China Can Now Request ‘Electronic Data’ at the Border — Korean Nationals Included

China’s State Council Regulations on Exit and Entry Administration (Decree No. 841) took effect on 15 September. The provision drawing attention on day one is Article 3: when verifying a traveller’s identity and the purpose of their entry or stay, authorities may request not only documents and materials but also “electronic data.” The clause does not distinguish between Chinese and foreign nationals, so Korean passport holders are covered. What counts as “electronic data,” however, is not defined in the regulation.

By the editorial desk

Citing Xinhua and other Chinese state media, the Korean daily Asia Economy reported on 15 September that from that date Chinese authorities may request “electronic data” in addition to documents and materials when verifying a traveller’s identity and the purpose of their visit or stay. The basis is Article 3 of the new regulation. Travellers must cooperate, and those who submit false materials or make false statements may be refused exit-entry documents or barred from entering or leaving.

Because the clause applies to “travellers” without distinguishing nationality, Korean citizens are not exempt. Holders of ordinary Korean passports may enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, business, visiting relatives or friends, exchanges or transit — but visa-free entry does not exempt anyone from border screening.

What ‘electronic data’ means has not yet been settled

What can be confirmed at this point stops at the text of the regulation. Article 3 includes “electronic data” among the materials that may be requested, but it does not say which information on a phone this covers, or under what procedure and conditions it may be demanded. As of the first day in force, no separate implementing guidance or documented case had been made public.

Korean headlines referring to “phone checks” point to how broadly the clause could be read; they do not reflect any announcement that every traveller’s phone will be inspected. How the provision is actually applied may vary with local immigration authorities and any further rules. This is a point to watch rather than to conclude on.

In Taiwan, concerns have been raised that information stored on the phones and computers of Taiwanese visiting mainland China could be exposed, or that they could face exit restrictions. Taiwan’s government said it would keep its travel advisory at the current level while urging caution when travelling to the mainland, Asia Economy reported.

Four things Korean residents and businesses in China should check

1. Make the declared purpose match the actual activity. The centre of gravity here is less the phrase “electronic data” than the truthfulness test. The highest-risk cases are entering visa-free but actually working or residing long-term, and entering on a short-term business visa while working on a resident basis. A foreign national found to have submitted false materials or made false statements may be barred from entry for one to five years — for someone who travels frequently on business, a five-year ban effectively means shutting the business down.

2. Move invitation letters onto a corporate footing. The regulation holds the individuals and organisations that prepare and issue invitation letters and other application materials responsible for the truthfulness of their contents. Letters issued informally in a staff member’s own name are better managed through a company register, with the purpose, duration, place of stay and party bearing costs recorded as they actually are. Individuals who produce false invitation letters or application materials face fines of 5,000 to 10,000 yuan; organisations face 10,000 to 50,000 yuan.

3. Check whether your visa agent is registered. Exit-entry intermediary service providers and their staff are now subject to a filing (备案) requirement. Newly established agencies must register with the local immigration authority within 15 days of establishment; agencies already operating before the regulation took effect must complete registration within 90 days of 15 September. If something goes wrong with paperwork handled by an unregistered agency, the applicant may bear the consequences. Foreign companies and organisations may not provide such intermediary services inside China.

4. Set a policy on work devices in advance. Since the reach of the electronic-data clause remains unclear, companies would do well to decide in advance what employees who travel frequently to China carry on work laptops and phones. This is not a response to one regulation alone but a judgement call within a broader tightening of China’s data and border administration — including the data risk assessment regime that took effect on 20 August.

For the full text and article-by-article interpretation, the Chinese government portal (gov.cn) and the National Immigration Administration (nia.gov.cn) are the authoritative sources; individual cases are best discussed with local legal counsel.

※ This article was auto-drafted from reports by Asia Economy (15 Sep 2026) and EKW (30 Aug 2026) and from China’s State Council Decree No. 841. Editorial review is required before publication.