Everything You Need to Know to Travel from Thailand to China
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Many of you have asked about the steps involved traveling from Thailand to Shanghai in the current COVID-19 circumstances. I’ve made this journey myself so I know exactly what you need to do
Before I dive into the process, it’s important you know that the requirements are changing on an almost daily basis. Some borders are opening while others are closing, so you need to pay close attention to the restrictions according to your area. Check with the Chinese consulate in your current county before you start making plans.
China closed its borders to foreigners on March 28, 2020. I was teaching remotely in Thailand at the time and little did I know I’d be there for months and months. I could do nothing but be patient and wait until I could return home.
I know many of you are still stuck around the globe, trying desperately to return to China. Don’t lose hope — you’ll get there in the end. And when you do, I hope you’ll find the following list of steps and required paperwork helpful.
Prepare for Quarantine
While waiting for my PU letter, I researched what I would need for when I arrived in China and had to self-isolate. I’d be working while in quarantine, so I knew I wouldn’t be bored. But after hearing some horror stories from others, I wanted to be well prepared with essentials, snacks, exercise equipment, and some entertainment.
I blogged all about my quarantine packing list earlier this year. And now I’m in quarantine, I’m glad to say there’s nothing I would add to my list. I have everything I need and I’m happy with everything I packed.
Now let's dive in!
Visa Requirements
This is what I needed first from my school in China:
● Copy of my PU letter (valid for 3 months from the issue date)
● Copy of my Chinese work permit
● Employment letter (stating I’m currently employed)
When I had these documents, I sent an email to the Chinese visa application center in Bangkok — bangkokcentre@visaforchina.org. While in Thailand my visa expired, so I needed to reapply for a Z Visa.
My email to the Chinese visa application center included the following documents:
● Copy of my PU letter
● Copy of the first page of my passport
● Copy of my Chinese work permit
● Copy of the Thailand immigration stamp in my passport
After waiting and waiting, I finally received a response from the Chinese visa application center with details of my appointment. The email also included a list of the documents I’d need to present when there:
● Copy of the completed visa application form. Here is the link.
● Original passport (valid for at least 6 months and with at least 2 blank pages)
● Copy of the first page of my passport
● Copies of all my previous Chinese visas
● Copy of my Thailand immigration stamp
● Copy of my invitation letter
● Travel history since January 2020
● Copy of my work permit
● Copy of all the information from QR code on work permit card
● Employment letter (valid for 30 days from date issued)
● Cash to pay for the visa
Not knowing how the line would be, I arrived at the China visa application center hours before my appointment. I’ve had to wait over 6 hours in line for a visa before, so I wanted to be prepared.
When I arrived, there were a handful of people there but once the doors opened, the line moved quickly and efficiently. I recommend you have all your documents prepared and organized to make things as easy as possible.
Appointments are only available on Mondays and Thursdays. I had a Monday appointment and had to wait until the following week to receive my visa, so plan accordingly.
A week later I paid for my visa and picked up my passport and new visa. Payment for my visa was ____ in cash.
With my passport and visa in hand I booked my flight to China directly with the airline Juneyao. I couldn’t book on their website, so I had to do it over the phone. The customer service rep didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Chinese, so it was a bit of a struggle but I got there in the end and paid for my flight via WeChat.
Flight requirements
Check with your local Chinese consulate for flight requirements. If you’re flying from Thailand to China, you can find your flight requirements here.
For my October flight between Thailand and China, I needed the following:
● Proof of a negative PCR Test (nasal and throat) completed no more than 72 hours before my flight
● Stamped health declaration form
Having recently had my annual health check-up at Bumrungrad Hospital, I returned there for my PCR test. When I received my negative results, I sent the following to the China visa application center — chinesevisath@gmail.com:
● Copy of my PCR test results
● Copy of the first page of my passport
● Copy of my work permit
● Signed and dated copy of health declaration form (with today’s date)
● Copy of my Chinese visa
● Copy of my flight itinerary
The health declaration form was stamped and returned to me. For my flight I needed 2 copies of the following:
● First page of my passport
● My Chinese visa
● My work permit
● My invitation letter
● My work certificate
● PCR test results (copies and the original)
● Stamped health declaration form
How 12 hours can make a huge difference
This is where things started to get messy and frustrating. After spending so much time preparing my paperwork and packing for quarantine, I’d made a major mistake with my flight.
When I spoke to the airline over the phone, the rep told me my flight was at 1:50. I’d assumed 1:50pm. The confirmation messages I received were in Chinese, so I couldn’t read them.
It wasn’t until I arrived at the airport that I found out the flight was at 1:50am. I thought, “This can’t be happening to me.” There was another flight leaving for China that day, but I wouldn’t be able to catch it in time.
By the time I would be able to catch another flight, my PCR test results would be over 72 hours old, so they wouldn’t be valid. I was back to square one.
Change of requirements
Just as I managed to book another flight, the Chinese embassy announced new flight requirements and border closures. As of November 6, anyone traveling from Thailand to China needed the following no more than 48 hours before their flight:
● Proof of negative PCR test results (nasal + throat)
● IgM antibody test results (blood test)
● Stamped health declaration form
These new requirements were much stricter and it was essential everything worked smoothly if I was ever going to get back to China.
I made an appointment for my COVID-19 tests 40 hours prior to my departure. Less than 24 hours before my flight, my results were ready and I collected them in person from the hospital. Again, I emailed all the paperwork to the Chinese visa application center in Bangkok.
I still hadn’t received my stamped health declaration form 5 hours before I was due to go to the airport. I emailed them again, stressing the importance of getting the stamped form back before I left for the airport. I received it an hour later. Yessss!!!
There were many time-sensitive steps involved, but you can definitely return home to China. When I started the process, I felt completely overwhelmed. Like anything in life, you have to take one step at a time, so that’s what I did. I went step-by-step through each required document and remained positive along the journey.
Suggestions for Your Flight
● Triple check the flight day and time
● When you check in, complete the health declaration form on WeChat
● Have 2-3 copies of all your paperwork
● Have cash (my baggage was overweight and they would only accept cash payment)
● Wear comfy clothes and layers (flights are always freezing)
● Bring plenty of snacks
● Pack hand sanitizer and a mask
● Make sure your phone is charged and bring a battery pack (When you land in China, you’ll need to show your QR code on your phone)
● Take screenshots of your QR code in case something happens to the original
● Be patient!
What About You?
Have you traveled to China recently? If so, comment below and tell me what your experience was like. Maybe you haven’t traveled to China just yet, but you’re planning on making the trip soon. If you’ve got any questions you’d like to ask me, drop them in the comments and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
