The “Regulations of the State Council on the Administration of Exit and Entry” were announced to clarify requirements for entry and exit applications

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on July 31, the “State Council Regulations on Exit and Entry Management” were announced and will take effect on September 15, 2026. There are 19 regulations aimed at regulating exit and entry management, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of people leaving and entering the country, and safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security, and development interests. The regulations mainly reflect four aspects: first, improving the exit safety risk prevention system, requiring the competent diplomatic, cultural and tourism departments under the State Council to promptly publish foreign safety reminders and travel destination safety risk alerts, etc.; second, clarifying exit and entry application requirements, stipulating that the reasons for entry/exit persons applying for entry and stay should be real, legal, etc.; third, improving exit and entry restrictions, stipulating that Chinese citizens are not allowed to leave the country in accordance with the law, and the situation where foreigners are not allowed to enter the country according to law; the fourth is to regulate entry/exit intermediary services and stipulate the implementation of entry/exit agency services Filing management, etc.

The original text is as follows:

State Council regulations on exit and entry management

Article 1. These Provisions are formulated in accordance with the “Law of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Exit and Entry” and other laws in order to regulate the administration of entry and exit, protect the legitimate rights and interests of those entering the country, and safeguard the country's sovereignty, security and development interests.

Article 2. The State shall establish and improve a safety risk prevention system for Chinese citizens leaving the country.

The competent departments of foreign affairs, culture and tourism under the State Council and diplomatic agencies abroad shall promptly publicly issue foreign safety reminders and safety risk alerts for tourist destinations in accordance with safety situations such as wars or armed conflicts, social security, natural disasters, accidents, infectious disease outbreaks, etc.

Chinese citizens should pay attention to foreign safety reminders and travel destination safety risk tips, and avoid traveling to and staying in high-risk countries or regions.

When accepting and approving applications for Chinese citizens' exit and entry documents and carrying out exit and border control checks, immigration management agencies shall, in accordance with the notice of the relevant competent department under the State Council, remind Chinese citizens preparing to visit high-risk countries or regions with caution or pay close attention to the local security situation, increase their vigilance, strengthen precautions, and pay attention to safety. Among them, Chinese citizens preparing to go to countries or regions with the highest risk level or a sudden high incidence of serious personal safety endangering cases should be discouraged from going there if necessary.

Article 3. The reasons why people leaving or entering the country apply for entry, stay and stay in the country shall be true and legal.

When verifying the identity of entrants and leaving the country, immigration authorities and visa authorities may inquire about the relevant circumstances and request that they present and provide relevant information such as documents, data, electronic data, etc., and those leaving and entering the country shall cooperate.

Where an organization or individual issues an invitation letter or other application materials for entry/exit personnel, it shall be responsible for the content of the invitation and the authenticity of the certification matters, and cooperate with the immigration administration agency or visa authority to verify the relevant information.

If an entry/exit person provides false information or makes false statements, the immigration administration or visa authority has the power to decide not to issue an entry document or not allow them to leave or enter the country.

Article 4 Where a Chinese citizen is punished by administrative detention for defrauding exit and entry documents or entering the country illegally, the immigration administration may decide not to allow him to leave the country within 6 months to 3 years from the date the execution of the punishment is completed in accordance with the circumstances of the violation and the need to prevent illegal crimes.

Chinese citizens who engage in illegal and criminal activities abroad that endanger national security and interests may be prohibited from leaving the country within 6 months to 3 years from the date of return by the relevant competent department under the State Council, or by the provincial people's government of their place of residence abroad after verification by foreign diplomatic agencies, etc.

If a Chinese citizen violates regulations such as export control, technology import and export management, etc., and may endanger the country's industrial safety or technological safety, the relevant commercial and other competent departments under the State Council may decide not to allow them to leave the country.

Article 5 If a foreigner applies for a Chinese visa abroad or provides false information or makes false statements when applying for entry at a port, the immigration administration agency or visa authority may decide not to allow them to enter the country within 1 to 5 years.

