China processed an unprecedented 697 million inbound and outbound movements in 2025—up 14.2 % year-on-year—according to figures released on 29 January by the National Immigration Administration (NIA). Foreign nationals accounted for 82 million of those crossings, a 26 % jump, with more than 30 million entering visa-free, almost 50 % higher than in 2024. (en.people.cn)
The spike follows a flurry of policy liberalisations: China expanded its unilateral visa-free list to 48 countries, added Indonesia to the 240-hour transit-visa scheme and authorised five new Guangdong ports for transit entries. Officials also piloted online passport renewals in 50 cities, processing 457 000 e-applications.
For corporate mobility managers mapping these shifting requirements, VisaHQ’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers real-time consular updates, interactive visa-free eligibility tools and full-service application assistance—helping both business travellers and HR teams stay compliant as the country’s digital entry systems evolve.
![National Immigration Administration Reports Record 697 Million Border Crossings in 2025]()
For multinationals the data confirm anecdotal evidence that China business travel has roared back despite global economic headwinds. Retailers report duty-free sales near-doubling, while hospitality chains in tier-one cities hit 78 % average occupancy in Q4 2025. Tourism Academy president Dai Bin called 2025 a “landmark year for institutional opening-up”.
Looking forward, the NIA pledged to keep refining digital entry processes and hinted that an all-new ‘K Visa’ for young science-and-tech talent could launch this year. Companies should watch for further port expansions and electronic gate roll-outs that may alter preferred routing for project teams.
Risk note: authorities emphasised that facilitation will go hand-in-hand with tighter border-security analytics, including advanced passenger information requirements. HR and travel teams must verify data-feed compliance by Chinese carriers to avoid denied boarding.
The spike follows a flurry of policy liberalisations: China expanded its unilateral visa-free list to 48 countries, added Indonesia to the 240-hour transit-visa scheme and authorised five new Guangdong ports for transit entries. Officials also piloted online passport renewals in 50 cities, processing 457 000 e-applications.
For corporate mobility managers mapping these shifting requirements, VisaHQ’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers real-time consular updates, interactive visa-free eligibility tools and full-service application assistance—helping both business travellers and HR teams stay compliant as the country’s digital entry systems evolve.
For multinationals the data confirm anecdotal evidence that China business travel has roared back despite global economic headwinds. Retailers report duty-free sales near-doubling, while hospitality chains in tier-one cities hit 78 % average occupancy in Q4 2025. Tourism Academy president Dai Bin called 2025 a “landmark year for institutional opening-up”.
Looking forward, the NIA pledged to keep refining digital entry processes and hinted that an all-new ‘K Visa’ for young science-and-tech talent could launch this year. Companies should watch for further port expansions and electronic gate roll-outs that may alter preferred routing for project teams.
Risk note: authorities emphasised that facilitation will go hand-in-hand with tighter border-security analytics, including advanced passenger information requirements. HR and travel teams must verify data-feed compliance by Chinese carriers to avoid denied boarding.
