Beijing to Keep Deepening Foreign-Related Service Facilitation and Build an International-Oriented Urban Service Ecosystem

On November 12, a special session of the press conference series on the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan in Beijing was held under the theme "Continuously Strengthening Beijing's Capacity as a Center for International Exchanges and Enhancing the City's Global Influence and Attractiveness". During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), Beijing will continue to deepen reforms to facilitate services for foreign nationals, coordinate institutional innovation, service-scenario upgrades and improvements in service efficiency, and accelerate the development of a convenient, internationally aligned urban service ecosystem.

Strengthening Foreign-Related Information Services and Improving First-Stop Arrival Services

Beijing will continue to strengthen the effective provision of foreign-related information and improve the service quality of online channels such as the International Web Portal of Beijing and the "BeijingService" official WeChat account. It will systematically compile practical information for foreign nationals arriving in and living in Beijing, helping them learn about and settle into the city more easily. 

The city will continue to improve first-stop arrival services, make good use of the national visa-exemption policies, enhance the convenience of visa and immigration services, and provide dedicated visa and customs clearance services for eligible foreign businesspeople. Port clearance efficiency will be further improved, with policy-based measures such as paperless clearance for departing international passengers and fast-track exit clearance for foreign nationals being implemented. Building on the "Beijing Service" airport service points, the city will improve the functions of consultation, guidance and service handling in finance, telecommunications, transport, culture and tourism, establish standardized and sustainable operation mechanisms, and promote resource sharing and service coordination with high-speed railway stations, government service centers and venues frequented by foreign nationals.

Improving Travel, Payment and Telecommunications Services for Foreign Nationals in Beijing

Beijing will continue to optimize the travel experience by ensuring that foreign nationals have easy access to various transport options, including public transport, taxis, ride-hailing vehicles and shared bikes. The city will improve its payment service ecosystem, step up outreach and guidance on mobile payment, and ensure smooth access to foreign bank card payments, cash payments and foreign currency exchange services in key areas. Telecommunications service procedures will be streamlined, while the pilot program that allows foreign nationals to obtain SIM cards through "online real-name reservation and offline in-person collection with identity verification" will cover more areas with better services and improve the functions of the integrated "two-card" products combining bank cards and telecom cards. Efforts will be made to promote the convenient use of foreign nationals' identity document information and expand the scope of use of the Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card. Beijing will also continue to improve its multilingual environment for international exchanges and boost foreign-language service capacity in key fields such as culture, tourism, transport, healthcare and education, and at foreign-related locations including airports, railway stations, scenic spots, hotels, commercial districts and parks.

Responding to the Needs of Diverse Groups and Establishing Tailored Service Mechanisms

Response mechanisms will be established for different groups, including tourists, consumers, businesspeople, international students, professionals and residents.

Under the "Travelling in Beijing" initiative, the city will upgrade its inbound tourism products and improve services for multilingual guidance, reservation and ticketing, dining and other scenarios. Under the "Shopping in Beijing" initiative, it will unlock the full potential of inbound consumption, diversify consumption scenarios including exhibitions, culture and tourism, sports events, healthcare, and education and training, improve local tax-refund service networks, and roll out more service outlets for "instant tax refunds" and self-service departure tax refunds.

Under the "Investing in Beijing" initiative, the city will expand the geographical scope for recognizing notarized and authenticated documents certifying the legal status of foreign investors, and continue to promote fully online registration for foreign-invested enterprises.

Under the "Studying in Beijing" initiative, the city will strengthen the "Study Beijing" brand to attract outstanding young talent from around the world to study and pursue career opportunities in the capital.

Under the "Working in Beijing" initiative, the city will support foreign experts coming to Beijing for exchanges and cooperation, regularly update Beijing's catalog of recognized international professional qualifications, streamline the application process for professional titles for foreign talent, and advance the integration of work permits for foreigners in China with social security cards to enable foreign talent to access services through a single card.

Under the "Living in Beijing" initiative, the city will optimize the distribution of international schools and the allocation of school places to facilitate school enrollment for the children of foreign nationals. It will also improve international medical services, establish a more comprehensive and convenient payment system covering different types of health insurance, and encourage foreign residents to participate in community governance in an orderly manner.

Building a "Main Gateway" for International Services and Opening Multilingual Channels for Requests and Assistance

Beijing will continue to upgrade the International Web Portal of Beijing, refine special thematic sections on tourism, investment and other areas, and explore the establishment of standards and guidelines for developing and operating multilingual websites. It will keep strengthening the English version of the Jingtong app, adding various foreign-related services in batches, upgrading the "Jingjing" intelligent agent for government services, and optimizing the real-time on-page translation function to facilitate service enquiries and applications by foreign users. Through "GO BEIJING", a comprehensive application and service platform for inbound visitors to Beijing, the city will widely attract more businesses and service providers to join the platform and build full-scenario services covering dining, accommodation, transport, travel, shopping, entertainment and government services. It will make full use of the 12345 citizen service hotline, continuously enhance multilingual service capacity and keep channels open for foreign nationals to submit requests and seek assistance. It will improve the international service environment at government service centers, conduct training on foreign-related government services, and establish sound guidance and assistance mechanisms to better meet the needs of foreign nationals using government services.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Beijing will continue to enhance and upgrade its international urban service system. The city looks forward to welcoming more international visitors to China and Beijing, where they can experience first-hand the capital's dynamic development and the warmth of "Beijing Service".