Foreigners are criminally punished for obstructing the administration of a country's (border) border, or are administratively punished for defrauding exit and entry documents or entering the country illegally, the immigration administration may decide not to allow them to enter the country within 1 to 5 years from the date the execution of the punishment is completed in accordance with the circumstances of the violation and the need to prevent illegal crimes. Where the law stipulates otherwise, follow its provisions.

Where a foreigner is included in a countermeasure list, a list of unreliable entities, a list of malicious entities, or is subject to countermeasures or restrictions, etc., and it is necessary to take relevant measures such as refusing to issue entry documents or not being allowed to enter the country in accordance with law, the immigration administration agency or visa authority shall implement them in accordance with their duties.

Article 6 For persons who decide not to be allowed to leave the country according to law, the deciding authority shall promptly notify the immigration administration agency for execution in accordance with regulations, and inform the person concerned in writing of the facts, reasons, grounds, and means of redress; where circumstances may affect national security, criminal case investigation, etc. may not be notified to the person concerned.

When the immigration management agency implements a decision not to allow departure, it shall inform the person concerned in accordance with the content of the notice issued by the deciding authority.

Article 7. The State shall file and manage agencies and personnel entrusted by entrants and exiting personnel to provide intermediary services such as consultation on exit and entry policies, document processing, etc.

Agencies engaged in outbound and immigration intermediary services shall file a record with the local immigration administration agency within 15 days from the date of establishment. Personnel engaged in entry/exit intermediary services shall go through the filing procedures at their agency. Those who have engaged in outbound and immigration intermediary services before these regulations come into effect shall complete the filing procedure within 90 days from the date of implementation of these regulations.

Specific measures for filing and management of agencies and personnel engaged in intermediary services for entry/exit shall be formulated by the national immigration administration department together with the competent department of market supervision and administration under the State Council.

Article 8. Agencies engaged in entry/exit intermediary services shall meet the following requirements:

(1) Established in accordance with law;

(2) The legal representative or person in charge has not been subject to criminal punishment for an intentional crime;

(3) Staff with professional knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, etc. relating to exit and entry, and funds and places appropriate to the intermediary service activities they are engaged in;

(4) Workers directly providing intermediary services to people entering or leaving the country have not been penalized for intentional crimes that endanger national security, public safety, or obstruct the administration of a country's (border) border);

(5) Have a sound management system, including personnel management, education and training, data storage, data security, compliance management, etc.

Those engaged in outbound intermediary services should also have established a cooperative relationship or signed a valid letter of intent to cooperate with relevant overseas service agencies.

Overseas enterprises and institutions are not allowed to provide entry/exit intermediary services within China.

Article 9. Immigration management agencies shall establish and improve supervisory systems with relevant competent departments of foreign affairs, education, administration of justice, human resources and social security, commerce, culture and tourism, market supervision and administration, etc. at the same level, strengthen supervision and management of the conditions, business activities, etc. of agencies engaged in entry/exit intermediary services in accordance with the division of responsibilities, and publish relevant illegal information and bad records in accordance with law.

State secrets, work secrets, trade secrets, personal privacy and personal information learned in the course of carrying out their duties shall be kept confidential by the relevant competent authorities and their personnel in accordance with law.

Article 10. Agencies engaged in entry/exit intermediary services shall not perform the following acts:

(1) Posting false information, or soliciting service clients through exaggerated or misleading publicity;

(2) Providing or assisting in the provision of false materials to assist others in processing exit and entry documents or formalities such as visas, residence permits, passports, etc. in violation of regulations;

(3) Disclosing, selling, or unlawfully providing trade secrets, personal privacy, or personal information known in intermediary service activities;

(4) Engaging in entry/exit intermediary services beyond the scope of filing;

(5) Organize or assist others to engage in cross-border criminal activities;

(6) Other acts that endanger national security or interests or disrupt the administrative order of exit and entry.

