Shenzhen, long regarded as the gateway to China’s Greater Bay Area, posted a record 1.754 million cross-border passenger movements in the first quarter of 2026, according to new data released by the city’s border-inspection command on 4 April. Of those, foreign travellers entering without a visa under China’s growing roster of unilateral and mutual-exemption deals jumped more than 60 percent year-on-year.
![Visa-Free Arrivals at Shenzhen Airport Soar 60 Percent in Q1]()
For travellers who still need a visa—or for mobility teams juggling mixed travel scenarios—VisaHQ can simplify the process with digital applications, real-time status tracking and expert support through its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/). Using the service, companies can secure the right visas ahead of time, monitor shifting exemption rules and avoid last-minute disruptions to assignments.
Officials credit three drivers: the broadening of China’s 15-day visa-free entry list to 50 countries, the extension of short-haul routes to Southeast Asia, and a string of high-profile events—including the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting—hosted in Guangdong. Airlines have responded by adding 28 additional weekly frequencies through Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport since January, many timed for onward connections to manufacturing corridors in Dongguan and Huizhou. For companies relocating staff to the Bay Area, the figures signal shorter lead-times for entry. Immigration advisers report that many executives now enter visa-free, lodge on-arrival work-permit applications in Shenzhen’s “single-window” service zone, and receive electronic work authorisations within five working days. Shenzhen’s surge also illustrates a policy flip: unlike the cautious “closed-loop” controls of 2022–23, the city is positioning itself as Southern China’s most open air gateway. Local authorities say they will pilot an English-language e-gates channel for visa-free entrants before October’s Canton Fair to further speed processing. Multinationals should revisit mobility policies to leverage visa-free entry where eligible, while ensuring that staff still obtain the correct work authorisations post-arrival to avoid compliance pitfalls.
For travellers who still need a visa—or for mobility teams juggling mixed travel scenarios—VisaHQ can simplify the process with digital applications, real-time status tracking and expert support through its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/). Using the service, companies can secure the right visas ahead of time, monitor shifting exemption rules and avoid last-minute disruptions to assignments.
Officials credit three drivers: the broadening of China’s 15-day visa-free entry list to 50 countries, the extension of short-haul routes to Southeast Asia, and a string of high-profile events—including the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting—hosted in Guangdong. Airlines have responded by adding 28 additional weekly frequencies through Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport since January, many timed for onward connections to manufacturing corridors in Dongguan and Huizhou. For companies relocating staff to the Bay Area, the figures signal shorter lead-times for entry. Immigration advisers report that many executives now enter visa-free, lodge on-arrival work-permit applications in Shenzhen’s “single-window” service zone, and receive electronic work authorisations within five working days. Shenzhen’s surge also illustrates a policy flip: unlike the cautious “closed-loop” controls of 2022–23, the city is positioning itself as Southern China’s most open air gateway. Local authorities say they will pilot an English-language e-gates channel for visa-free entrants before October’s Canton Fair to further speed processing. Multinationals should revisit mobility policies to leverage visa-free entry where eligible, while ensuring that staff still obtain the correct work authorisations post-arrival to avoid compliance pitfalls.
