The number of travel permits issued to mainland Chinese residents for visits to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan reached 47.46 million in the first half of 2025, according to data released on Wednesday by the National Immigration Administration (NIA).
The figures were not broken down by visa type or by destination.
The announcement was made during a press conference detailing the country’s immigration management performance for the first six months of the year. Overall, border control authorities processed 333 million entries and exits during the period, marking a 15.8 percent year-on-year increase.
Authorities noted that the continued rise in cross-border movement reflects the impact of policy initiatives aimed at streamlining immigration services and improving border clearance efficiency. These efforts include the implementation of enhanced travel policies, such as the “one visit per week” arrangement for Zhuhai household registration holders traveling to Macau, and the “multiple-entry” permits for residents and permit holders from the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
However, the NIA did not disclose how many travelers entered Macau specifically under these new policies.
Macau has seen strong tourism momentum so far this year. According to the Public Security Police Force, the city recorded more than 20 million tourist arrivals as of 11 am on July 8th—26 days earlier than the same milestone in 2024. The average daily visitor count stands at approximately 106,000.
Mainland Chinese tourists continue to dominate Macau’s tourism landscape, accounting for 71.6 percent of total arrivals, followed by visitors from Hong Kong (19.1 percent), Taiwan (2.4 percent), and other international markets (6.9 percent).
The early achievement of this visitor milestone has been largely attributed to more flexible travel policies introduced by mainland authorities, which have eased access to the SAR.
