Many countries around the world are stepping up their anti-Covid measures on travellers from Hong Kong, in view of the city dropping most of its social-distancing measures at the end of 2022. Some places require negative Covid-19 tests before or after arrival, while some have restricted entry into their countries. Read on to find out which measures apply to Hong Kong. Remember that most of these requirements apply to all travellers from Hong Kong, irrespective of nationality or vaccination status.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test results within 48 hours of arriving in Australia.
From: January 5, 2023.
Test type: PCR or a rapid antigen test administered or supervised by a medical practitioner, along with a certificate.
Applicable age group: Travellers aged 12 and above.
Exemptions: Patients who have recovered from Covid-19 within 30 days before their date of travel who can show proof of their first positive test and that they are no longer infectious or symptomatic. People who obtain proof within the past 30 days attesting that they cannot take a Covid-19 test for medical reasons.
Note: The testing requirements do not apply to passengers transiting through Hong Kong to Australia.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test results within 48 hours of arriving in Canada.
From: January 5, 2023
Test type: PCR or antigen test, along with documentation from a telehealth service, an accredited laboratory, or testing provider.
Applicable age group: Travellers aged two years old and above.
Exemptions: Patients who have recovered from Covid-19 within 10-90 days before their date of travel who can show proof of their positive test result.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test results within 48 hours of arriving in France.
From: January 5-January 31, 2023.
Test type: PCR or antigen test, with a test certificate result in English or French with details of the test result and date. Rapid antigen tests are not permitted.
Applicable age group: Travellers aged 11 years old and above.
Exemptions: Not specified.
Other measures: Passengers must complete a pre-boarding declaration form. All passengers aged six and over must wear masks on board a France-bound flight.
Post-arrival measures: Random Covid-19 testing on arrival. Voluntary seven-day isolation if a passenger tests positive for the virus, followed by further testing at the end of this period.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test results within 72 hours of arriving in India.
From: January 1, 2023.
Test type: PCR test with report.
Applicable age group: Travellers aged 12 years old and above.
Exemptions: Not specified.
Other measures: Upload negative PCR test result on Air Suvidha portal and provide 14 days’ travel history.
Post-arrival measures: Thermal screening upon arrival, and random testing for 2% of all international travellers.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test results within a maximum of 72 hours of arriving in Italy.
From: December 28, 2022-January 31, 2023.
Test type: Molecular test within 72 hours of arrival or antigen test within 48 hours of arrival.
Applicable age group: Travellers aged six years old and above.
Exemptions: Transport crew and EU officials and officers, diplomats and other officials.
Post-arrival measures: On-arrival antigen swab test.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test results within 48 hours of arriving in Qatar.
From: January 3, 2023.
Test type: PCR test.
Applicable age group: Not specified.
Exemptions: Not specified.
Other measures: Not specified.
Note: This requirement does not apply to passengers who transit through Qatar.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test results within a maximum of 48 hours of their arrival in South Korea.
From: January 7, 2023.
Test type: PCR or antigen test.
Applicable age group: Not specified
Exemptions: Not specified.
Other measures: Register Covid-19 test results in Q-CODE system before arrival.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test results obtained within 48 hours of arriving in Sweden.
From: January 7-28, 2023.
Test type: PCR, NAAT, and antigen tests with certificate in Swedish or English.
Applicable age group: Travellers aged 12 years old and above.
Exemptions: Swedish nationals, travellers who have Swedish residence permits, EU permanent residents, EEA citizens and their family members.
Testing requirement: Negative Covid-19 test result within two days of arriving in the US.
From: January 5, 2023.
Test type: PCR or antigen self-test, administered and monitored by a telehealth service or a licensed provider authorised by the FDA.
Applicable age group: Travellers aged two years old and above.
Exemptions: Patients who have recovered from Covid-19 more than 10 days before their date of travel who can show documentation of their recovery.
Note: The testing requirements also apply to passengers from Hong Kong transiting through the US.
Other restrictions
Japan
Travellers from Hong Kong may only enter Japan via Tokyo (Narita and Haneda airports), Osaka (Kansai International Airport), Nagoya (Chubu airport), Fukuoka Airport, Okinawa (Naha Airport), and Hokkaido (New Chitose Airport). Travellers can only enter Japan via the last three ports if they declare that they have not been to Mainland China in the week prior to their departure. This restriction will end on January 8, 2023, and flights from Hong Kong can land in other airports in Japan from then.
Morocco
Travellers coming from China, irrespective of their nationality, cannot enter Morocco. The measure does not specifically mention Hong Kong.
Taiwan
Mainland passengers transiting to Taiwan via Hong Kong must provide negative PCR test results obtained within 48 hours or negative antigen test results obtained within 24 hours of arriving in Taiwan, from January 6-31, 2023.
Countries with testing restrictions only for Mainland China
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- Spain
- Chile (Hong Kong not specified)
- Ghana (Hong Kong not specified)
- State of Sabah, Malaysia (Hong Kong not specified)
- Belgium (Hong Kong not specified)
Header image credits: Emergenza coronavirus via Wiki Commons
