Starting 15 September, China will tighten border entry and exit rules, where immigration and visa authorities now have greater powers to scrutinise travellers' data and travel purposes.
Applications to enter, leave, stay or reside in China must accurately state the traveller’s purpose. Authorities can request supporting documents, materials and electronic data during verification.
Foreign visitors who submit false documents or statements when applying for a visa or seeking entry may face entry bans of one to five years.
Those issuing invitation letters or other supporting documents can also be fined if the information is false.
Individuals who submit false invitation or applications may be fined up to 10,000 yuan (US$1,483), while fines for businesses may go up to 50,000 yuan.
The new regulations also introduced a registration system for immigration intermediaries, covering businesses providing visa and entry-exit application assistance.
Travellers should note that the new rules do not include the power for authorities to do random mobile phone inspections. Instead, immigration and visa authorities may request electronic data only when verifying identity or travel purpose.
China’s existing visa-free programmes also remain in place, which currently has 50 countries listed under the unilateral visa-free scheme, allowing travellers from these destinations to stay in China for up to 30 days.