[Stevescoots]

China has announced that they are going to start letting people in on M visa again from 15th March as per prior to Covid, business invite letter only needed. But…only applies if they have had the Chinese Vaccines. Vaccine Nationlism..didnt see that coming…….

in view of resuming people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries in an orderly manner, starting from 15 March 2021, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR will provide the following facilitation for visa applicants who have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China and obtained the vaccination certificate:

Foreign nationals and their family members visiting the mainland of China for resuming work and production in various fields need only to provide the documents required before the COVID-19 pandemic when applying for a visa. The Invitation Letter (PU), Invitation Letter (TE) or Invitation Verification Notice issued by the foreign affairs offices or the departments of commerce of the provincial (including autonomous regions and municipalities) governments or the headquarters of central state-owned enterprises are no longer required.

The scope of applicants eligible for applying for a visa out of emergency humanitarian needs will be expanded as appropriate. 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.

Holders of valid APEC business travel cards may apply for the 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.

Please be noted that the above-mentioned visa facilitation applies only 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 vaccination certificate. A proof of a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result and the Health and Travel Record Declaration Form for Visa Application are no longer required.

Other applicants should still follow the visa procedure as stated in the Notice on Updated Requirements for Chinese Visa Application During Covid-19 Pandemic issued on 9 February 2021, and 26 Q&As about Applying for Chinese Visa in Hong Kong SAR During the COVID-19 Pandemic posted on the official website of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR.

[canucklad]

Thanks for the update Stevescoots
Indeed, if you strip back the bureaucratic mumbo jumbo , vaccine nationalism is at the heart of their decision making . My trip back to HK seems to be even further away then ever . Hopefully it’ll be a short term dogmatic decision that will soon be overturned . Fingers crossed

1 user thanked author for this post.

Stevescoots

[Stevescoots]

[postquote quote=1094666]

Same for me. Been over a year since i was in HK, I need to move funds from my HK account and cannot do that without going into the branch in HK because the amount is above the current limit and i want to transfer it out of HK into another banks account…which of course i cannot do unless i get into HK. Tried their local branch in VN and they said cannot help. Also been frozen out of my bank account in mainland China as i have not accessed it in over a year and need to do in person to reactivate with my new residency visa when i finally get it!

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1094464]There is an official NHS (England) app (not the COVID one) which has a link to your GP record and your medications which also allows you to order repeat prescriptions. This has an immunisations tab which details my flu vaccinations to date but it now also shows the dates I had my two covid vaccinations. I am assuming it is this data which will feed any “Vaccine Passport” provided they can get around the scammers!

THANKS |REPORT

11 Mar 2021
at 14:19[/quote]

@DerekVH – many thanks indeed for this information. I now have the app set up and yes it does provide a very official looking record of my vaccine with an NHS heading. Far better than the piece of paper given at the point of jab. It is under medications, not immunisations, on my app. Question is, will any organization recognize the certificate (both internally in the UK or overseas) or will the cynics all believe it is a forgery or a ‘conspiracy’ app????

[quote quote=1094456]Martyn – my guess is that the Israeli system will be usuable shortly for flights between TLV and the UAE, in their new travel corridor [see the News section].[/quote]

@Ask1945 – I would like to think the world will reopen more than just private corridors between 2 countries. On the one hand it is great that UAE and Israel appear to have created a travel protocol between themselves, but it needs more than private travel corridors and protocols. With WHO saying they are currently against vaccine passports, it is hard to see how the countries with a more conservative approach to Covid 19 are going to balance their economy with Covid management.

[quote quote=1094402]My gut feel, it will end up like flu, up to individuals to protect themselves but airlines and governments won’t enforce it, particularly as the financial realities for both are starting to bite.[/quote]

@SimonS1 – looks like vaccine enforcement has already started and will continue to grow in Asia. I doubt this will extend to Europe, but will be interesting to see whether / how the USA will react.. when they open up.

[SimonS1]

[quote quote=1094752]@SimonS1 – looks like vaccine enforcement has already started and will continue to grow in Asia. I doubt this will extend to Europe, but will be interesting to see whether / how the USA will react.. when they open up.[/quote]

Maybe. On the other hand the competitive realities of live will come into play, and countries/airlines that have too many barriers will just lose out to those who don’t.

[canucklad]

[quote quote=1094777]Maybe. On the other hand the competitive realities of live will come into play, and countries/airlines that have too many barriers will just lose out to those who don’t.

EU has just announced plans for a “Green travel certificate ” to enable summer travel, despite only 5% of EU population having had the vaccine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56427830

If money dictates then surely the sun & beach countries will be at the doors of Downing Street asking for a reciprocal deal ?

