Today, Chinese embassies and consulates in various regions each issued a notice announcing new testing rules for return flights to China. The requirements are stricter, so here are the details.
Overview
Under the old rules, if you were flying to China from the U.S. directly or with a transit, you needed to provide a nucleic-acid test report obtained within 72 hours before takeoff from the U.S. The new rule requires test results from within 48 hours, and you must take both a nucleic-acid test (viral antigen) and an IgM antibody test. Both must be negative to meet boarding requirements. The report also has to be submitted to the Chinese consulate in the testing region for approval to obtain a health code. The new rules took effect at 0:00 Pacific Time on Nov. 6; flight test certificates submitted after that time must comply with the new rules.
Also, if you are returning via transfer, you must do the same two sets of tests in every transfer country and obtain approval from the local Chinese consulate. A U.S.-Incheon, South Korea-China stopover flight does not count as a transfer.
1. Testing requirements(1) For passengers on direct flights (with no third-country transit) from the U.S. to China, one sample and one test for both nucleic acid and serum IgM antibody must be completed at a testing facility in the U.S. within 48 hours before boarding. After receiving negative test results for both, travelers must, according to the location of the nucleic-acid test and by consular district, apply to the Chinese embassy or consulate in the U.S. and obtain a green health code marked “HS” or a health-status declaration.
(2) For travelers departing from the U.S. via a third country to China, a first nucleic-acid test and serum IgM antibody test must be done in the U.S.; a second nucleic-acid test and serum IgM antibody test must be done in the transit country (the country from which the direct flight to China departs). Travelers should apply and obtain a green health code marked “HS” or a health-status declaration from both the Chinese embassy/consulate in the U.S. and the Chinese embassy/consulate in the airport city of the last direct-to-China transfer country.
The first test done in the U.S. must have sampling and testing completed within 48 hours before boarding the U.S. departure flight, and must produce negative nucleic-acid and serum IgM antibody results. The second test done in the last transfer country for a direct-to-China flight must have sampling and testing completed within 48 hours before boarding that transfer flight, with negative results for both nucleic-acid and serum IgM antibody tests.
What does this mean for me?
If you are on a direct flight, under the new policy you need to test IgM antibodies in addition to nucleic-acid testing (note the difference between IgM and IgG). Make sure the testing time is within 48 hours before departure and that you can receive the report promptly. Ideally, submit the report to the consulate at least 12 hours before departure to obtain the green code. The consulate also needs time to process documents.
If you plan to return via transfer, you need to ensure you can enter the transfer country and have enough time to complete both tests. Basically, you need a two-day stay. The difficulty is quite high, so the author suggests trying to avoid this if possible.
For details on how to submit your reports and obtain the green code, click here.
What if I have had COVID?
If you unfortunately had COVID, don’t worry too much. IgM antibodies drop quickly after recovery, typically reaching a low level within about 2.5 months, but the time it takes for them to return to negative varies by person.
Summary
Affordable transfer routes back to China may all be knocked out. If you need to return, the author still suggests booking a direct flight between China and the U.S.