China sees 13.64M visa-free foreign entries in the first half of 2025

On July 16, the National Immigration Administration released major immigration management data for the first half of 2025 during a press conference. 

During this period, immigration authorities across the country processed a total of 333 million inbound and outbound trips, marking a 15.8-percent year-on-year increase. This figure includes 159 million mainland residents (up 15.9 percent), 136 million travelers from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, as well as Taiwan region (up 12.2 percent), and 38.05 million foreigners, representing a significant 30.2-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

In terms of documentation, authorities issued 10.65 million ordinary passports, 47.46 million travel endorsements for mainland residents heading to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, 1.16 million travel permits for residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan entering the mainland, and 887,000 visas and related documents for foreign nationals.

Over the first half of the year, national immigration management agencies have unswervingly promoted institutional opening up in the field of immigration management, continuously deepened the convenience of government services and border inspection clearance, and steadily improved the efficiency of immigration management services. They introduced and implemented a visa-free policy for ASEAN tourist groups entering Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, and added Indonesia to the list of the countries eligible for China's 240-hour transit visa-free policy. 

Efforts were made to strengthen the whole-chain dynamic service management of foreigners' entry, stay in and exit from China, ensuring active cooperation with relevant competent departments to facilitate foreigners' payment, accommodation and transportation processes. This has, in turn, effectively promoted exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel as well as economic and trade cooperation. In the first half of the year, 13.64 million foreigners entered China without a visa, accounting for 71.2 percent of the total – a year-on-year increase of 53.9 percent.​

Travel policies such as "one trip a week" for Zhuhai residents visiting Macao, and "multiple trips with one visa" for residents and residence permit holders in the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone visiting Macao were officially implemented. For Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents, who urgently needed to travel within the Chinese mainland but had lost, damaged or forgotten their documents, temporary permits were issued. 

Additionally, "dual-document association" verification services for travel permits to the mainland and residence permits were provided for those in need. In conjunction with relevant departments, travel permit application fees were waived for Taiwan residents making their first trip to the mainland, supporting the deeper integration of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan into the national development and promoting cross-Straits integration.​

Throughout the first half of the year, national immigration management consistently prioritized the maintenance of national security. They handled 6,914 cases of crimes endangering national (border) territory management, arrested more than 18,000 criminal suspects and dismantled 223 criminal gangs.​ 

(Cover via VCG)