In the first quarter of 2025, the customs authorities at the Beijing Capital International Airport and the Beijing Daxing International Airport verified a total of 4,801 tax refund application forms submitted by overseas tourists, amounting to approximately CNY 240 million in total. The amounts recorded by the two airports soared by 122.47 percent and 81.64 percent respectively. The accumulated number of the tax refund application forms received at the two airports also hit a record high.

The 240-hour visa-free transit policy has significantly boosted foreign visits. In the first quarter, 9.215 million visits by foreign nationals to China were recorded through the ports nationwide, marking a 40.2-percent increase from the same period in 2024. Specifically, 6.57 million entries were made under the visa-free policy, accounting for 71.3 percent of the total.

Tourists applying for departure tax refunds at the Beijing Capital International Airport

[Photo by Jin Tianxue]

To further facilitate inbound tourists' consumption, the multilingual Beijing Departure Tax Refund Guide along with a digital map pinpointing departure tax refund-eligible stores across the city was launched online recently. Moreover, the Beijing Capital International Airport Customs has set up multiple sites for verifying tax refund applications in the departure zones, with electronic screens and dedicated signage added to inform tourists of tax refund policies and demonstrate the procedures to them. A baggage carousel has been installed beside the customs declaration counter on the departure floor of the Beijing Daxing International Airport, where the customs staff will inspect the refunded goods one by one. This saves time for tourists, as they may put their baggage on the carousel and complete the baggage check-in at once after passing the inspection.

(Source: Beijing Daily)