The “Regulations of the State Council on Exit‑Entry Administration” shall come into force on 15 September 2026.

“The Regulation of the State Council on Exit‑Entry Administration” (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulation”) has been promulgated on 22 July 2026 and shall enter into force on 15 September. The Regulation applies to Chinese citizens as well as foreigners residing or working in China or intending to travel to China. Key provisions are highlighted below.

  1. Exit Restrictions for Chinese Citizens
Dissuasion from Exit

(Article 2)

 For Chinese citizens preparing to travel to countries or regions with the highest‑level risk rating or experiencing frequent sudden outbreaks of incidents seriously endangering personal safety, immigration authorities are empowered to “dissuade them from travelling there”.

Note: In order to avoid unexpected disruption of travel plans, it is recommended to keep an eye on the updates concerning “countries or regions with the highest‑level risk rating or frequent sudden outbreaks of incidents seriously endangering personal safety”.
Exit Ban Resulting from Illegal Acts Committed within or outside China

(Article 4)

 

 Where a Chinese citizen is subject to administrative detention for fraudulently obtaining exit‑entry documents or illegal exit‑entry, immigration authorities may, in light of the circumstances of the violation and the need for prevention of offences, decide to bar the citizen from exiting China for a period ranging from six months to three years commencing on the date of completion of the sanction.

Where a Chinese citizen engages in illegal or criminal activities abroad that jeopardize national security and interests, the competent relevant departments of the State Council, or provincial‑level people’s governments at the citizen’s domestic domicile upon verification by overseas diplomatic missions and other bodies, may impose an exit ban for six months to three years starting from the date of the citizen’s return to China.

Notes:

1. Pursuant to Article 6 of the Regulation, authorities shall notify the concerned person in writing of the facts, grounds, legal basis and remedies for the exit ban. However, notification may be withheld where it may prejudice national security, criminal case investigation or other such circumstances.

2. Chinese citizens shall exercise more cautions with their words and conduct abroad. If any conduct is deemed as “jeopardizes national security and interests”, it may trigger an exit ban for a specified period.
Exit Ban for Violations of Export‑Control and Related Rules

(Article 4)

 

 Where a Chinese citizen violates provisions on export control, administration of technology import and export or other relevant rules and may thereby endanger national industrial or technological security, competent authorities such as commerce‑related departments of the State Council may impose an exit ban.

Note: Following the implementation of the Regulation, commerce authorities may impose exit bans on Chinese‑national principals, senior management, R&D technical personnel and other persons who violate export‑control and technology import‑export regulations. The triggering criterion is a risk of “possible jeopardy to national industrial or technological security”. Accordingly, personnel in sensitive sectors such as semiconductors, precision equipment and artificial intelligence may not travel abroad so free. Moreover, no fixed time‑limit is stipulated for such exit bans.

Enterprises in relevant industries are therefore advised to establish advance‑notification procedures for overseas travel by personnel in special‑position roles, together with contingency response plans for scenarios where such employees are suddenly subject to exit restrictions.
  1. Entry Restrictions for Foreign Nationals

    Article 5 of the Regulation sets forth entry restrictions applicable to foreigners.

Entry Ban for Submission of False Materials or False Representations Where a foreigner submits fraudulent materials or makes misrepresentations when applying for a Chinese visa overseas or applying for entry at a port of entry, immigration authorities and visa‑issuing organs may impose an entry ban for one to five years.

Note: Foreign nationals must ensure authenticity of all submitted materials. Fraudulent materials or misrepresentations may result in multi‑year bars from entering China and may adversely affect future visa applications.
Entry Ban Resulting from Relevant Criminal or Administrative Sanctions Where a foreigner receives a criminal penalty for obstructing national (border)‑control administration, or an administrative sanction for fraudulently obtaining exit‑entry documents or illegal exit‑entry, immigration authorities may, based on the circumstances of the violation and crime‑prevention requirements, impose an entry ban for one to five years commencing on completion of the sanction.
Entry Ban Arising from Inclusion on Relevant Blacklists Where foreigners are listed on countermeasure lists, unreliable entity lists, malicious‑entity lists, or are subject to countermeasures or restrictive measures, and relevant measures such as refusal to issue exit‑entry documents or imposition of entry bans shall be applied in accordance with law, immigration authorities and visa‑issuing organs shall implement such measures within their respective mandates.

Note: Under this provision, if a foreigner or his/her affiliated enterprise on the aforesaid lists may directly trigger an entry ban. Foreign nationals intending to travel to China should therefore assess relevant risks in advance.