China Customs Health Declaration (2025–2026): What's Cancelled, What You Still Fill In
A clear, up-to-date guide to China's customs health declaration: the mandatory Entry/Exit Health Declaration Card was cancelled on 1 November 2023, but some travellers must still declare symptoms. Covers what changed, who must declare, the arrival card versus the health form, and how to verify the rules with official Chinese sources before you fly.
If you last traveled to China before 2020, you probably remember the "black code": a health declaration you had to file online and wave at a scanner before you could even reach passport control. That step is gone for most travelers — but the paperwork around it is widely misunderstood, and old blog posts and airport signage still describe a system that no longer exists.
This guide explains, in plain terms, what China's customs health declaration is today: what was cancelled, who still has to declare, what you actually fill in on arrival, and how to verify the current rules before you fly.
The Short Version
Since 1 November 2023, inbound and outbound travelers are no longer required to file the People's Republic of China Entry/Exit Health Declaration Card — the form most travelers knew as the "black code." For a healthy traveler with no symptoms, there is now nothing health-related to submit before or on arrival.
Two caveats matter:
1. It is a "precaution removed," not "health rules abolished."
If you have certain infectious-disease symptoms, you are still legally required to declare them proactively to customs and cooperate with health screening.
2. The health declaration card is not the arrival card.
Almost every traveler still fills in a short arrival card / entry registration (handed out on the plane or available at the airport). It asks for your passport details, flight, and where you'll stay — not your health.
What Exactly Changed
The change came from General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) Announcement No. 151 of 2023, "Announcement on Optimizing and Adjusting the Health Declaration Model," issued in October 2023 and effective from 00:00 on 1 November 2023.
Under that announcement, travelers entering and leaving China are exempt from filling in the Entry/Exit Health Declaration Card. The old channels — the customs "traveler fingertip service" mini-program, the web portal, and the paper form — stopped being a mandatory step for the general public. In practice, that removed the need for the 24-hour-before QR code that used to be checked at the gate.
Because the change happened quickly, you will still find outdated "how to fill in your China health code" guides online. If a page tells you to generate a QR code before boarding, check its publication date — it is very likely pre-November 2023.
Who Still Has to Declare
The declaration requirement was not deleted — it was narrowed. If you have any of the following, you must proactively declare it to customs and cooperate with temperature checks, epidemiological investigation, medical screening, and sampling as required:
| Symptom / status | What to do |
|---|---|
| Fever | Declare to customs; expect a temperature check |
| Cough | Declare to customs |
| Difficulty breathing / shortness of breath | Declare to customs |
| Vomiting | Declare to customs |
| Diarrhea (three or more times in 24 hours) | Declare to customs |
| Rash | Declare to customs |
| Unexplained subcutaneous bleeding | Declare to customs |
| Other symptoms of infectious disease, or a diagnosed infectious disease | Declare to customs; cooperate with quarantine as required |
Concealing symptoms or evading quarantine carries legal consequences under the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China. If a quarantinable disease is spread — or there is a serious risk of spreading it — criminal liability may apply. This is not a rule to "skip."
The Arrival Card (Still Required)
Online filing now available: since 20 November 2025, foreign travelers may submit the arrival card online before landing through the National Immigration Administration — official online arrival-card filing.
Separately from any health rule, foreign travelers normally complete a foreigner arrival card — the small form asking for your name, passport number, flight number, purpose of visit, and address in China. Airlines hand these out before landing, and they are also available in the arrivals hall. Keep your accommodation address handy; you will need it for both the arrival card and, in many cities, hotel registration.
Q: Do I need a health declaration to enter China in 2025–2026?
If you are healthy and have no infectious-disease symptoms, no. The mandatory Entry/Exit Health Declaration Card was cancelled for all travelers from 1 November 2023. Only travelers with certain symptoms, or a diagnosed infectious disease, must declare.
Q: Is the "black code" gone for good?
The mandatory general-public filing is gone. Customs retains the right to require health declaration and screening for symptomatic or at-risk travelers, and policies can be re-adjusted if public-health conditions change — so treat any single article as a snapshot, not a permanent guarantee.
Q: What should I have ready when I land?
Your passport, your visa or proof of visa-free eligibility, a completed arrival card, and your accommodation address. If you feel unwell with any of the symptoms listed above, tell a crew member or approach a customs health officer proactively.
Q: How do I check the latest rule before I fly?
Verify with the General Administration of Customs of China (customs.gov.cn), China's National Immigration Administration (en.nia.gov.cn), or your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate. For entry-visa questions rather than health questions, see our China Visa & Entry Guide.
Last updated: September 2026. Health and customs rules can change. This article summarizes GACC Announcement No. 151 of 2023 and general arrival procedure; always confirm critical details with the General Administration of Customs of China or your nearest Chinese embassy before you travel.