[MartynSinclair]

Cunard have announced:

“For these voyages the definition of “vaccinated” is a minimum of seven days following the second dose of the currently approved Covid-19 vaccines being administered. Proof of vaccination and the dates given will be required (approved forms of evidence will be confirmed closer to time of departure) and this will be required to be shown at the terminal prior to boarding. Failure to provide this evidence will result in denial of boarding. There is no age restriction on this series of UK Summer at Sea voyages, but all guests of all ages must meet the requirements of the Covid-19 vaccination policy.”

Thailand quarantine and border control likely to be modified and will include proof of vaccination

Qantas already announced vaccination will be requirement to fly

Why is the UK still dithering still about a proof of vaccination or vaccine passport. Even Cunard currently have no idea how passengers to advise their potential passengers about a proof of vaccine.

If travel and economy are going to open up, it will be a shame for those vaccinated to be stopped from being able to travel because they can not get acceptable / adequate proof of vaccination.

2 users thanked author for this post.

ASK1945, DerekVH

[ViajeroUK]

The NHS App mentioned by DerekVH in this thread on 11th March may be one option to prove a vaccination. I down-loaded the app and it shows my first Covid jab, plus historic (mainly travel) vaccinations over several years. App data is possibly less forgeable than the old Yellow Fever paper certs that in my passport.

2 users thanked author for this post.

MartynSinclair, ASK1945

[Hannada]

Or perhaps be happy that our death rate is 60% that of England? That said the handling of hotel quarantine in Scotland has been a fiasco.

[MartynSinclair]

From the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi… new entry rules…

My view is proof of vaccine certificates (or however they are termed) will start to bring freedom back to people needing to travel. Not sure why people are jumping up and down about such a document. We all need passports to travel, this is just an additional piece of paper (or digitized) to provide the freedom to travel and to enter those countries whose right it is to make their own border entry rules.

Happy Easter weekend to one and all…

6 users thanked author for this post.

canucklad, Stevescoots, ViajeroUK, Jacob, Swissdiver, GivingupBA

[canucklad]

[quote quote=1096172]My view is proof of vaccine certificates (or however they are termed) will start to bring freedom back to people needing to travel. Not sure why people are jumping up and down about such a document.[/quote]

Oddly, when I got my first vaccine last week ( brilliantly organised and seamless & ironically within throwing distance of the EDI tower ) they took a contact number and that was it . Clearly they have a record of me attending to get my first jab through the NHS documentation sent to me , but didn’t check it against any other ID to match me and the letter?

I left without any evidence of receiving my first vaccination, so hoping that NHS Scotland (Lothian) have future proofed the process to ensure a seamless request of an authorized proof of my status .

And , that the document doesn’t specify that I was administered with the Astra Zeneca dose, because I fear that the EU aren’t finished with their shenanigans

1 user thanked author for this post.

Montysaurus

[ASK1945]

canuckland – your experience (in Scotland) does not match my own in London, where everything from making the appointment to getting jabbed worked very smoothly.

For my first vaccination – proof of ID was taken before entering, proof of an appointment was necessary, medical history checked (including any allergies), vaccination given using AZ. Then I was checked that I was ok and a card given showing the name of the vaccine and batch number, and the date. I wrote in my name myself (the only weak point of the whole procedure). My online NHS record showed that I had had it within 24 hours.

I was contacted after 10 weeks for my second dose – although this was postponed until later this week (the 12th week) because of a shortage of AZ vaccine at the same site.

[Montysaurus]

My experience of inoculation in East Renfrewshire matches that of Canucklad. Our leader is now contemplating inoculation “passports” for us Scots but how the information will be put together remains to be seen given the way I (and Canucklad by the sound of things) was processed.

[silkenthreads]

No. 1 son also had a first vaccination in Edinburgh but in town not at Ingliston/EDI. There are three steps, show letter or ID to get in building, check in downstairs to confirm personal details against NHI number then again in assigned cubicle with vaccinator who logs into the NHS records, gives the jag then enters the batch no. of the vaccine (AZ here). So the proof of vaccination is held in the records and the GP is the gatekeeper. We have no idea when and how any certification will be available.
As for the question – ready for borders reopening – it seems many months until the places that we want to go will allow us in , Hong Kong, Japan, Australia plus Europe, and no-one knows whether they will recognise the AZ vaccine or further vaccinations might be a requirement by then.

[pilot1500]

IATA is running a trial with about 8 airlines for their Travel Pass which seems to be well thought through. (I take all the points raised here, notwithstanding).

https://www.iata.org/en/programs/passenger/travel-pass/

I think for once, the aviation community should speak with one voice on this and adopt a universal App.

[Author]

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