In 2024, the number of inbound and outbound trips made by individuals at Beijing's ports surpassed 18 million, reaching 18.27 million, with over 110,000 flight departures and arrivals handled, marking year-on-year increases of 90 percent and 76 percent, respectively. Specifically, the number of foreign nationals' exits from and entries into the Chinese mainland through Beijing was 4.84 million, indicating a year-on-year growth of approximately 125 percent.

As of December 31, 2024, Beijing's ports handled 920,000 entries by foreign nationals covered by the visa-free policies. Additionally, 144-hour and 240-hour temporary entry permits were granted for 64,000 entries made by foreign travelers who met the entry requirements, representing 4.9 times and 2.2 times the numbers during the same period last year, respectively. Specifically, around 1.91 million entries by foreign nationals were recorded at Beijing Capital International Airport, with 710,000 made on a visa-free basis. Over 28,000 trips by foreign nationals were covered by the 144-hour and 240-hour visa-free transit policies at Beijing Capital International Airport. Beijing Daxing International Airport meanwhile saw around 560,000 entries by foreign nationals, including 210,000 made on a visa-free basis. Over 36,000 trips by foreign nationals were covered by the 144-hour and 240-hour visa-free transit policies at Beijing Daxing International Airport.

On December 17, 2024, China fully relaxed and optimized its visa-free transit scheme by extending the permitted stay period of the eligible foreign nationals from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours (or 10 days). In addition, 21 new exit-entry ports were added for travelers covered by the visa-free transit policy, and the permitted stay areas were further expanded. Driven by this new policy, the inbound tourism sector of Beijing has been thriving. According to statistics, from December 20 to 31, 2024, the number of foreign nationals' entries into China reached 108,000, marking a 43-percent increase month-on-month and a 70-percent rise compared with the same period in 2023.

To ensure the smooth implementation of these favorable exit-entry policies and provide foreign travelers with convenient and pleasant experiences from the moment they enter China, Beijing General Station of Immigration Inspection has been continuously improving its services. Key measures include:

- Encouraging 17 airlines to adopt electronic boarding passes for faster and paperless exit and entry processes;

- Introducing self-service printing devices for the Arrival Cards for foreigners to address congestion, long waiting times, and delays caused by filling out forms;

- Establishing multilingual service teams and dispatching officers proficient in foreign languages to provide on-site assistance, such as answering questions and offering guidance;

- Adding more inspection lanes and waiting areas at high-traffic checkpoints and implementing the model "simultaneous inspection on two lanes" to improve the efficiency of exits and entries;

- Piloting an optimized model for issuing temporary entry permits at both Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport, with three sets of special lanes for handling the applications for temporary entry permits added to each of them, thereby providing "one-stop" services through which travelers can receive their temporary entry permits and complete border inspection procedures on the same lanes, thus enhancing their overall exit-entry experiences.

(Source: Official WeChat Account of Beijing General Station of Immigration Inspection)