The city leads in permanent residency issuance, with electronic visas boosting visits and residence permits rising 10%. Online services streamline hotel check-ins and community registration.
Source: OT-Team(G), 新民晚报
On the morning of January 8, the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau held a press conference outlining how the city's exit–entry administration is supporting high-level opening-up and facilitating international exchanges.
According to officials, in 2025 Shanghai processed 71.39 million registrations of temporary accommodation for foreign nationals, representing a year-on-year increase of 49.6 percent and setting a historical high for the number of foreigners visiting the city. The issuance of visas and travel documents to foreign nationals exceeded 200,000 for the second consecutive year. Notably, long-term documents such as residence permits accounted for a share 10 percentage points higher than the previous year, indicating a growing willingness among foreigners to live and develop in Shanghai on a long-term basis.
Guided by the National Immigration Administration, Shanghai further expanded pilot reforms in 2025. The scope of the electronic port visa program was extended from Pudong New Area to the entire municipality. The system allows in-country applications and fully online processing, and has been widely welcomed by foreign-related enterprises and expatriate employees. Monthly issuance volumes increased to four times the previous year's level, with business and trade visas accounting for nearly 90 percent of the total—contributing to the creation of a world-class business environment.
The combined effect of national visa-free policies and the electronic port visa has significantly boosted international travel to China and to Shanghai. In parallel, Shanghai introduced a fully online application process for port-of-entry group tourist visas for foreign visitors, and comprehensively upgraded post-entry services and management. Citywide, the hotel sector has been encouraged to improve the accommodation registration experience for foreign guests.
Data show that 94.7 percent of accommodation registrations were completed directly by hotels, enabling a "no-hassle" process and faster check-in for foreign travelers. Among foreigners living in residential communities, 84.8 percent chose to complete registration through online self-service. The platform offers multilingual, on-demand language options, allowing users to complete procedures efficiently without leaving home.
In addition, since the National Immigration Administration introduced the new version of the Permanent Residence Card for Foreigners—known as the "Five-Star Card"—on December 1, 2023, Shanghai has issued more than 10,000 cards, the highest total nationwide. The card supports 64 facilitation applications across key public service sectors, further enhancing convenience in daily life and attracting more eligible international professionals to apply for permanent residence in the city.
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