If an agency entrusting an entry/exit intermediary service such as a public official, military personnel, etc. to handle foreign nationality, overseas permanent residency status, overseas residence permits, or other exit and entry documents or procedures in violation of regulations, the agency engaged in outbound and entry intermediary services shall not handle it and promptly report it to the supervisory authorities, etc.

Article 11 Whoever falsifies and defraudes exit and entry documents such as visas, residence permits, passports, etc. by providing false information or making false statements shall be punished by the immigration administration agency in accordance with the provisions of the “Law of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Exit and Entry” and the “Passport Law of the People's Republic of China”.

If an individual issues a false invitation letter or other application materials for another person applying for entry or stay, the immigration administration shall impose a fine of not less than 5,000 yuan and not more than 10,000 yuan; if there is illegal proceeds, the illegal proceeds shall be confiscated. If the unit commits the above acts, it shall be fined not less than 10,000 yuan and not more than 50,000 yuan; if it has illegal proceeds, the illegal proceeds shall be confiscated; and the supervisors directly responsible and other persons directly responsible shall be fined not less than 5,000 yuan and not more than 10,000 yuan. Where the law stipulates otherwise, follow its provisions.

Article 12 Where an agency engaged in entry/exit brokerage services violates the provisions of Article 7 and Article 8 of these Regulations, the immigration administration agency shall order the correction within a limited period of time; if it refuses to make corrections, it shall be fined not less than 5,000 yuan and not more than 10,000 yuan, and the relevant competent department shall be notified to order the suspension of related business or rectification; if the circumstances are serious, a fine of not less than 10,000 yuan and not more than 50,000 yuan shall be imposed, and the relevant competent department shall be notified to cancel the relevant business license or revoke the business license.

If an individual engages in immigration brokerage services in violation of these regulations, the immigration administration shall order the cessation of the illegal act; if there is illegal proceeds, the illegal proceeds shall be confiscated; if the circumstances are serious, a fine of not more than 5,000 yuan may also be imposed.

Article 13 Where an agency engaged in entry/exit intermediary services violates the provisions of Article 10 of these Regulations and disrupts the exit and entry administration order, the immigration administration agency shall order the correction within a limited period of time; if there is illegal proceeds, the illegal proceeds shall be confiscated; if the illegal proceeds are 20,000 yuan or more, a fine of not less than 1 times 5 times the illegal proceeds; if there is no illegal proceeds or the illegal proceeds are less than 20,000 yuan, a fine of not less than 20,000 yuan shall also be imposed; if they refuse to make corrections or the circumstances are serious, notify the relevant competent department to order the suspension of the relevant business, the suspension of the relevant business, rectification, revocation of the relevant business license Sales business license; directly responsible Supervisors and other persons directly responsible shall be fined not less than 10,000 yuan and not more than 50,000 yuan. Where the law stipulates otherwise, follow its provisions.

Article 14 The entry/exit management agency of the public security organ of the local people's government at or above the county level shall, in accordance with these Regulations, impose an administrative penalty of more than 5,000 yuan and confiscation of illegal proceeds, as determined by the public security organ to which it belongs.

Article 15. The relevant competent departments under the State Council shall strengthen coordination of work in protecting the legal rights and interests of persons entering and leaving the country, preventing safety risks for Chinese citizens, and managing intermediary services for entry/exit.

Article 16: Immigration management agencies shall clear channels for reporting violations of entry and exit management, and promptly handle relevant reports in accordance with law. Reports that do not fall within the responsibility of the unit shall be promptly handed over to the relevant unit for processing in accordance with law.

Article 17 Whoever violates these provisions and constitutes a crime shall be prosecuted for criminal responsibility according to law.

Article 18. Immigration agencies referred to in these Regulations refer to national immigration administration departments, entry/exit border inspection agencies, and entry/exit management agencies of public security organs of local people's governments at or above the county level.

The visa authorities referred to in this regulation refer to overseas visa authorities and port visa authorities.

Article 19: These regulations will come into effect on September 15, 2026.

This article was selected from the “State Council Official Website”; Zhitong Finance Editor: Li Fu.