Fueled by China's visa-free policies for visitors from more than 50 countries and the coordinated growth of cultural tourism and business exhibitions, top-tier Chinese cities have reported significant increases in the total amount of tax refunded to foreign travelers so far this year, according to Customs data.
海关数据显示,受惠于中国对50多个国家旅客实施免签政策,以及文化旅游和商务展览业协同发展的带动,今年以来,中国主要城市向境外旅客办理的离境退税总额大幅增长。
For example, Customs authorities at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, an aviation hub in South China's Guangdong province, verified over 4,600 departure tax refund applications from overseas travelers in the first four months of 2025, with the total value of these applications reaching 104 million yuan ($14.46 million) and the refunded tax amount exceeding 13 million yuan—up 195 percent, 149 percent and 150 percent year-on-year, respectively.
例如,2025年前四个月,广州白云国际机场海关共审核境外旅客离境退税申请4600余份,总金额达1.04亿元人民币(约合1446万美元),退税金额逾1300万元人民币,同比分别增长195%、149%和150%。
"I had a fantastic time and bought many things as well, including a new smartphone and some kitchen appliances," said Jao Shu-Min, a traveler from Australia, while going through the departure tax refund process at the declaration counter of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, information provided by Guangzhou Customs showed.
广州海关提供的信息显示,来自澳大利亚的旅客饶淑敏(音译)在广州白云国际机场申报柜台办理离境退税时表示:“我玩得很开心,还买了很多东西,包括一部新的智能手机和一些厨房用具。”
Her tax refund application listed the names, unit prices and tax amounts of the purchased items, with a refund rate of 11 percent.
她的退税申请单上列出了所购商品的品名、单价和税额,退税率为11%。
"In the past, I was always worried that visa procedures might delay my travel plans," said Chloe Elizabeth, a traveler from the United Kingdom, who received a tax refund of 2,600 yuan at the declaration counter of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in early May.
来自英国的旅客克洛伊·伊丽莎白表示:“以前,我总是担心签证手续会耽误我的旅行计划。”5月初,她在广州白云国际机场申报柜台办理了2600元人民币的退税。
"China's visa-free transit policy saved us time and prompted my spontaneous decision to visit. Overall, the experience of sightseeing and shopping has been excellent," she said.
“中国的过境免签政策节省了我们的时间,促使我当场做出了前往中国的决定。总的来说,观光和购物的体验非常棒。”她说道。
Around 2,120 kilometers from Guangzhou, Customs authorities at Beijing Capital International Airport processed a total of 6,108 departure tax refund applications between January and April, with refund invoices totaling 316.81 million yuan and tax refunds amounting to 40.55 million yuan.
距广州约2120公里的北京首都国际机场海关在1月至4月期间共受理离境退税申请6108份,开具退税发票3.1681亿元人民币,实际退税金额4055万元人民币。
During the five-day May Day holiday this year, a total of 435 tax refund applications were verified at Beijing Capital International Airport, jumping 105.19 percent on a yearly basis. The total value of the verified refund invoices reached 11.98 million yuan, up 181.41 percent year-on-year, statistics from Beijing Customs showed.
北京海关统计数据显示,今年“五一”假期期间,北京首都国际机场共受理退税申请435份,同比增长105.19%,已核准退税发票金额1198万元人民币,同比增长181.41%。
China began implementing a nationwide tax refund policy for international tourists in early April, replacing the traditional refund-at-departure system with a more efficient refund-at-purchase model.
中国于4月初开始在全国范围内实施国际游客退税政策,以更高效的购物退税模式取代传统的离境退税制度。
The upgraded tax refund policy, initially implemented in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, has been expanded to a nationwide rollout.
升级后的退税政策已率先在北京、上海和广东省深圳等城市实施,目前已在全国范围内推广。
Under the updated policy, eligible tourists can now receive tax refunds immediately at the point of purchase, eliminating the need to wait until departure, said Zhao Zhao, deputy head of Customs at Beijing Daxing International Airport.
北京大兴国际机场海关副关长赵兆表示,根据新政策,符合条件的游客现在可以在购物时立即办理退税,无需等到离境。
To attract more overseas visitors, China rolled out a new policy in late April allowing foreign travelers to claim departure tax refunds for same-store purchases of 200 yuan per day—down from the previous threshold of 500 yuan, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
据商务部称,为吸引更多海外游客,中国于4月底推出了一项新政策,允许外国旅客在同店购物满200元人民币即可办理离境退税,门槛由之前的500元人民币下调至200元人民币。
Driven by favorable visa-free and tax refund policies, Shanghai Customs verified a total of 36,000 departure tax refund applications in the first four months, marking a year-on-year increase of 137.4 percent.
在优惠的免签和退税政策推动下,上海海关今年前4个月共审核离境退税申请3.6万份,同比增长137.4%。
During the same period, Shanghai Customs facilitated the movement of 13.86 million inbound and outbound travelers, 83,000 flights and 233 cruise ships, up 26.8 percent, 15.3 percent and 111.8 percent year-on-year, respectively.
同期,上海海关共办理进出境旅客1386万人次、航班8.3万架次、邮轮233艘次,分别同比增长26.8%、15.3%和111.8%。
uptick
/ˈʌptɪk/
n.小幅增长;微升
threshold
/ˈθreʃhoʊld/
n.门槛;起始点;临界值
verify
/ˈverɪfaɪ/
v.核实,确认
facilitate
/fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/
v.促进,使便利
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