Shanghai sees surge in exit-entry trips in H1

english.pudong.gov.cn Updated:2025-07-28

According to the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection, 20.74 million inbound and outbound individuals and 147,000 vehicles were inspected in the first half of this year, up nearly 22 percent and 15 percent, respectively, over the same period last year.

Shanghai border inspection authorities have been continuously optimizing customs clearance measures for both inbound and outbound passengers and vehicles to boost both travel and trade.

A series of visa-free transit policies has recently been introduced by the National Immigration Administration of China. Shanghai has inspected nearly 2.6 million inbound foreign nationals in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 44.8 percent. Among them, more than 1.4 million benefited from visa-free or 240-hour visa-free transit policies, accounting for more than 54 percent of the total, up 228 percent year-on-year.

In addition, a 24/7 service hotline (021-12367) is available for enquiries related to entry and exit policies. Guidance services on customs clearance in multiple languages are provided at airports, helping turn Shanghai into a top destination for inbound tourism in China.

Similarly, a one-stop service window has been set up to simplify and facilitate the customs clearance process for ships, ensuring more efficient operations at ports and terminals. In the first half of this year, a total of 22,000 inbound and outbound international ships were registered, an increase of 3.1 percent year-on-year.

As the aviation market continues to recover, many domestic and foreign airlines have increased their capacity in Shanghai, with direct flights from Shanghai to Los Angeles resuming, and new routes to European cities such as Geneva and Milan opening. New routes from Shanghai to Southeast Asia and Central Asia have also been put into operation.

In the first six months, Pudong Airport welcomed 2.37 million inbound foreign tourists, ranking first among all airports in China.