China hosts 1364 million visa-free foreign entries in H1 2025

In the first half of 2025, China's immigration landscape has witnessed a remarkable surge in foreign entries, with 13.64 million foreigners arriving visa-free. This impressive figure accounts for 71.2 percent of total foreign arrivals, marking a staggering year-on-year increase of 53.9 percent.

The National Immigration Administration released pivotal immigration data on July 16, highlighting a total of 333 million inbound and outbound trips processed in this period, which translates to a 15.8 percent increase from the previous year. The statistics further detail that 159 million of these trips were made by mainland residents, a rise of 15.9 percent, while travelers from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan accounted for 136 million trips, reflecting an increase of 12.2 percent. Notably, 38.05 million entries involved foreign nationals, showing a substantial 30.2 percent surge.

Document issuance has also seen notable activity, with authorities delivering 10.65 million ordinary passports and 47.46 million travel endorsements for mainland residents traveling to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. In addition, 1.16 million travel permits were granted for residents from these regions entering the mainland, along with 887,000 visas and related documents issued to foreign nationals.

Throughout the first half of the year, China's immigration management agencies have been proactive in reforming immigration policies and enhancing the efficiency of government services. Efforts have focused on streamlining border inspection processes and fostering greater convenience for travelers. This includes the introduction of a visa-free policy for ASEAN tourist groups visiting Xishuangbanna in Yunnan and the inclusion of Indonesia in China's 240-hour transit visa-free framework.

Efforts to improve service management for foreigners are central to this progress, with collaboration among relevant authorities aimed at refining processes regarding payment, accommodation, and transportation. These collective measures have significantly facilitated economic exchanges and trade cooperation between China and foreign entities, contributing to the influx of 13.64 million visa-free foreign entries in the first half of the year.

Moreover, specific travel policies geared towards enhancing mobility have been officially implemented. For instance, the "one trip a week" initiative for Zhuhai residents visiting Macao and the "multiple trips with one visa" policy for residents within the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone have been introduced, aiming to ease travel barriers.

In a bid to assist travelers facing document-related issues, especially those from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, temporary permits are being issued for urgent access to mainland China. Additionally, a "dual-document association" verification service has been put in place to facilitate travel permit applications for those in need.

The proactive support extends to waiving application fees for travel permits for Taiwan residents making their inaugural trip to the mainland, signifying a dedication to fostering integration and collaboration across regions.

While enhancing accessibility and service efficiency, national immigration management has maintained a steadfast focus on upholding national security throughout the year. Their efforts have included processing 6,914 cases related to threats against national territory management, resulting in the arrest of over 18,000 criminal suspects and the dismantling of 223 criminal gangs.

(Cover via VCG)