Hong Kong smashes pre-pandemic record as border traffic hits 335 million

Passenger volume rose 12% in 2025, surpassing the 300-million mark seen in 2019.

Hong Kong handled around 335 million passengers at its immigration control points in 2025, a 12% increase from 2024 and surpassing the 300-million count in 2019, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok said at a press conference on 13 February.

Visitor arrivals rose to 49.89 million, also up 12% year on year, according to Mr Kwok.

The Immigration Department also won the Skytrax Best Airport Immigration Service Award for the fifth time in the World Passenger Survey.

Law enforcement operations increased, with 19,980 actions against illegal employment and 13,853 counter-terrorism inspections, resulting in 22,207 passengers intercepted, Mr Kwok said.

Over 2,500 non-refoulement claims were determined last year, with around 650 pending at year-end.

Looking ahead, the department plans to introduce a contactless clearance pilot at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port using facial recognition technology, Mr Kwok said.

The airport will also receive 26 new e-Channels, with existing ones replaced in stages, and the Flight Token e-Channel service will be extended to passengers aged seven and above.

The Immigration Department is also working with the Marine Department to pre-check visiting yacht crew and passenger data to reduce clearance times, according to Mr Kwok.