Beijing airports see surging tax refunds for overseas travelers

BEIJING -- In the first five months of this year, the customs of two major airports in Beijing processed departure tax refund applications for overseas travelers totaling approximately 478 million yuan (about $66.52 million), up 91.61 percent year-on-year, setting a new record high for the same period in history, according to Beijing Customs.

From January to May 2025, the customs of Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport handled a total of 12,180 departure tax refund applications from overseas visitors, marking a year-on-year increase of 147.01 percent.

During the same period, the customs of Beijing Daxing International Airport processed departure tax refund applications for outbound travelers totaling over 72.37 million yuan, achieving nearly 200-percent growth year-on-year.

The 240-hour visa-free transit policy has significantly boosted the number of foreigners visiting China, the municipal customs said.

As China continues to optimize its tax refund policy for overseas tourists, the potential for inbound tourism consumption is being fully realized. During the recent Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the number of tax refund applications processed at the two Beijing airports surged by 263.81 percent year-on-year, while the total refund amount increased by 130.59 percent compared to the same period last year, data from Beijing Customs shows.

The customs of Beijing Capital International Airport now has multiple tax refund counters in departure areas, which has helped streamline processing amid rising demand. Meanwhile, Beijing Customs is working closely with tax authorities, tourism officials and Capital Airports Holdings Co Ltd, to publicize tax refund procedures via airport media, multimedia systems, and official new media platforms.