China’s new Provisions on Exit and Entry Administration (《国务院关于出境入境管理的规定》) took effect on September 15, 2026. The measure was issued through State Council Order No. 841 and supplements China’s existing Exit and Entry Administration Law.
The new regulation addresses Chinese citizens’ overseas travel, grounds for restricting departure, the verification of exit and entry applications, and the regulation of immigration-service providers. It also contains provisions governing foreign nationals seeking to enter China.
Overseas Travel Risk Prevention
The regulation's stated purpose is to protect Chinese citizens from security risks abroad, such as wars, armed conflicts, public-security conditions, natural disasters, accidents, infectious diseases, and other overseas risks. Chinese citizens are expected to review these warnings and avoid traveling to or remaining in high-risk countries and regions.
When processing travel documents or conducting border inspections, immigration authorities may remind citizens to exercise caution when traveling to high-risk destinations. If a person intends to visit a location carrying the highest risk designation, or one experiencing frequent incidents that seriously threaten personal safety, authorities may attempt to dissuade the person from traveling.
Verification of Travel Purposes
Persons applying for exit-entry documents, visas, or permission to stay or reside must provide a truthful and lawful reason for the application. Immigration and visa authorities may question applicants and request documents, records, electronic data, or other information to verify their identities and stated purposes.
Individuals and organizations issuing invitation letters or supporting documents must also ensure that the information is accurate and cooperate with government verification.
Authorities may refuse to issue an exit-entry document or prevent departure or entry if an applicant submits false materials or makes false statements.
New Grounds for Exit Restrictions
The regulation identifies several circumstances in which a Chinese citizen may be prohibited from leaving China.
- First, a citizen who received administrative detention for fraudulently obtaining an exit-entry document or unlawfully entering or leaving the country may be prohibited from departing for six months to three years after completing the punishment.
- Second, a citizen who engaged in unlawful or criminal activity abroad that endangered China’s national security or interests may, upon returning to China, be prohibited from leaving again for six months to three years. The decision may be made by a competent State Council department or, following verification through a Chinese diplomatic mission or another authority, by the provincial government where the individual resides.
- Third, if a citizen violates export-control or technology import-and-export requirements in circumstances that may endanger China’s industrial or technological security, the Ministry of Commerce or another competent State Council department may prohibit the person from leaving China. The regulation does not specify a fixed maximum period for this category.
Notice of an Exit Ban
An agency imposing an exit restriction generally must provide the affected individual with written notice explaining the facts, reasons, legal authority, and available remedies.
Notice may be withheld, however, when disclosure could affect national security or a criminal investigation. When immigration authorities enforce an exit restriction, they must inform the person in accordance with the instructions received from the agency that issued the decision.
Regulation of Immigration-Service Providers
The regulation also establishes a registration system for organizations and personnel providing immigration-related consultation, document preparation, application assistance, or similar services.
Covered organizations must register with the local immigration authority, maintain appropriate personnel, facilities, funding, records, data-security controls, and compliance procedures. Organizations already operating when the regulation took effect generally have 90 days to complete registration.
Service providers may not publish false information, use misleading advertising, assist with fraudulent applications, improperly disclose personal information, operate beyond their registered scope, or facilitate cross-border criminal activity.
The regulation further prohibits overseas entities from directly providing these services within China. Foreign-invested enterprises and enterprises funded by investors from Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan may provide such services if they are lawfully established in China and comply with the applicable requirements.
The new provisions do not create a general advance-permission requirement for all Chinese citizens traveling abroad. Instead, they establish additional verification procedures, specified grounds for exit restrictions, overseas-risk prevention measures, and a regulatory framework for immigration-service providers.
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