Visa-free arrivals at Shenzhen airport up 244% over May Day

Overview

The Shenzhen Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection Station released figures on May 6, 2025, for border crossings at Shenzhen Airport during the May Day holiday from May 1 to 5. According to China News Service, more than 5,000 foreign nationals entered through the airport without visas, up 244% year on year. Nearly 20,000 foreign nationals passed through the airport's border checkpoints, up 86.2%, and total inbound and outbound passengers exceeded 92,000, up 31.8% and a record for the period.

Background

China has been steadily expanding the list of countries eligible for visa-free entry. On November 22, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a trial visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from nine countries, including Japan, running from November 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025. At the same time, the permitted visa-free stay was extended from 15 to 30 days, covering business, tourism, visits to relatives and friends, exchange visits and transit.

In April, Shenzhen Airport had already begun trial operation of an electronic system for completing foreigners' arrival cards. Travelers place their passport on a reader and their details are recognized automatically, which is said to cut filling time by 60% to 80% compared with handwriting. From January 1 to April 23, more than 235,000 foreign nationals entered through Shenzhen Airport, up 54.3%, of whom more than 133,000 entered visa-free, up 159.3%.

The expansion of visa-free entry is intended to encourage foreign visitors to come to China and to stimulate business and tourism exchange. In cities with many international routes, such as Shenzhen, the effect is visible in rising airport arrivals.

Key Points

Item (May 1–5, Shenzhen Airport)	Figure
Visa-free foreign arrivals	More than 5,000 (+244%)
Foreign nationals crossing	Nearly 20,000 (+86.2%)
Total passengers crossing	More than 92,000 (+31.8%, record for the period)
Flights	More than 700 (+15.9%)
Outbound travelers	Nearly 47,000 (+33.3%)

• Outbound travelers mainly went sightseeing or visited relatives and friends, with Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand among the most popular destinations
• Reasons cited for the growth include the wider list of visa-free countries, new and additional international routes in the new flight season, and the 137th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair)
• The airport inspection station shortened clearance times by forecasting passenger flows, tracking flights in real time, opening inspection lanes ahead of peaks and installing arrival-card quick-fill devices

What It Means for Japan–Shenzhen Exchange

For travelers from Japan, the visa-free policy has eased the paperwork for short business trips, study tours and trade-show visits to Shenzhen. With the permitted stay extended to 30 days, business travel such as supporting factory start-ups or longer negotiations is also likely to be easier to plan.

Meanwhile, Japan's position among the top destinations for outbound travelers from Shenzhen points to strong demand among Shenzhen residents for trips to Japan. The recovery of air routes, including the Shenzhen–Osaka service resumed at the end of March, is supporting travel in both directions, and attention is turning to whether this will lead to wider exchange in tourism, trade and human resources.

The data show that flights rose 15.9% to more than 700, suggesting that the expansion of international routes supported passenger growth. The combination of visa-free entry and more air routes appears to be making it easier for foreign nationals to visit Shenzhen.

Shenzhen also borders Hong Kong and handles large numbers of land crossings. If entry procedures become smoother not only at the airport but also at land ports, travel may become easier for business visitors from Japan who reach Shenzhen via Hong Kong.

Outlook

The visa-free policy for Japan is currently a trial scheduled to run until December 31, 2025. Arrangements for 2026 and beyond have not been announced, and whether the policy will be extended is likely to be a key question for Japanese companies and travelers. Developments in international routes ahead of the summer travel season will also be worth watching.

From the Association

Smoother border procedures form a foundation for expanding people-to-people exchange. The Association will follow developments in related policies and continue to provide information useful to Japanese visitors to Shenzhen and Shenzhen visitors to Japan.