International travelers will no longer need to quarantine upon arrival in China starting Jan 8, according to the country's latest policy on epidemic control.
Inbound passengers will only be required to present a negative nucleic acid test result for COVID-19 obtained within 48 hours of boarding, according to the policy change, which was announced by the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism on Tuesday.
COVID-19 testing upon arrival will be scrapped, and as long as passengers' health declarations are normal and they show no signs of illness in a routine checkup while clearing customs, they will not be subject to any special restrictions while in the country.
It added that visa arrangements for foreigners to enter the country for work, business, study, family reunions or other social events will be improved, while restrictions on outbound travel will also be eased.
"In light of the international epidemic situation and service capacity, the outbound travel of Chinese citizens will be resumed in an orderly manner," it said.