Effect of Visa-Free Policy in China
Foreign Arrivals and Departures Up 30% in First Half of the Year
China Continues to Expand Visa-Free Policy
The number of arrivals and departures in China exceeded 333 million in the first half of this year alone. In particular, the number of foreign arrivals surged by more than 30% compared to the previous year, a trend attributed to the Chinese government's active expansion of its visa exemption policy.
On July 16, Chinese media outlets such as Xin Jing Bao and Guangming Wang reported on the "Key Immigration Management Data for the First Half of 2025," which was announced at a press conference held by the National Immigration Administration.
The number of Chinese arrivals and departures exceeded 333 million in the first half of this year alone. Getty Images
According to the reports, the total number of people entering and leaving China nationwide in the first half of this year reached approximately 333 million, representing a 15.8% increase compared to the same period last year. Of these, 159 million were mainland Chinese nationals, marking a 15.9% year-on-year increase. The number of people from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan rose by 12.2% to 106 million. Meanwhile, the number of foreigners reached 38.053 million, a sharp 30.2% increase. Among them, 13.64 million foreigners entered China without a visa, up 53.9% from the previous year.
During this period, 10.648 million ordinary passports were issued in China. Mainland Chinese nationals were issued 47.456 million travel documents and visas for travel to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Conversely, people from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan were issued 1.161 million travel permits to visit mainland China. The number of foreign visas and certificates issued reached 887,000.
"The National Immigration Administration's 12367 service platform has received 3,519,000 consultations related to Chinese and foreign nationals from over 100 countries and regions," it said, adding that the average satisfaction rate reached 99.55%. Getty Images
The Chinese Immigration Administration's government service platform provided 89.87 million government services to both Chinese and foreign travelers. Additionally, it offered 30.59 million free identity verification services to people from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, overseas Chinese, and foreigners. Xin Jing Bao reported that "the National Immigration Administration's 12367 service platform has received 3,519,000 consultations related to Chinese and foreign nationals from over 100 countries and regions," adding that the average satisfaction rate reached 99.55%.
Those entering and leaving China mainly used airplanes, trains, and ships. A total of 17.795 million means of transportation were used, a 15.4% increase compared to the same period last year. Airplane usage reached 485,000 flights, up 19.7% year-on-year, while train usage was 53,000 trips, an increase of 5.2%. Ship usage reached 219,000 vessels, up 3.7%. The number of automobile crossings was 17.038 million, an increase of about 15.5%.
The Chinese government has been continuously expanding its visa-free policy, allowing foreign tourists to stay for up to 30 days. In December 2023, China granted visa exemptions to citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. Since then, most European countries have been added to the list of visa-free entry. South Korea was granted visa-free entry in November last year. Last month, five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan were included, and four Middle Eastern countries also received visa exemptions, bringing the total number of countries whose citizens can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days to 74.
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