Starting from September 15, 2026, stricter measures on international travel are going to be implemented in China. The entire procedure consists of several stages of traveling abroad: from an application of travel intentions and identity verification to the items that authorities may require concerning electronic information; the entire process can be levered.
The policy is part of the updated Chinese Rules on Administration of Exit and Entry, approved by the State Council and signed by Li Qiang, the Premier of China, in July 2026.
As for the new regulations, travelers have to submit true and legal reasons while applying to travel within and outside China.
Additional Information May Be Required from Applicants
Immigration and visa officers will receive the right to demand additional information from travelers if they need to confirm their identity and stated purpose of traveling.
The authorities have stated that all who file false documentation or misleading information may have their travel documents and visas rejected entirely. The guidelines apply to foreigners regardless of whether they are applying for a Chinese visa abroad or whether they are being checked at the Chinese border.
If such foreign nationals are caught giving false information, they could be prevented from entering China for one to five years. The same may apply to foreigners who violate border administration or engage in illegal entry and exit operations.
Punishments for False Inviting Documents
The recent law also mentions those who provide invitation letters and other documentation for foreign nationals.
All information in those documents should be accurate and verifiable. If one provides false documents, individuals will incur fines from 5,000 to 10,000 yuan, while companies will get a fine between 10,000 and 50,000 yuan.
Any illegal income gained from these activities may be confiscated as well.
The goal of these provisions is to enforce the reliability of information used by Chinese authorities in assessing foreign travelers.
Will China Inspect Tourists’ Mobile Devices?
Among the subjects discussed the most in connection with the recent law is the paragraph where the officials are allowed to receive access to electronic data under particular circumstances.
This does not imply that every tourist arriving in the country will have their devices checked in advance.
The need to obtain electronic information arises in situations when there is a need to clarify the identity of the person or the purpose of the visit. The ruling does not obligate every visitor to be checked with their phone, and thus one could conclude that it is not true that everybody traveling to China from September 15 on has to undergo “phone check-up”.
The demand for obtaining digital data is only a part of the identification process if so requested by the authorities.
Advice for Visitors
In case travelers plan their visit to China from September 15, it is advisable to provide correct and truthful visa application documents and fill in the travel request.
The newly implemented measures might indicate a more rigorous manner of dealing with entry/exit issues in China, but this should not be interpreted in such a way that every guest in China is going to be subjected to some kind of phone check or additional inspection.
Visitors should concentrate on being honest and providing the necessary documents, as well as being aware that immigration officials might require some more information concerning their identity or travel purpose at some point.
