China Reports 192 Million Border Crossings in Q3 2026
Chinese border authorities recorded 192 million entries and exits in the third quarter of 2026, driven by a surge in visa-free foreign travel.
The National Immigration Administration of China reported that border authorities handled 192 million entries and exits during the third quarter of 2026. This figure represents a 7.9 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year.
Foreign nationals accounted for 23.27 million of these crossings, marking a year-on-year rise of 15.6 percent. Visa-free entries by foreign nationals grew by 24.1 percent to 8.99 million, which constituted 77.5 percent of all foreign entries during the quarter.
This growth follows a series of policy expansions by the Chinese government. As of September, unilateral visa-free entry was extended to travelers from 50 countries for stays of up to 30 days. Additionally, the government had previously extended visa-free transit periods to 240 hours for 57 eligible countries in December 2024.
