China achieved an unprecedented milestone in cross-border mobility during 2025, with national immigration authorities processing a record-breaking 697 million border crossings—marking a substantial 14.2% increase from the previous year. This remarkable surge was primarily driven by the country’s expansive visa-free policies and enhanced immigration service efficiency.
Foreign nationals accounted for over 82 million crossings, representing a 26% year-on-year increase, with more than 30 million entries occurring through visa-free channels. This visa-free segment witnessed nearly 50% growth compared to 2024, constituting 73% of all foreign entries into China.
Domestic travel patterns showed equally impressive growth, with mainland residents making 335 million border crossings (up 15%) and residents from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan accounting for nearly 280 million crossings (a 10% increase).
The National Immigration Administration’s spokeswoman Lyu Ning attributed this historic movement to comprehensive policy reforms and innovative measures designed to support high-quality development and stimulate economic momentum. Administrative enhancements included expanding the online travel document application pilot to 50 cities, resulting in 457,000 successful digital applications.
Significant policy expansions featured the inclusion of Indonesia in the 240-hour visa-free transit program and the designation of five additional ports in Guangdong province for the scheme, bringing the national total to 65 eligible ports. Additionally, China launched visa-free entry for tourist groups from ASEAN countries visiting Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan province.
Through coordinated efforts with relevant departments, China increased its unilateral visa-free countries to 48 and mutual visa exemption partners to 29, with 28 countries now granting unilateral visa-free access to Chinese citizens.
These initiatives have significantly boosted the ‘Travel in China’ and ‘Shop in China’ campaigns while enhancing China’s global image as an open, inclusive, and dynamic destination. Ministry of Commerce data revealed that expanded visa-free policies and optimized tax refund measures nearly doubled sales of tax-refundable goods.
China Tourism Academy President Dai Bin characterized 2025 as a landmark year for China’s institutional opening-up in tourism, noting the country’s leadership in tourism exchanges with Belt and Road Initiative partners across Southeast Asia, West Asia, Africa, and Latin America. European tourism exchanges have nearly returned to 2019 levels.
Looking ahead to 2026 and the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), China is positioned to assume a greater role in global tourism development. The National Immigration Administration has committed to continuing the expansion and deepening of high-level opening-up policies, optimizing immigration measures, and responding to public demands to further drive economic and social development through continuous reform and innovation.