Record applications for exit-entry services in Shanghai
The waiting hall of the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau is full of people.
Shanghai managed to deal with a record 380,000 exit-entry service applications since the city resumed relevant services on January 9, according to the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau on Friday.
Between January 9 and February 8, the number of applications for exit-entry documents in Shanghai has dramatically surged following the downgrade of COVID-19 prevention and control.
The number of documents issued after the Spring Festival holiday increased 24 percent compared with that before the holiday. Among them, documents issued by the bureau exceeded 20,000 on February 4, and continued to increase to 27,000 on February 8, hitting a new record, the bureau said.
Moreover, with the recent relaxation of outbound group tours as well as the resumed operation of smart machines to issue Hong Kong entry permits, the city is expected to see more demand for immigration services.
Long queue in front of the smart application machines is seen at the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau.
To cope with the surge, the bureau has extended the reservation service to 30 working days from 10 days previously.
It also releases more reservation positions at different times each workday. Applicants are able to check availability via the digital platforms, the official exit-entry website, and the Suishenban (随申办) app as well as mini-programs on WeChat and Alipay, at 9am, 12pm, 3pm and 5pm each workday.
The reservation limit on Wednesday increased by 70 percent compared with January 9, according to the bureau.
A boy hands in exit-entry documents at a service window.
In addition to optimizing reservations, the bureau also provides priority and opens green channels for vulnerable groups, such as people aged above 60 years or below 16 years, and applicants with special needs.
The latest example is that the bureau instantly issued and renewed passports for members of the Shanghai Blue Sky Rescue Team who were rushing to Turkey for earthquake rescue on Tuesday.
