China is accelerating its efforts to attract global travelers by expanding its visa-free entry program and upgrading departure tax refund services. These measures are strengthening inbound tourism, stimulating retail spending, and enhancing China’s appeal as a world-class shopping destination.
Since the nationwide rollout of the departure tax refund system in 2015, authorities have continued to refine the policy. In April, six government departments jointly introduced new improvements to better serve international visitors and encourage inbound consumption.
Lower Thresholds, Higher Refund Limits
Recent reforms include reducing the minimum purchase required for tax refunds from 500 yuan to 200 yuan and doubling the cash refund ceiling from 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan. These adjustments have increased the number of participating tax-refund stores, expanded eligible product categories, and significantly improved visitor experience.
According to the State Taxation Administration, from January to September this year, applications for departure tax refunds surged 229.8% year on year, while total refund amounts rose 97.4%. The rapid growth reflects tourists’ rising enthusiasm for shopping and travel in China.
A Swiss visitor shopping on Shanghai’s Huaihai Road shared his experience:
“The process was quick and smooth. With a 9% refund, it felt like getting a 10% discount. Very convenient for a first-time visitor.”
Shanghai Leads with Centralized Instant Refund Services
Beyond allowing individual stores to offer immediate tax refunds, Shanghai has set up 26 centralized service points across key commercial districts. These hubs allow travelers to consolidate refunds from multiple purchases in one stop, greatly increasing efficiency.
During the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in 2025, Shanghai introduced a centralized instant refund station inside the venue—the first of its kind—offering integrated POS systems and real-time refund processing.
Today, Shanghai has more than 1,700 tax-refund stores, many of which support mobile refund services. Visitors can complete invoicing, customs verification, and refund collection online, with refunds deposited instantly via platforms such as Alipay.
So far this year, Shanghai has processed tax refunds for nearly 100,000 travelers from 179 countries and regions, with refund sales up 83.8% and total refunds up 82.9% year on year—ranking first nationwide.
A Spanish tourist praised the system after receiving over 3,000 yuan instantly:
“It was incredibly efficient. My shopping experience in China has been outstanding.”
Guangzhou Launches One-Stop Instant Refund Services
Guangzhou is also advancing its service capacity. The city launched its first batch of centralized instant refund points in June, simplifying procedures and speeding up payment times.
With new one-stop online refund options, visitors can now scan a merchant’s QR code and complete the process independently, with some refunds arriving within just five minutes. Guangzhou now has more than 1,500 tax-refund stores covering all 11 districts.
A traveler visiting Teemall said he was impressed by both efficiency and product variety—from smartphones and drones to traditional Chinese garments and cultural creative goods.
“Chinese products offer excellent quality and value. Next time, I’ll bring extra suitcases,” he said.
Driving the Growth of China’s Inbound Tourism
The combination of relaxed visa-free entry policies, instant tax refund services, and digitalized procedures is making travel in China easier and more enjoyable than ever. As service networks expand and processing times accelerate, China is positioning itself as one of Asia’s most convenient and attractive destinations for international shopping tourism.
