Visa-free entry drives surge in foreign arrivals to China in 2026

Visa-free entry accounted for more than three-quarters of foreign arrivals to China in the first eight months of this year, as ongoing travel facilitation measures spurred a sharp increase in cross-border passenger flows, according to data released at a forum on Thursday.

From January to August, 23.72 million entries were made by foreign nationals under visa-free arrangements, comprising 77.6 percent of all foreign arrivals and marking a 26.8 percent year-on-year increase. This information was shared at the Sub-Forum on Migration Management Cooperation during the 2026 Conference of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in Jiangsu province.

China's immigration authorities recorded 499 million inbound and outbound passenger trips during this period, reflecting an 8.7 percent increase from the previous year. The total included 242 million trips by Chinese mainland residents, up 10 percent; 196 million by residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, up 8.9 percent; and 61.29 million by foreign nationals, an increase of 19.5 percent.

Additionally, immigration authorities processed 28.15 million trips by transportation vehicles between January and August, up 15 percent year-on-year. These included 665,000 aircraft movements, 75,000 train trips, 306,000 ship calls, and 27.1 million motor vehicle crossings, with respective increases of 0.5 percent, 5.6 percent, 4.1 percent, and 15.6 percent.

An official from the National Immigration Administration stated that the authority has continued to enhance services to support efficient cross-border movement while facilitating high-level opening-up and high-quality development. Recent measures have eased travel for Chinese citizens abroad and foreign nationals visiting China, significantly reducing clearance times for travelers and transport vehicles at ports of entry.

The administration plans to continue innovating immigration management policies and border inspection procedures, improving government services, and raising clearance efficiency for passengers, goods, and transport vehicles. It also aims to better support regional opening-up and facilitate international business and people-to-people exchanges. The broader goal is to make cross-border travel and economic exchanges more convenient and efficient, thereby translating growing passenger flows into stronger economic activity.