Fresh data released on 29 December by VisaHQ shows Hong Kong’s Immigration Department processed 5.98 million passenger movements between 24 and 28 December 2025—the busiest Christmas period since pandemic controls were lifted. Departures peaked on Christmas Day at 795 000, while arrivals topped 457 000, pushing total daily throughput above 1.25 million.
Outbound Hongkongers accounted for 2.73 million trips, many taking advantage of duty-free shopping in neighbouring Guangdong or using Shenzhen and Guangzhou airports to reach long-haul destinations at lower fares. Inbound traffic was led by visitors from Europe and the United States as airlines restored pre-Covid trans-Pacific and trans-Eurasian capacity.
![Nearly six million border crossings logged over Christmas long-weekend]()
For travellers weighing their next getaway—or corporations planning staff movements—VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork: its Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers step-by-step visa assistance for more than 200 countries, real-time requirement updates, and door-to-door document handling, making cross-border hops through Shenzhen or onward long-haul flights smoother than ever.
The surge tested the robustness of Hong Kong’s expanded e-Channel network—now more than 700 gates city-wide—and validated the decision to lower the minimum age for automated clearance to seven. Queues at Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay stayed below 30 minutes after the Immigration Department deployed mobile e-Channel trucks and kept all counters open around the clock.
Retail analysts estimate the influx lifted Christmas sales by 11 % year-on-year, with luxury brands and electronics seeing the biggest spikes. Corporations relocating staff should note that hotel occupancy in core business districts hit 93 %, driving room rates to a three-year high.
Outbound Hongkongers accounted for 2.73 million trips, many taking advantage of duty-free shopping in neighbouring Guangdong or using Shenzhen and Guangzhou airports to reach long-haul destinations at lower fares. Inbound traffic was led by visitors from Europe and the United States as airlines restored pre-Covid trans-Pacific and trans-Eurasian capacity.
For travellers weighing their next getaway—or corporations planning staff movements—VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork: its Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers step-by-step visa assistance for more than 200 countries, real-time requirement updates, and door-to-door document handling, making cross-border hops through Shenzhen or onward long-haul flights smoother than ever.
The surge tested the robustness of Hong Kong’s expanded e-Channel network—now more than 700 gates city-wide—and validated the decision to lower the minimum age for automated clearance to seven. Queues at Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay stayed below 30 minutes after the Immigration Department deployed mobile e-Channel trucks and kept all counters open around the clock.
Retail analysts estimate the influx lifted Christmas sales by 11 % year-on-year, with luxury brands and electronics seeing the biggest spikes. Corporations relocating staff should note that hotel occupancy in core business districts hit 93 %, driving room rates to a three-year high.
