There is no longer any requirement for quarantining when returning to China.
You can read the update about students returning to China here.
This was the requirement before 8th January 2023 (Archived)
How long do students need to quarantine in China? (Before 8th January 2023).
Students will need to follow China’s quarantine rules, which have just been changed to a minimum of 8 total days of quarantine: 5 days in a government quarantine facility and 3 days of home observation, either in a hotel or private accommodation (original Chinese). China has a “Dynamic Zero Covid” policy. This means that hotel quarantine times, available flights, and the cost of quarantine/flights are constantly changing as different outbreaks happen in Chinese cities or around the world.
*Note: Hong Kong recently announced it will implement a “0+3” policy instead of the 5+3 policy. This is only for travelers flying into Hong Kong.
China also reserves the right to cancel or limit flights from countries where there are Covid outbreaks, or to restrict travel into a Chinese city that is experiencing a Covid outbreak.
China’s “Dynamic Zero Covid” policy is designed to keep Covid from spreading in China. The downside is, for foreign students, it is extremely difficult to predict quarantine times, available flights, and total costs ahead of time.
What steps do I need to follow to return to China? Please click here.
How much does it cost for students to return to China?
The costs to return to China are to be borne by the student and include the following basic cost: Flight to China, Quarantine for 10 day minimum in a Chinese hotel, Covid Test fees. Here are some estimates of costs:
Duke Kunshan University (DKU) students will complete a 14+7 quarantine: two weeks of centralized quarantine in Shanghai and Kunshan/Suzhou, followed by a week of home health management in DKU accommodation. DKU students on financial aid can apply for up to $3000 USD in quarantine finance support (source).
For Russian students, the Twitter account @takeusbacktoCHN calculated the total costs of return to China for Russian students.
Russian students needed to….
- Quarantine in the departure city in Russia for 7 days: total 2500 RMB
- 5 Covid tests in Russia: 1300 RMB
- Flight ticket: 4000-15000+ RMB (depending on city of arrival)
- Quarantine in China (21 days in Shenzhen): 9450 RMB (8 total nucleic acid tests, free in China)
China Admissions has no control over the costs associated with returning to China and did not create these numbers. We are only sharing this information here so you can be informed.
If you want to roughly calculate the total costs, we recommend using the standard quarantine time of 7+3. You can calculate the cost of 10 total days in a Chinese hotel + the cost of a flight into China.
🧳 What to pack for Quarantine in China
If you have been given notice to return to China, you will need to pack and prepare to travel to China (maybe for the first time!) and also prepare for at least three weeks in hotel quarantine, potentially longer if the city you travel to experiences a Covid outbreak.
Based on the requirements of the airline, you may not be able to bring a lot of luggage with you–maybe only 2 or 3 suitcases unless you want to pay an extra luggage fee.
1 important thing to bring….Documents!
- Make copies of all your documents, including visa, health checks, vaccination certification, university admission letter…
- Keep multiple copies on your person and in a suitcase
Other things to pack and bring for quarantine in China…
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