China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) says its officers processed almost 6.8 million inbound and outbound journeys during the three-day Qingming Festival break (4–6 April). That works out to an average of 2.26 million trips a day, 9.1 % higher than in 2025. The rebound was led by leisure travel as families took advantage of the first long weekend of spring. Foreign passport holders accounted for 843,000 of the crossings, up 20.9 % year-on-year, while 319,000 of those arrivals entered visa-free—30.7 % more than last year. Those figures underline the commercial significance of Beijing’s fast-expanding unilateral visa-waiver programme, now covering 50 nations. For global mobility managers, the data confirm that China’s border infrastructure is coping with volumes approaching pre-pandemic norms.
![Qingming holiday drives 9 % surge in China’s cross-border passenger flows]()
At this planning stage, many travellers and HR teams are turning to VisaHQ for real-time guidance on China’s constantly evolving entry rules. The service’s dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/) tracks eligibility for the visa-free scheme, lists required documents and lets users file any necessary applications online—all in one place, cutting down on paperwork and last-minute airport surprises.
Peak throughput was recorded on 6 April, when 2.33 million travellers cleared passport control without major delays. Companies relocating staff to or through China should nevertheless factor in heavy holiday peaks when scheduling assignments and flight connections. Domestic airlines likewise ramped up capacity, slotting wide-body aircraft onto trunk routes to meet outbound demand, while major hub airports reinstated all-night public-transport links. The trend is likely to continue into the Labour Day “golden week” at the start of May, when daily flows regularly top three million movements. For foreign assignees, one practical takeaway is to check visa-free eligibility carefully: officers can refuse entry if accommodation registration or onward-ticket evidence is missing. Using the NIA’s new English-language website can speed up document checks and reduce last-minute surprises at the gate.
At this planning stage, many travellers and HR teams are turning to VisaHQ for real-time guidance on China’s constantly evolving entry rules. The service’s dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/) tracks eligibility for the visa-free scheme, lists required documents and lets users file any necessary applications online—all in one place, cutting down on paperwork and last-minute airport surprises.
Peak throughput was recorded on 6 April, when 2.33 million travellers cleared passport control without major delays. Companies relocating staff to or through China should nevertheless factor in heavy holiday peaks when scheduling assignments and flight connections. Domestic airlines likewise ramped up capacity, slotting wide-body aircraft onto trunk routes to meet outbound demand, while major hub airports reinstated all-night public-transport links. The trend is likely to continue into the Labour Day “golden week” at the start of May, when daily flows regularly top three million movements. For foreign assignees, one practical takeaway is to check visa-free eligibility carefully: officers can refuse entry if accommodation registration or onward-ticket evidence is missing. Using the NIA’s new English-language website can speed up document checks and reduce last-minute surprises at the gate.
