Foreign resident numbers in China rebound to 85% of 2019 levels

The number of foreign residents in China has rebounded to 85 percent of the year-end 2019 level, the National Immigration Administration announced on January 18.

In 2023, national immigration authorities issued a total of 711,000 residence permits for foreigners residing in China, according to the NIA data.

Credit: HelloRF

Various efforts have been made recently to facilitate the entry of foreign nationals into China.

These measures include relaxing port visa application conditions, introducing 24-hour transit without inspection procedures at key airports such as Beijing Capital International Airport, allowing foreigners in China to have visa extensions, renewals, and replacements processed nearby, and simplifying the application materials for visa documents.

These steps further expand the channels for foreigners coming to China, providing efficient and convenient immigration management services for those working, studying, and living in the country.

For the entire year, there were 424 million entries and exits, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 266.5 percent.

This includes 206 million Chinese mainland residents, 183 million residents from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and 35.47 million foreign nationals, recording year-on-year increases of 218.7 percent, 292.8 percent, and 693.1 percent, respectively.