At the end of last year the COVID-19 The outbreak had not yet turned into a pandemic – and as far as we knew, the virus was contained on the continent of Asia. Much has changed. Almost every country in the world has been affected by the virus, there are travel restrictions at most borders and for the future we will all stay pretty close to home.
But because countries in Asia like China, Japan, and South Korea were affected early, they peaked earlier, flattened their curves earlier, and generally reopened earlier. (Some places including Singapore and Taiwan, has taken sufficient preventive measures to avoid a complete lockout altogether.)
With the second and third waves now taking over the world, some countries that were previously leaders are being forced to take tighter measures than ever before (South Korea, for example, faces its first lockdown). TurkeyThe country, which stretches across Western Asia and Europe, was one of the first countries to lift its travel restrictions, but has since had strict curfews and movement restrictions in place – a major restriction is that they only apply to locals, not travelers who continue enter and travel freely leave the country.
But there are also some countries that remain closed in an ongoing battle against lowercase letters as their neighbors gradually open up to bring in tourism dollars. IndiaFor example, it keeps the borders closed while it continues to battle what remains the world’s second worst outbreak. The MaldivesOn the other hand, travelers were greeted on July 15th.
With the open borders, travelers entering these countries are expected to do everything from self-quarantine to filing Health questionnaires and negative COVID-19 tests. In Cambodia, the selected group of admitted visitors are required to leave a US $ 2,000 security deposit in case medical needs arise. Uzbekistan, on the other hand, which is open to all US tourists, pays you if you sign a contract with COVID during your visit.
Read our comprehensive regional breakdown to aid in the various travel restrictions and reopening status in Asia. We have information on more than 20 countries and will update it regularly.
East asia
ChinaThe original epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak reopened in May. More recently, the country has reopened to U.S. citizens with valid residency permits and visas. According to the new entry regulations effective November 6th, all travelers must perform nucleic acid and IgM antibody tests within 48 hours of departure. Negative test results must be submitted to the Chinese embassy in order to obtain a green health code or health declaration form for entry (More details here). US travelers must complete a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. Additional checks are carried out at airports. The American Embassy in China notes on your website While domestic travel restrictions have eased, local regulations vary widely and are changing rapidly. All international arrivals should be ready to complete quarantine at a government-selected facility or hotel at their own expense (even if they are a resident of China).
