Considering the huge health and safety risks in international travels under the current pandemic situation, it is recommended to avoid unnecessary, non-urgent travel. If your travel is necessary due to urgent needs, please be sure to take strict protection measures before and during the flight to minimize the risk of transmission. According to the needs to control China's imported cases from abroad and the pandemic situation in Cyprus, the relevant requirements for taking flights from Cyprus to China will also be dynamically adjusted.

In order to make it convenient for people who take flights to China to understand the latest testing and COVID-19 prevention regulations, the latest requirements are summarized as follows. The Chinese Embassy in Cyprus will update and supplement them in time according to the policy adjustments.

1. Travel requirements

In order to avoid the risk of cross infection through multi-national transit, you must fly from Cyprus to China with only one-transit route at most. All passengers shall carry out "PCR and anti-body IgM tests" and apply for the "HDC" code both in Cyprus and the transit country within 2 days before departure.

All passengers are required to declare the countries or regions that they have been to  within 28 days, and fill in the Applicant's Statement (Attachment 1) truthfully.

2.How to Apply

After obtaining the negative PCR and antibody IgM test reports, Chinese citizens should apply for the health code by scanning the international version applet of epidemic prevention health code below; Foreign citizens can log in to the website: http://hrhk.cs.mfa.gov.cn/H5/ through computer or mobile phone to apply for the "HDC" code.

Epidemic prevention health code international version applet

Please upload the following documents as required in order:

(1) Negative PCR test report (within 2 days before departure)

(2) Antibody IgM test report (within 2 days before departure)

(3) Applicant's Statement (Attachment 1)

(4) Air ticket itinerary (from Cyprus to China)

(5) Proof of Residence in Cyprus (if the residence card is being processed, please submit the confirmation receipt by the Immigration Department and your personal description)

(6) Non-vaccinated personnel shall submit antibody IgG test report

(7) The vaccinated personnel shall submit the vaccination certificate (such as the EU digital vaccine certificate, etc. and Letter of Commitment on COVID-19 Vaccination (Attachment 2)

(8) When applying for a health code, temporary visitors to Cyprus (including those on business trips or landing in Cyprus with a permanent residence card) must upload the record of their last entry into Cyprus (the passport page where the entry seal is located must be uploaded completely), enterprise personnel shall submit the Quarantine Management Certificate (Attachment 3), and other visitors to China shall submit the Quarantine Commitment (Attachment 4).

(9) The seafarers or crew members who take flight to China shall submit the negative PCR report (dated at least 14 days before departure) and Quarantine Management Certificate (Attachment 3).

Failure to submit the above documents will affect the approval and issuance of "HDC" code. When filling in the information on the website, please select the date of sampling in the laboratory, rather than the date of receiving the testing report or boarding.

3. Testing requirements

Passengers should complete the first PCR and antibody IgM test at the local laboratories (Attachment 5) and obtain negative test reports. The test report must be in English, and indicate the test sampling time, test result (negative), passenger's name, date of birth, international travel document number, doctor's signature, contact number or e-mail of the testing laboratory or doctor for verification, etc.

The PCR test report shall be marked with words such as "RT-PCR", and the specific sampling method shall be indicated as well, including pharyngeal swab, nasopharyngeal swab, etc.

For the detection of antibody IgM, the sampling method of venous blood must be adopted. The report issued by the testing laboratories must also indicate the words of "IgM". The sampling and testing results obtained by other sampling methods (such as fingertip blood collection and rapid testing) will not be recognized by the Embassy.

4. Vaccinated personnel

After completing the whole vaccination, you must wait for at least 14 days' observation before you can travel. If the vaccination has been completed for less than 14 days, the Embassy will not approve and issue the "HDC" code. Please fill in the brand, date and other information of vaccine, and upload the vaccination certificate and Letter of Commitment on COVID-19 Vaccination(Attachment 2). Vaccination certificates include: EU digital COVID certificate, etc.

In principle, those who fail to complete all doses of 2 or 3 doses of vaccine, or complete 2 doses of inactivated vaccine within the same day, shall be regarded as no vaccination.

5.Additional requirements for passengers who were diagnosed as Covid-19 patient or whose PCR, IgM or IgG test result was positive (excluding those tested IgM/IgG positive due to vaccination). For those whose Nucleocapsid IgM test is positve after vaccinated with non-inactivated vaccine should also apply the following requirements :

(1) Pre-check:
The applicant must send ①pulmonary CT or X-ray diagnosis certificates issued by local hospitals(within 5 days before pre-check) ②two negative PCR test reports at laboratories recognized by the Embassy at least 24 hours apart(within 3 days before pre-check) ③the positive report or statement of history of infection to chinaemb_cyp@hotmail.com.
Attention: If you have been tested positive in one of the recognized laboratories, you should do the test in that laboratory again and receive a negative report.

(2)After being approved by the Embassy, the passengers must stay quarantined for at least 14 days and make sure that they are symptom-free. Any suspected symptoms such as fever, cough and diarrhea during quarantine and health monitoring must be truthfully reported to the embassy.

(3) If the situation during the above two procedures is normal, the passengers should take the PCR and antibody IgM tests within 2 days before departure and upload their negative test reports to apply for the "HDC" code.

6.Quarantine and closed-loop management requirements before travel to China
For temporary business travelers to Cyprus, quarantine and closed-loop management shall be conducted in Cyprus for at least 14 days before travel to China, and the enterprise shall issue Quarantine Management Certificate (Attachment 3).

Those who visit Cyprus with a permanent residence card must have an at least 14-day quarantine and sign the Quarantine Commitment (Attachment 4).

The seafarers or crew members who take flight to China shall first carry out a PCR test, then conduct quarantine and closed-loop management for at least 14 days before the flight, and provide the Quarantine Management Commitment issued by the shipping company (Attachment 3).

Quarantine and closed-loop management means that except for going to the laboratories for testing, the applicant should strictly implement quarantine, which requires single room accommodation, separate dining, independent toilet and no contact with others. If you have fever, sore throat and other suspected symptoms of Covid-19 during quarantine please see a doctor immediately and postpone your return trip.

7.Requirements for passengers who had close contact with someone who were tested positive for PCR or passengers who have developed suspected symptoms of Covid-19:
Applicant must stay quarantined for at least 14 days after the date of the last close contact or the date on which the symptoms appeared. They must take PCR tests at laboratories recognized by the Embassy on day 1, day 4 and day 7 during the quarantine. If all the results are negative, they should send ①passport ②the date of the last close contact or the date on which the symptoms appeared ③three PCR negative certificates during the quarantine to chinaemb_cyp@hotmail.com and then follow further instructions of the Embassy informed by email.

8.Special Notice
(1)Please learn beforehand the regulations and requirements for the application of "HDC" code of China's embassies and consulates in the transit country, the entry requirements of transit countries, and the relevant requirements for the detection of PCR and antibody IgM test in the transit country in advance so as to avoid any rejected entry or tests in the transit country, decrease the risks of cross-transmission and detention in transit countries.
(2)According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases and other relevant laws and regulations, if people who fail to carry out quarantine and closed-loop management as required, conceal their past infection history, close contact history, forge reports and tested positive after arrival in China, shall be held liable for legal responsibility arising therefrom, including but not limited to negative records on personal credit, future restricted travel to China and etc.
(3)Please wait patiently after submitting your application and avoid frequent calls to us. The Embassy check applications on weekdays, weekends and holidays.

Chinese Embassy in Cyprus
September 9, 2021