleocapsid (or N) protein
2: Send Your Results to The Chinese Embassy
- Download the letter of commitment on COVID-19 – http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/P020210421787870030822.pdf
- Register on the Chinese Government’s Health Declaration Certificate website: https://hrhk.cs.mfa.gov.cn/H5/nucleucReportEn?clueType=0
- Upload your letter of confirmation; your test certificate; and vaccination certificate (if vaccinated)
- Submit the above by 9 PM the day prior to your flight
3: Print and Off You Go – Zàijiàn – 再见
Providing you submit the above by 9 PM the day before your flight, the Chinese Embassy will email your Health Declaration Certificate. Print it off. As a backup, why not keep a digital copy on your smartphone?
You still need to be COVID-savvy though! Exercise caution, just as you were doing before your tests. Once you arrive in China, you’re tested again.
