China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) projects that average daily inbound and outbound passenger flows will reach 2.05 million during the extended Spring Festival holiday (2 February–13 March 2026), a 14 % jump on last year and the highest figure since 2019. CGTN’s 20 February report highlights record sales of 298 million rail tickets and more than 1,400 extra trains scheduled for the peak return weekend. Business travellers should expect airport queues, tighter security screening and limited seat availability on popular domestic connectors such as Beijing–Shenzhen.
![Spring Festival travel rush to surpass 2 million daily border crossings, Immigration Administration warns]()
For companies still arranging last-minute trips, VisaHQ can take much of the stress out of the process. Its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) streamlines Chinese visa applications, offers real-time tracking and provides expert support—especially handy when embassies and consulates are inundated with pre-festival requests.
Some ports of entry—including Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun and Shenzhen Bay—have opened additional automated e-passport gates, but manual counters remain congested at morning and late-evening banks when international flights cluster. Companies with assignment deadlines immediately after the festival should consider re-routing staff via second-tier hubs (e.g., Hangzhou, Tianjin) where capacity is freer, or delaying arrivals until the first week of March. Logistics teams moving samples or equipment are advised to book Customs inspection slots in advance; several regional airports have announced temporary staffing limits that could add 8–12 hours to clearance times. Carriers report a surge in older travellers—the so-called “silver economy”—with bookings from passengers aged 60 plus up 160 % year-on-year. This demographic shift may further slow boarding and immigration processing, so elite-status fast-track channels could see spill-over traffic. Mobility managers should brief travellers on self-service kiosks, mobile declaration apps and carry-on restrictions to shorten dwell time.
For companies still arranging last-minute trips, VisaHQ can take much of the stress out of the process. Its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) streamlines Chinese visa applications, offers real-time tracking and provides expert support—especially handy when embassies and consulates are inundated with pre-festival requests.
Some ports of entry—including Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun and Shenzhen Bay—have opened additional automated e-passport gates, but manual counters remain congested at morning and late-evening banks when international flights cluster. Companies with assignment deadlines immediately after the festival should consider re-routing staff via second-tier hubs (e.g., Hangzhou, Tianjin) where capacity is freer, or delaying arrivals until the first week of March. Logistics teams moving samples or equipment are advised to book Customs inspection slots in advance; several regional airports have announced temporary staffing limits that could add 8–12 hours to clearance times. Carriers report a surge in older travellers—the so-called “silver economy”—with bookings from passengers aged 60 plus up 160 % year-on-year. This demographic shift may further slow boarding and immigration processing, so elite-status fast-track channels could see spill-over traffic. Mobility managers should brief travellers on self-service kiosks, mobile declaration apps and carry-on restrictions to shorten dwell time.
