In the first quarter of 2025, customs authorities at Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport processed a total of 4,801 refund application forms submitted by departing international travelers, amounting to approximately RMB 240 million—registering year-on-year increases of 122.47% and 81.64% respectively. This marks a record high for departure tax refund values processed at the two airports.
“The 240-hour visa-free transit policy has significantly boosted foreign visits to China,” said a representative from Beijing Customs District. According to data from the National Immigration Administration, China recorded 9.215 million foreign national entries in the first quarter, a 40.2% increase year-on-year, with 6.57 million arriving under visa-free schemes, accounting for 71.3%. “China travel” continues to gain momentum.
“Since the beginning of this year, we’ve seen a significant rise in the number of inbound foreign visitors. At peak times, a single shift may handle 50 to 60 refund applications, a lot more than before,” said Yin Jiajie, a customs officer at Beijing Capital International Airport. To address this surging demand, the airport has added multiple tax refund verification counters along the departure route and installed electronic displays and dedicated signage to inform travelers about refund policies and procedures.
At the customs declaration counter on the departure floor of Beijing Daxing International Airport, Russian travelers Mr. and Mrs. Makasim, said while going through their refund procedures: “We bought a lot—children’s clothes, sneakers, home goods. We are here for our kid’s birthday celebration. It’s been wonderful.” Their refund application form detailed each item with unit prices and tax amounts, qualifying for an 11% refund rate.
A baggage carousel has been installed beside the customs declaration counter on the departure floor of the Beijing Daxing International Airport, where the customs staff will inspect the refunded goods one by one. This saves time for travelers, as they may put their baggage on the carousel and complete baggage check-in right after the inspection.
