China has recorded a sharp uptick in foreign visitor arrivals during the first three months of 2026, with newly expanded visa-free entry policies and streamlined cross-border travel facilitation measures cited as the core driving forces behind the growth, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced in a press briefing Friday.
Overall, border inspection authorities processed a total of 185 million entry and exit trips nationwide in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 13.5% year-on-year increase, according to NIA spokesperson Lyu Ning. Breaking down the data, foreign nationals accounted for approximately 21.33 million total trips during the period, a 22.3% annual jump that outpaced growth rates for all other traveler segments, including mainland Chinese residents and travelers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Of all foreign arrivals recorded in the quarter, nearly 8.32 million entered China through visa-free arrangements, a 29.3% rise from the same period last year. Visa-free entries now make up 77.9% of all foreign arrivals into the country, reflecting the broad impact of China’s recent policy expansions to open its borders to international travelers.
For comparison, mainland Chinese residents made 91.67 million entry and exit trips, a 14.2% year-on-year increase, while travelers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan completed 72.5 million total trips, representing a 10.3% annual gain.
Lyu explained that the consistent growth in international visitor arrivals stems from the NIA’s ongoing push to expand institutional opening-up in immigration governance. The administration has coordinated with multiple relevant government departments to expand the list of countries eligible for China’s unilateral visa-free entry policy, while continuously upgrading public services for international travelers.
As one of the most recent service upgrades, the NIA launched a new pilot program in March that allows foreign nationals staying at non-hotel accommodations to complete temporary accommodation registration entirely online. The pilot is currently operational in seven regional jurisdictions: Chongqing Municipality, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei and Sichuan provinces.
In addition to the new online registration pilot, immigration authorities have continued to streamline application procedures for all types of entry and exit documents, boosting the efficiency of government services. Over the first quarter of 2026, authorities issued 406,000 visas and other immigration documents to foreign nationals.
The NIA’s official online service platform handled more than 51.32 million inquiries and other government service requests from both domestic and international travelers during the quarter. The administration’s 12367 hotline service also processed approximately 1.8 million inquiries from callers based in more than 100 countries and regions around the world.
The quarter also saw strong growth in travel from Taiwan to the Chinese mainland. Applications from Taiwan compatriots for mainland travel permits rose 11.8% year-on-year, while total trips by Taiwan residents to the mainland jumped 27.6% annually. First-time applicants from Taiwan saw a 4.5% quarter-on-quarter increase in permit applications, and applications for port-issued one-time entry permits rose 24.7% from the fourth quarter of 2025.
This growth follows a policy adjustment implemented on November 20, 2025, that expanded the number of mainland ports authorized to issue one-time travel permits to Taiwan residents from 58 to 100. The expanded network of authorization now covers 56 airports, 27 water ports, and 17 railway and highway ports. Lyu noted that the adjusted policy has made entry to the mainland far safer and more convenient for Taiwan compatriots traveling from all regions of the world.