Shanghai Border Inspection authorities reported that they cleared 343 000 inbound and outbound passengers over the three-day Mid-Autumn holiday, handling more than 2 570 flights and vessels. Of the 35 000 foreign nationals who entered the city, 23 000—roughly 65.7 percent—took advantage of China’s unilateral 30-day visa waiver or the 144-hour transit-visa exemption that covers the Yangtze River Delta. Airports benefited the most. Pudong International Airport logged the majority of arrivals, with long-haul flights from Europe nearly back to 2019 frequencies. Officials said average processing time at Pudong’s e-gates was 18 minutes for Chinese citizens and 28 minutes for foreigners, thanks to 24-hour staffing and real-time surge deployment. Shanghai has aggressively marketed itself as a visa-free hub for business events and cruise calls. The local culture-and-tourism bureau used the holiday to pilot ‘China Chic’ pop-up stores in arrival halls, allowing travellers to pick up digital coupons for museums, shopping and dining. For multinationals this confirms Shanghai’s status as China’s easiest gateway for short-notice business trips. Mobility teams should remind travellers that proof of onward ticketing and hotel bookings is still required for the 144-hour transit waiver, and that overstays incur steep penalties.
Source: Shanghai Xinmin Evening News
