China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced on 15 July that it processed 369 million inbound and outbound movements in the first half of 2026, a 10.8 percent year-on-year increase and the highest ever for the January-June period. The surge reflects both pent-up leisure demand and a stronger return of business travelers as multinationals resume in-person engagements. Foreign nationals accounted for 45.9 million crossings, up 20.6 percent. Notably, 17.8 million of those were visa-free entries—78 percent of the total—underscoring the impact of Beijing’s extension of unilateral visa-waiver to 50 countries earlier this year. South Korea, Russia and Malaysia topped the origin list, while long-haul markets such as Australia and the United States re-entered the top ten. Movements by Mainland residents reached 176 million, with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan residents contributing another 147 million. NIA said inspections of vehicles—planes, trains, ships and trucks—rose 17 percent, and the agency is accelerating deployment of biometric e-gates at land ports to cope with holiday peaks. An online lodging‐registration pilot for foreigners has been expanded to seven provinces, cutting the need for in-person police station visits. For HR and mobility teams the data confirm that China’s inbound ecosystem is normalising. The dominance of visa-free arrivals means staff from eligible countries can be mobilised rapidly for short assignments, but companies must track stay limits (generally 30 days) and ensure travelers do not engage in restricted work without permits. The jump in vehicle crossings also signals tighter truck-driver scheduling at busy freight gateways; supply-chain managers should factor immigration inspection into lead times.
Source: China Daily (Hangzhou edition)
