New statistics released on 22 October by the Beijing General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection show that the capital handled nearly 940,000 foreign entries in the first 10 months of 2025—up 23 % year-on-year—thanks largely to expanded visa-exemption policies. More than 236,000 of those travellers used China’s signature 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit, while others benefited from unilateral waivers covering 38 countries.
The figures confirm anecdotal reports from airlines and hotels that inbound demand is rebounding, especially for short business trips clustering around trade fairs and academic conferences. Beijing Capital International Airport has reinstated pre-clearance lanes where transit passengers receive a dated entry stamp allowing them to roam the wider Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region before continuing to a third-country destination.
Travel-platform data indicate that European leisure travellers are the biggest adopters of the 240-hour rule, while Southeast Asian visitors often rely on unilateral visa-free status for 30-day stays. Corporates such as Siemens and Honeywell say the smoother entry has revived executive visits that were suspended during the pandemic and early-2024 visa backlog.
For mobility managers, the numbers underscore the importance of route planning: only 60 Chinese ports currently honour the 240-hour transit regime, and onward tickets must be confirmed. Firms should brief employees on stay-within-region restrictions (e.g., no side trips to Shenzhen from Beijing under the transit scheme).
Beijing’s immigration bureau hinted that additional source markets could be added before the 2026 Winter Universiade in Harbin, signalling further liberalisation in China’s tier-one gateways.
The figures confirm anecdotal reports from airlines and hotels that inbound demand is rebounding, especially for short business trips clustering around trade fairs and academic conferences. Beijing Capital International Airport has reinstated pre-clearance lanes where transit passengers receive a dated entry stamp allowing them to roam the wider Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region before continuing to a third-country destination.
Travel-platform data indicate that European leisure travellers are the biggest adopters of the 240-hour rule, while Southeast Asian visitors often rely on unilateral visa-free status for 30-day stays. Corporates such as Siemens and Honeywell say the smoother entry has revived executive visits that were suspended during the pandemic and early-2024 visa backlog.
For mobility managers, the numbers underscore the importance of route planning: only 60 Chinese ports currently honour the 240-hour transit regime, and onward tickets must be confirmed. Firms should brief employees on stay-within-region restrictions (e.g., no side trips to Shenzhen from Beijing under the transit scheme).
Beijing’s immigration bureau hinted that additional source markets could be added before the 2026 Winter Universiade in Harbin, signalling further liberalisation in China’s tier-one gateways.
