On July 16, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) held a press conference to release key statistics regarding the immigration management of China for the first half of 2025.

In the first half of this year, the immigration management authorities in China inspected a total of 333 million exits and entries by individuals, indicating a year-on-year increase of 15.8%. Specifically, 159 million were made by the residents of the Chinese mainland, and 136 million were made by the residents of Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and the Taiwan region, increasing by 15.9% and 12.2%, respectively; foreigners made a total of 38.053 million trips, up 30.2% year-on-year. A total of 17.795 million exits and entries of transportation vehicles (including planes, trains, ships, and motor vehicles) were inspected, up 15.4% year-on-year. Specifically, the authorities inspected 485,000 flights, 53,000 trips by trains, 219,000 voyages by ships, and 17.038 million trips by motor vehicles, increasing by 19.7%, 5.2%, 3.7%, and 15.5%, respectively. A total of 10.648 million ordinary passports were issued, 47.456 million endorsements were issued for the Chinese mainland residents traveling to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and 1.161 million Mainland Travel Permits were issued to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents traveling to the Chinese mainland. Additionally, 887,000 visas and other types of exit-entry documents were issued to foreigners. NIA's government service platform provided inquiry and other government services to Chinese and foreign exit-entry travelers 89.87 million times, and offered free identity verification services to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents as well as overseas Chinese and foreigners 30.59 million times. The China Immigration Service Hotline 12367 handled 3.519 million calls and messages for consultation from Chinese and foreign nationals, benefiting individuals from over 100 countries and regions worldwide and resulting in an average satisfaction rate of 99.55%.

In the first half of 2025, the immigration management authorities nationwide steadfastly promoted the institutional opening-up in immigration management, continuously improved government services to offer more convenience, and persistently streamlined border/boundary inspection and other exit-entry procedures, thereby improving the efficiency of immigration management services. Policies such as the visa exemption policy for tourist groups entering Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province from the ASEAN member states were implemented, and Indonesia was added to the list of countries eligible for China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy. Dynamic, full-chain service management was strengthened for foreigners entering, staying, and exiting China. The immigration management authorities also proactively collaborated with relevant competent authorities for the greater convenience in payment, accommodation, and transportation for foreign nationals, effectively facilitating the movement of people and the economic and trade cooperation between China and other countries. In the first half of the year, visa-free entries made by foreign nationals reached 13.64 million, accounting for 71.2% of the total of the entries by foreign nationals and indicating a year-on-year increase of 53.9%. Several policies were put into place, including the one allowing the residents of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province to travel to Macao SAR once per week, and the one allowing the residents of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the holders of the residence permits of the zone to travel to Macao SAR for multiple times (the "residents" in these policies are those whose households are registered in the given regions). Temporary travel permits were issued for the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents who lost, damaged, or forgot to carry their travel permits but urgently needed to travel by plane or train between the cities in the Chinese mainland. The identity verification service linking the Mainland Travel Permits and residence permits (known as "dual permit linkage") was provided to the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents in need. Also, in cooperation with relevant authorities, fees for Taiwan residents applying for the Mainland Travel Permits for the first time were reduced or waived. These efforts were aimed at supporting better integration of Hong Kong and Macao SARs into the national development framework and promoting the integrated development across Taiwan Strait.

From January to June this year, the immigration management authorities nationwide prioritized safeguarding national political security, adhering to strict, standardized, fair, and civil law enforcement. Coordinated efforts were made to crack down on crimes undermining border/boundary management and continuously strengthen the management of foreign nationals who illegally entered, resided, or/and worked in China. The immigration management authorities have been firmly securing the safety and stability of the borders and boundaries and unwaveringly safeguarding the national sovereignty, security, and developmental interests of China. A total of 6,914 criminal cases disrupting border/boundary management were investigated, with over 18,000 suspects arrested and 223 criminal gangs dismantled. Specifically, 113 cases were classified as major and serious ones that were designated to be handled within specific times. Actions were taken to combat crimes involving firearms, explosives, drug trafficking, smuggling and more in the border and boundary areas. A total of 205 drug-related cases were solved, with 38 cases involving over 10 kilograms of drugs, resulting in the apprehension of 262 suspects and the confiscation of 2.42 tons of various drugs. Additionally, 607 firearms and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition were seized.