Shanghai's Changning Entry-Exit Reception Hall sees a steady stream of visitors throughout the day. At the entrance information desk, police officers patiently answer questions from citizens; in the smart service zone, self-service form fillers and intelligent visa machines are frequently in use; soft background music plays in the waiting area while many applicants sit in the open reading space flipping through books. This is the Changning Public Security Bureau Entry-Exit Reception Hall—located in the Gubei international community and close to the Hongqiao transportation hub, it ranks first in central Shanghai for handling entry-exit document applications. In the first half of this year, Changning's entry-exit department efficiently processed 154,000 Chinese citizen entry-exit document applications and over 6,800 foreign residence permit applications, while also providing emergency document services to more than 100 key enterprises, continuously enhancing the region's business environment.

Warmth: Evening Sessions Extended to Saturdays, "Urgent Matters Handled Urgently" Touches Hearts. "During this summer, our evening sessions have processed entry-exit documents for over a thousand citizens," said Zhou Xiaofeng, deputy head of the Changning Branch Entry-Exit Detachment. Shanghai pioneered nationwide and has run evening document processing sessions for four consecutive years; this year, the evening session moved from Friday to Saturday to better align with the schedules of "students, parents, and office workers," with all 20 reception halls across the city serving more than 8,000 people. "With no time during workdays and crowded Saturdays, the entry-exit evening extension service is a real lifesaver!" one citizen processing a passport nearby praised the evening special session. Beyond extended hours, there is also "urgent handling." During an interview, officer Shen Yue shared a window story: in early August this year, a citizen named Ms. Li learned late at night that her grandmother had passed away suddenly overseas, only to discover her entry-exit documents had insufficient validity before departure. After receiving the information, officers immediately activated "urgent handling," helping Ms. Li obtain her documents in time to accompany her grandmother on her final journey. He remarked, "These 'small matters' are the 'big matters' Shanghai police entry-exit departments handle every day."

Speed: 24-Hour Smart Visa Services Running Around the Clock. A self-media blogger arrived at the hall at 3 a.m., completed a visa endorsement through the 24-hour Hong Kong-Macau smart visa machine, and then shared the seamless experience on social platforms, sparking widespread discussion. "Because I suddenly wanted to catch a concert in Hong Kong over the weekend, I saw on Xiaohongshu that there was a 24-hour visa machine near my home and decided to try it. It was so convenient—I finished in five minutes," a delighted applicant told reporters on site. In the smart service zone, reporters observed three smart visa machines operating 24 hours a day, allowing applicants to complete Hong Kong and Macau endorsement procedures independently. "Since opening, this single location has processed over 15,000 endorsements outside regular working hours," staff explained. Currently, six 24-hour smart visa service points are set up across the city; in September 2025, a second batch of service points launched at Changning SOHO, further improving convenience for central city applicants. Since operations began, 24-hour smart visa machines citywide have processed over 130,000 endorsements outside working hours.

Breadth: Comprehensive Online and Offline Coverage, Convenience Policies Reach Every Household. To bridge the "last mile" of entry-exit service convenience and achieve refined service management, window officers proactively go to grassroots communities, visiting Hongchu Neighborhood Committee to conduct entry-exit policy awareness sessions alongside elderly assistance services. The sessions center on frequently asked questions, including online appointment booking, offline window processing, online renewal procedures, and visa endorsement regulations, providing thorough explanations and clarifications while face-to-face addressing common issues and misconceptions residents encounter in daily document applications. "I'm not good with smartphones and had no idea documents could be renewed online—every time I had to make a special trip to the hall. Now officers come right to our doorstep to explain policies and teach us online operations hands-on. It's incredibly thoughtful," an elderly resident attending the session told the officers. The outreach sessions are closely tied to people's needs, reaching the grassroots and bringing quality entry-exit policy services to residents' doorsteps, effectively helping community members clarify procedures and avoid mistakes, significantly improving efficiency and satisfaction.

"The Changning hall is close to Hongqiao Airport, so we frequently encounter applicants with urgent needs," said officer Wang Pingping. For applicants who qualify for urgent handling but lack complete documentation, Shanghai's police entry-exit departments have expanded the "things that can't be done" reporting window from offline to online. Applicants can submit supplementary materials through the official WeChat public account "Shanghai Public Security Entry-Exit Management," with staff responding within two working days and expediting processing for qualified cases. This forms an efficient response mechanism of "on-site acceptance with missing materials, online document supplementation, and backend expedited review," ensuring citizens "only make one trip for documents and get urgent matters handled promptly."

Strength: Strengthening Frontline Defenses to Safeguard Outbound Safety. The entry-exit window enforces strict quality checks at the first point of document acceptance, conducting routine outbound risk screening, early warnings, and dissuasion efforts to secure citizens' cross-border travel safety. Window officer Shen Yue introduced a recent case: a citizen named Ms. Guo was invited by a fellow villager who claimed to arrange housekeeping work in Hong Kong. Believing the story, Ms. Guo came to the window to apply for a Hong Kong-Macau travel permit and endorsement. During processing, staff keenly noticed irregularities in her application and immediately issued risk warnings and legal education, informing Ms. Guo that mainland residents working in Hong Kong without proper channels and permits face significant risks, and that such high-salary offers are typically cross-border employment scams. The supervising officer then patiently broke down common scam tactics, detailed legal consequences, and potential risks to personal and property safety. After careful persuasion, Ms. Guo recognized the fraud and withdrew her application on the spot. The window consistently adheres to source prevention and proactive intervention, precisely intercepting multiple cross-border employment scam risks, effectively safeguarding residents' personal and property safety and maintaining outbound security.

From "getting things done" to "doing things well," this single shift in wording represents an upgrade in service philosophy and a vivid illustration of putting citizens' needs first. The Changning Entry-Exit Reception Hall is a microcosm of Shanghai's public security entry-exit services—the lights of evening sessions, 24-hour visa machines, and fingertip-facilitated online processing are making the convenience of "efficiently completing one matter" an accessible daily reality for everyone in this city.