China has simplified entry and exit: smart channel, visas at ports and 24-hour visa-free transit
According to statistics, about 424 million trips were made across China's borders in 2023, up 266.5 percent from the previous year. Of these, 206 million trips were taken by residents of the mainland, and 183 million by residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, representing an increase of 218.7 and 292.8 percent respectively. The number of foreigners traveling across borders increased by 693.1 percent compared to the previous year to nearly 35.48 million, People's Daily reported.
Since May 15, 2023, the National Immigration Administration of China has streamlined entry and exit management policies and measures to facilitate the mobility of people across borders. A number of innovative measures in immigration management have been introduced to adapt to rapid and frequent international exchanges, greatly facilitating the movement of people between China and other countries.
Beijing Border Control Main Station has carried out technological upgrades to its fast link, including face and fingerprint recognition, automatic front image capture and others. These measures ensure faster and safer customs clearance, avoiding long queues. More than 11,500 passengers were reported to have used the fast channel on the first day of its launch. “The transit this time was at least 30 minutes shorter than last time,” a Russian traveler named Andrey said, commenting on China’s visa-free transit policy.
In addition, through the 24-hour visa-free transit policy, foreign nationals with international transit flights within 24 hours are exempt from border procedures and can travel directly to a third country or region through the country's nine airports, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
Also, from 2023, foreign citizens can obtain single-entry and multiple-entry visas issued in the country directly at the ports. In this way, China was able to completely restore passenger traffic at water ports, ensuring a continuous flow of foreign citizens coming to China.
Also, on December 1, 2023, a new version of the Chinese Permanent Resident Identification Card for foreign citizens was put into operation. An official representative of the National Immigration Directorate noted that the introduction of the new identification card is an important measure to ensure a high level of openness and improve the level of information services for foreign citizens. As more and more foreigners come to China for business, tourism, work, study and living. This material was taken from the official website of Narodnaya Gazeta and translated for informational purposes.
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