China to Start Fingerprinting Foreign Visitors Entering the Country

China’s Ministry of Public Security has announced that it is implementing a policy to collect fingerprints of foreign passport holders upon their arrival in China.

Effective April 27, 2018, border control authorities at all of China’s ports of entry, including its airports, will start collecting the fingerprints of all foreign visitors aged between 14 and 70. Diplomatic passport holders and beneficiaries of reciprocal agreements are exempted.

With this new policy, China joins other countries around the world who already collect fingerprints and other biometrics from foreigners.