Record Number of Foreign Visitors to Shanghai in 2025

Shanghai recorded a historic high in the number of foreign visitors in 2025, according to local exit-entry administration authorities.

Over the year, the city processed 71.39 million temporary accommodation registrations for foreigners, a 49.6 percent increase year on year, following a doubling in the previous year.

The number of visas and travel documents issued to foreign nationals exceeded 200,000 for the second consecutive year. Long-term documents, including residence permits, accounted for a larger share, rising by 10 percentage points compared with the year before.

As part of the efforts to facilitate entry and stay, Shanghai expanded the use of port e-visas last year. The program, previously limited to the Pudong New Area, has been rolled out citywide, allowing eligible enterprises to apply within China on behalf of expatriates and complete the process entirely online.

The policy has been well received by foreign businesses and expat employees, with monthly issuance volumes nearly quadrupling from the previous year. Business-related visas made up nearly 90 percent of the total.

The city has also introduced fully online processing for group tourist visas for foreign nationals at ports of entry, as part of broader efforts to enhance Shanghai's role as a major gateway for inbound travel.

Accommodation registration has also become more streamlined. Nearly 95 percent of foreign tourists were registered directly by hotels, enabling smoother check-ins with minimal additional procedures.

Among foreign nationals living in residential communities, 84.8 percent completed registration through online self-reporting platforms, which offer multilingual services and allow users to submit information remotely.

Shanghai has also taken the lead nationwide in issuing China's updated Foreigner Permanent Residence Identity Card, known as the "five-star card." Since its introduction on December 1, 2023, more than 10,000 such cards have been issued in the city. The card is now accepted across 64 public service scenarios.