After the COVID-19 pandemic, China will resume issuing a range of visas to foreigners beginning March 15, the country's embassy in Washington said Monday.

Besides new travel documents being reviewed and approved, visas issued before March 28, 2020, that are still valid will once again allow entry to China, said the embassy notice, translated by Agence-France-Presse (AFP) from Chinese.

The updated policy will also allow for the resumption of visa-free travel for those arriving on cruise ships to Shanghai, as well as for certain tourist groups from Hong Kong, Macau and countries within the ASEAN regional grouping, the notice said.

While most other countries began reopening to international travel earlier, China only began emerging from its zero-COVID policies in late 2022, after protests broke out against the hardline restrictions.