178 Million People Traveled in Q3 Visa-Free Visitors Up 48.3%

On October 16th, the National Immigration Administration announced the key immigration management statistics for the third quarter of 2025 during a press conference. The data highlighted significant trends in travel and border management that reflect a robust recovery in movement both within and into China.

Notably, during the third quarter, the national immigration management agencies registered a total of 178 million entries and exits. This number represents a year-on-year increase of 12.9%. Of this total, mainland residents accounted for 89.372 million entries and exits, showing a year-on-year increase of 13.8%. Residents from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan reported 68.731 million entries and exits—an increase of 6.2% compared to the previous year.

Foreign nationals also contributed significantly with 20.134 million entries, marking a substantial year-on-year increase of 22.3%. A notable segment of this increase came from visa-free foreign nationals, who numbered 7.246 million and made up 72.2% of all foreign entrants. This segment experienced a remarkable year-on-year growth of 48.3%.

In addition to the travel statistics, the cumulative number of checked transportation vehicles, encompassing flights, trains, and ships, reached 9.904 million. This reflects a year-on-year increase of 17.5%. The variety of transportation included 260,000 aircraft, 27,000 trains, 114,000 ships, and 9.503 million motor vehicles, each demonstrating respective year-on-year increases.

As part of the ongoing immigration management efforts, the administration reported that 5.695 million ordinary passports were issued in the third quarter. Moreover, there were 28.117 million endorsements granted for mainland residents traveling to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. There were also 583,000 travel permits issued to residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan visiting the mainland, along with the processing of 584,000 visa documents for foreign nationals.

The immigration service platform facilitated over 54.21 million queries and provided administrative services to both domestic and foreign travelers. Notably, the 12367 service platform managed inquiries from over 1.9767 million individuals worldwide, covering more than 100 countries and regions, achieving an impressive average satisfaction rate of 99.48%.

In terms of border security, the administration undertook significant law enforcement actions. A total of 4,838 criminal cases affecting national border management were investigated, resulting in the arrest of over 15,300 suspects and the dismantling of 134 criminal groups. Special emphasis was placed on major cases involving firearms, explosives, and drug trafficking, leading to the resolution of 84 drug cases and the seizure of 1.35 tons of drugs.

Amid these operations, the immigration management police also conducted proactive border patrol inspections. For instance, on August 1st, personnel from the Kanas Border Police Station carried out inspections as part of their ongoing efforts to secure the border areas.