March 22, 2021
Albert Baron Ansu
A notice from the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Sierra Leone states that there is now a resumption of people to people exchanges between China and other countries. But there is a caveat that stipulates that the visa can on be issued to those who are being inoculated with the China Vaccine and show such proof of an authentic certificate.
The notice states that: “Foreign nationals and their family members going to China for resuming work and production in various fields (work, business, visit categories) need only to provide the documents required before the COVID-19 pandemic when applying for a visa.”
There is a clearly defined scope of eligible “applicants for a visa out of emergency humanitarian needs will be expanded as appropriate.”
These include: foreign family members of Chinese citizens or permanent residents of China, including spouse, parents, children and other close relatives living together (referring to siblings, grandparents and grandchildren), may submit visa applications for the purposes of reuniting with family, taking care of the elderly, visiting relatives, attending funerals or visiting critically ill relatives.
It has also been stated that holders of valid APEC business travel cards may apply for the business visa (M VISA) by presenting the original valid APEC business travel card and the invitation letter issued by the inviting party in the mainland of China.
For all categories of applicants cited above the notation is emphatic that visa can only be issued to “applicants who have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China, either having received two doses of Chinese-made vaccines with the stipulated gap in between, or having received a single-dose Chinese-made vaccine at least 14 days prior to the application and obtained the authentic vaccination certificate.”
The notice further maintains “all those regulations regarding airline boarding requirements for Health Declaration Code (Issued on the basis of negative COVID-19 nucleic acid and anti-body blood tests results) remain unchanged. Upon entering China, all passengers are kindly requested to follow the regulations of quarantine.”