Anyone travelling to China must prove they do not have COVID-19 before boarding flights under tough new rules

Anyone going to China will have to prove they don't have coronavirus before boarding their flights, according to the country's new regulations.

China had been relaxing a ban on foreign travellers that was imposed in March to prevent an influx of infections after authorities largely brought the domestic epidemic under control.

But the aviation authorities have established the tough rules on Tuesday as the country seeks to 'reduce the risk of cross-border spread of the virus', according to an official notice.

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Anyone going to China will have to prove they don't have coronavirus before boarding their flights, according to the country's new rules. In this file picture, a group of passengers wearing face masks wait in a long queue to board a flight at Tianhe Airport in Wuhan of Hubei province

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China had been relaxing a ban on foreign travellers that was imposed in March to prevent an influx of infections after authorities largely brought the domestic epidemic under control. This file picture shows a medical worker taking a girl's body temperature at an airport in Shanghai

In March, China ordered all flight arrivals to be screened for the virus on landing, and also to spend 14 days in quarantine at their own expense at designated hotels.

But under new regulations announced Tuesday by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), citizens must now also upload a picture of their negative test certificate to a health app, while foreigners must apply to a Chinese embassy or consulate with proof of their status.

The tests should be done within five days of travel, the CAAC said. People who fail to provide the sufficient documents will not be allowed to board their flight.  

China has reported more than 80,000 infections and 4,634 deaths since COVID-19 first emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year.

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In March, China ordered all flight arrivals to be screened for the virus on landing, and also to spend 14 days in quarantine at their own expense at designated hotels. In this file picture, security officers disinfect their devices at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on July 9

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In recent months China has allowed some foreign diplomats, employees of large enterprises and other business travellers back into the country on specially chartered flights. This file picture taken on July 14 shows passengers boarding a flight at Pudong International Airport

More than 2,000 cases were imported, mostly from Chinese nationals returning home as the pandemic rages abroad.

In recent months China has allowed some foreign diplomats, employees of large enterprises and other business travellers back into the country on specially chartered flights.

It has also eased limits on flights from foreign airlines, although they are subject to penalties if any passengers are found to be infected.

Many Chinese nationals stranded overseas have complained about the difficulty of getting back home because of a scarcity of flights and skyrocketing ticket prices.