China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) revealed on 28 January that it processed 697 million cross-border movements in 2025—up 14.2 % year-on-year and the highest on record. Crucially for Hong Kong, residents of the HKSAR, Macao and Taiwan accounted for 279 million of those trips, a 10 % jump that underscores the region’s rebounding mobility pipeline. (globaltimes.cn)
The figures show Mainland–Hong Kong corridors humming again after years of pandemic disruption. Analysts attribute the uptick to the widening of mutual visa-free arrangements, lower quarantine thresholds and improved e-channel interoperability that now lets permanent residents as young as seven use automated gates in both SARs.
Foreign nationals also made 82 million entries, 30 million of them visa-free, reflecting Beijing’s push to restore business travel. While much of that traffic funnels through Shanghai and Beijing, Hong Kong continues to benefit from its unique role as the southern gateway: Cathay Pacific carried a record 126,000 passengers on a single day earlier this month and has reinstated routes to Barcelona and Seattle for Q2 2026.
![Cross-border trips hit record 697 million in 2025, Hong Kong residents log 279 million crossings]()
Navigating this surge in cross-border travel can be streamlined by VisaHQ, whose Hong Kong portal offers real-time visa intelligence, electronic application services and courier support for everything from China business visas to global tourist permits. Companies and individual travelers alike can tap these tools to stay compliant amid evolving rules—full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/
For companies managing Greater Bay Area assignments, the data signal a return to near-normal mobility volumes—and highlight capacity pinch points. Shenzhen Bay and Lok Ma Chau crossings handled 25 % more travellers in December than a year earlier, prompting authorities to pilot additional iris-recognition channels. Employers should therefore update travel safety briefings, especially on processing times and digital-health certificate requirements, which remain in force for certain Mainland provinces.
Looking ahead, the NIA pledged to expand online renewal of exit-entry documents and to add more countries to China’s visa-free list in 2026. If realised, Hong Kong-based multinationals could see faster turnaround for Mainland business visas and smoother regional deployment loops.
The figures show Mainland–Hong Kong corridors humming again after years of pandemic disruption. Analysts attribute the uptick to the widening of mutual visa-free arrangements, lower quarantine thresholds and improved e-channel interoperability that now lets permanent residents as young as seven use automated gates in both SARs.
Foreign nationals also made 82 million entries, 30 million of them visa-free, reflecting Beijing’s push to restore business travel. While much of that traffic funnels through Shanghai and Beijing, Hong Kong continues to benefit from its unique role as the southern gateway: Cathay Pacific carried a record 126,000 passengers on a single day earlier this month and has reinstated routes to Barcelona and Seattle for Q2 2026.
Navigating this surge in cross-border travel can be streamlined by VisaHQ, whose Hong Kong portal offers real-time visa intelligence, electronic application services and courier support for everything from China business visas to global tourist permits. Companies and individual travelers alike can tap these tools to stay compliant amid evolving rules—full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/
For companies managing Greater Bay Area assignments, the data signal a return to near-normal mobility volumes—and highlight capacity pinch points. Shenzhen Bay and Lok Ma Chau crossings handled 25 % more travellers in December than a year earlier, prompting authorities to pilot additional iris-recognition channels. Employers should therefore update travel safety briefings, especially on processing times and digital-health certificate requirements, which remain in force for certain Mainland provinces.
Looking ahead, the NIA pledged to expand online renewal of exit-entry documents and to add more countries to China’s visa-free list in 2026. If realised, Hong Kong-based multinationals could see faster turnaround for Mainland business visas and smoother regional deployment loops.
