240小时过境免签政策实施3个月 湖南口岸入出境外国人同比增长19%

A foreign traveler goes through customs checks at Changsha Huanghua International Airport. (Photo/the corespondent)

As of March 17 this year, China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy has been in effect for three months. During the period, Hunan's ports of entry handled 163,000 entry-exit trips by foreign travelers, increasing 19% over the same period last year, according to the Hunan General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection. Of the total, over 700 trips were made by individuals benefiting from the 240-hour visa-free transit policy. 

截至3月17日，中国实施240小时过境免签政策满3个月。据湖南出入境边防检查总站数据，此期间湖南口岸入出境外国人16.3万人次，同比增长19%，其中享受240小时过境免签政策的超700人次。

Travelers queue for customs checks at Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport. (Photo/the corespondent)

"Since March, foreign tourists have flocked to Zhangjiajie, resulting in a significant increase in the number of international flights at Zhangjiajie Port," said a person in charge of the Hunan General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection. As of March 17, the number of inbound and outbound flights in March has grown by 40% year on year, with a peak of 16 international flights in a single day. Meanwhile, the number of inbound and outbound personnel registered a 27% year-on-year increase. Of the total, foreigners accounted for 97%. Among foreigners entering China through the Zhangjiajie Port, 92% are tourists from South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia who enjoy the 30-day visa-free policy.

“3月以来，外国旅客纷至沓来，张家界口岸的国际航班增幅明显。”湖南边检总站相关负责人介绍，截至3月17日，3月出入境航班同比增长40%，单日出入境国际航班最多达16架次，出入境人员同比增长27%，其中外国人占比为97%。从张家界口岸入境的外国人中，92%为韩国、泰国、马来西亚籍享受30天来华免签政策的旅客。

Facing rapidly growing number of foreign travelers, the Hunan General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection offers one-stop services covering the issuance and checks of temporary entry permits. In addition, a model that allows foreign travelers to apply for and fill in arrival cards for a pre-examination during the flight has been implemented. The average waiting time of foreign passengers has been shortened to less than 30 minutes.

面对快速增长的外籍客流，湖南边检总站实行“临时入境许可”签发查验一站式服务，实施“外国人入境卡提前申领、填写，空中预审、落地即走”模式，将外籍旅客平均候检时间缩短至30分钟以内。