KUALA LUMPUR - Foreign arrivals to China rose sharply in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the impact of expanded visa-free policies and efforts to facilitate cross-border travel.
The National Immigration Administration said on April 10 that total entries and exits reached 185 million during the period, marking a 13.5 per cent year-on-year increase, as reported by China Daily.
Spokesperson Lyu Ning said foreign nationals accounted for about 21.33 million trips, up 22.3 per cent compared with a year earlier.
This growth outpaced increases recorded among mainland residents and travellers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Nearly 8.32 million foreign nationals entered China visa-free, representing a 29.3 per cent rise year-on-year.
Visa-free entries accounted for 77.9 per cent of all foreign arrivals during the quarter.
Mainland residents made approximately 91.67 million trips, reflecting a 14.2 per cent increase.
Travellers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan recorded nearly 72.5 million trips, up 10.3 per cent year-on-year.
Infographic on statistics of foreign arrivals to China. Infographic made by Migrant Times.
Authorities attributed the growth to continued efforts to expand institutional opening-up in immigration administration.
Officials said coordination with relevant departments has broadened the list of countries eligible for unilateral visa-free entry.
Measures have also been introduced to improve services for overseas travellers.
In March, a pilot programme was launched to allow foreign nationals not staying in hotels to register temporary accommodation online in selected regions.
These include Chongqing, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei and Sichuan.
Authorities have also streamlined applications for entry and exit documents to improve efficiency.
During the first quarter, about 406,000 visas and related documents were issued to foreign nationals.
The administration’s online service platform handled 51.32 million enquiries and service requests from both Chinese and foreign travellers.
Its 12367 service platform processed about 1.8 million enquiries from users across more than 100 countries and regions.
Meanwhile, travel activity among Taiwan residents also increased during the period.
Applications for mainland travel permits rose 11.8 per cent year-on-year, while trips to the mainland increased 27.6 per cent.
Applications by first-time Taiwan visitors increased 4.5 per cent from the previous quarter.
The number of Taiwan residents applying at ports for one-time permits rose 24.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter.
Since November 20, 2025, the number of mainland ports authorised to issue one-time travel permits to Taiwan residents has expanded from 58 to 100.
These now include 56 airports, 27 seaports and 17 railway and highway ports.
Officials said the expanded policy has made entry safer and more convenient for Taiwan travellers worldwide.