BEIJING — China witnessed a surge in the number of applications for exit-entry permits on April 1, the first day a new regulation to streamline related application procedures took effect.

About 77,000 exit-entry permit applications from citizens with household registration from elsewhere were handled on April 1, including 22,000 for passports, figures from the National Immigration Administration show.

There were also 24,000 applications for travel passes for Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions as well as Taiwan and 31,000 for group tour endorsements for the three regions.

According to the new regulation, Chinese citizens on the mainland, regardless of where they were born or live, are able to apply for the aforementioned travel documents at any immigration administrations across the country.

Citizens are no longer required to return to their household registration place to apply for exit-entry permits.