China has introduced new rules that expand the circumstances under which citizens can be prevented from travelling abroad.
The regulations, which took effect on Tuesday, allow authorities to bar some citizens from leaving China for up to three years after they return from overseas. People deemed to have harmed China’s national security or interests while abroad can face the restriction. Those who violate technology import and export regulations that could threaten national industrial or technological security may also be stopped from leaving.
Chinese authorities say the measures are intended to safeguard national sovereignty and security. They have also rejected suggestions that the rules restrict the movement of ordinary citizens. However, critics argue that the regulations give Beijing another tool to influence the behaviour of Chinese nationals overseas.
Tom Kellogg, executive director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University, said the measures could be used to control what Chinese citizens say and do abroad. He also said security authorities have sometimes refused to issue passports to people because of their rights advocacy. Or even because of criticism of the Chinese government.
Chinese government platform Piyao said the new regulations were designed to address risks including people being deceived into travelling abroad, illegal gambling and scam activities. The new rules also require border officials to advise citizens against travelling to countries and regions considered high-risk.
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Existing Restrictions
Some Chinese workers already face restrictions on overseas travel. Civil servants and employees of state-owned enterprises can be required to surrender their passports and obtain approval before travelling abroad. A Beijing-based employee at a state-owned financial institution, identified as Xiao Wang, told BBC Chinese that staff had been verbally warned against travelling to “sensitive countries”.Other Chinese citizens have reported difficulties obtaining passports without receiving clear explanations.
Data provided to the BBC by rights group Safeguard Defenders indicates that exit bans have increased sharply in recent years. China’s Supreme Court database contained 89 records mentioning exit bans in 2016. That figure had risen to 188,760 by 2025, according to the data. The percentage of civil verdicts involving exit bans also rose from about 0.23% in 2019 to 7.3% in 2025.
Kellogg described the expanding restrictions as deeply concerning, saying they reflected increasing ideological control under President Xi Jinping.
