# China arrival card

> Part of [Before you go](https://chinafootnotes.com/before-you-go), a sourced pre-trip guide for a first visit to China. Checked 2026-10-11; rules change, so each step links to its source. Data version ca253712585d.

**Free: Online · free · s.nia.gov.cn** — The NIA says filling in the card online is free; its official site is s.nia.gov.cn.

Fill in China's arrival card online before you fly, at s.nia.gov.cn or in the NIA 12367 app; the NIA says it's free. If you skip it, the border has a QR code, kiosks and paper cards, and eight groups, including 24-hour airside transit and visa-free tour groups, are exempt.

## In short

- Stick to s.nia.gov.cn or the NIA's own app and QR code.
- Fill it in before you fly, or at the border.
- Travelling visa-free on your own? Fill it in.
- Check the eight exempt groups, like 24-hour airside transit.

## What is it, and when did it go online?

This used to be a paper card you filled in at the border. Since 20 November 2025, the NIA's announcement lets foreigners send the same entry information online before coming to China ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html)). The NIA says online filling is free ([2](https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1755806/content.html)). Travellers say you end up with a QR code to keep on your phone. 📱

You can file it on the NIA website, the government services platform, the "NIA 12367" app, the WeChat and Alipay mini programs, or through a filling QR code from its notices ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html)). The official website is s.nia.gov.cn. For English, pick the language, then Entry Declaration ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)). Plenty of ways in.

## Do you have to fill it in?

Foreigners entering China can fill in their entry information through the system. It lists eight groups who don't need to ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)):

- holders of a Chinese permanent resident ID card;
- holders of a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (non-Chinese);
- people transiting directly within 24 hours without leaving the restricted area of the port;
- members of foreign tourist groups who are visa-free or hold a group visa;
- foreign crew, drivers and other employees of transport vehicles;
- people who enter by cruise ship and return with the same cruise;
- people eligible for courteous centralized submission of entry and exit documents;
- people who enter through the E-channel.

The November 2025 notices reposted by Chinese consulates list seven groups, without the courteous-submission group. We follow the live system ([4](https://melbourne.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/tz/202511/t20251128_11762317.htm) · [5](https://chicago.china-consulate.gov.cn/zytz_0/202512/t20251204_11767038.htm) · [3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)). None of these pages explains who qualifies for the E-channel.

Screenshot: The Instructions page of the National Immigration Administration arrival card system, listing eight groups who are exempt and an I AGREE button. The Instructions page lists the eight exempt groups; tap I AGREE to start. Credit: screenshot of [National Immigration Administration](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/), 2026-10-11.

Travelling visa-free on your own? You're not on the list. Neither is anyone using the 240-hour transit rule. The NIA's conditions for it require the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners, and the system says transit travellers who leave the port within 24 or 240 hours fill in their entry information there ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html) · [3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)). Stay airside for under 24 hours and you're exempt. Our [Visa page](https://chinafootnotes.com/before-you-go/visa) explains who can use the 240-hour transit and how its clock is counted.

> **From a traveller (a personal report, not an official rule): A paper card for a 240-hour transit at West Kowloon station.** A traveller on Reddit (December 2025) filled in the online card, joined the normal foreigners' line at West Kowloon station and was taken to a supervisor. The supervisor had them print their onward flight confirmation, then gave them a paper transit card. The supervisor stamped its back, and the border officer then used that card.
> [PristineFirefighter0 on Reddit, 2025-12-27](https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinavisa/comments/1pwwlll/my_experience_twov_entering_at_w_kowloon_hong_kong/). Keep in mind: One entry in December 2025, which the traveller wrote had only just been added for transit; the process and the wait may have changed, and the same traveller found a dedicated transit section in Beijing.

## Three ways to fill it in

Before you fly is easiest. The border has you covered too: the notices list a phone QR code, smart devices at the port, or a paper card ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html) · [4](https://melbourne.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/tz/202511/t20251128_11762317.htm)).

| | Where | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | NIA website, 12367 app, WeChat or Alipay mini program ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html)) | Doing it calmly at home, with a QR code to save, say travellers | Only the NIA's own site and app; copies charge fees ([2](https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1755806/content.html)) |
| At the port | Phone QR code or smart devices in the arrival hall ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html)) | You forgot, or have no data | Done after landing, on the border inspection site ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html)) |
| Paper card | Staff at the border inspection site ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html)) | A back-up when the online form fails | Chinese and English; laid out differently from the online form ([7](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_Arrival_Card_2023_-_Front.jpg)) |

The paper card is blue, with a front and a back. A scan shared on Wikimedia Commons shows the front asking for name, sex, nationality, date of birth, passport number, flight, phone number, cities to visit, a purpose box, and your address or hotel name. The back asks whether you have booked a departure ticket, whether you have a host in China, and which countries you visited in the past two years, then a signature ([7](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_Arrival_Card_2023_-_Front.jpg)). The current card may differ.

Photo: The front of a blank China arrival card: blue paper with fields for name, sex, nationality, date of birth, passport number, flight number, phone, cities to visit, purpose of the trip and address, in Chinese and English. Paper arrival card, front (2024 scan; may differ now). Credit: National Immigration Administration, People's Republic of China (card); scan uploaded by Maiacosis · [Public domain](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:PD-PRC-exempt) · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_Arrival_Card_2023_-_Front.jpg).

Photo: The back of a blank China arrival card with three questions about a booked departure, a reception unit in China and countries visited in the past two years, a signature box and a barcode. Paper arrival card, back: trip, host, signature. Credit: National Immigration Administration, People's Republic of China (card); scan uploaded by Maiacosis · [Public domain](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:PD-PRC-exempt) · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_Arrival_Card_2023_-_Back.jpg).

> **From a traveller (a personal report, not an official rule): Staff at Hangzhou airport filled it in.** A traveller on Reddit (October 2026) said they had not filled in an arrival card. At Hangzhou airport a staff member scanned their passport and entered a few details in about 40 seconds. They then told the officer they were there for tourism and had an onward ticket, and were out in five minutes.
> [GuoJing322 on Reddit, 2026-10-04](https://www.reddit.com/r/chinatravel/comments/1wxb40q/travelling_to_china_in_october_any_tips_welcome/pdryccp/). Keep in mind: One arrival at one airport; help at the port is not guaranteed.

## Fill it in online, step by step

The form runs through five steps: upload your document page, basic information, personal information, travel information, then any companions ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)). Have these ready: your passport, your flight or train number, a phone number, and your address in China. Step 2 also asks how you arrive and your city and port of entry. Step 3 asks for your country of birth and, if you have no visa, your entry policy: visa-free entry, 24- or 240-hour transit, or an emergency permit ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)). The screenshots show made-up details.

The online form, step by step:

1. Step 1: choose the document type, upload your passport page. (screenshot: Cropped screenshot of step 1 of the online arrival card: a Type of ID Document dropdown set to Ordinary Passport and an empty upload box for the document page.) Credit: screenshot of [National Immigration Administration](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/), 2026-10-11.
2. Step 2: name, birth date, citizenship and passport number (made-up details). (screenshot: Cropped screenshot of the left column of step 2, Basic Information, with made-up details: last name, first name, gender, date of birth, country of citizenship, type of ID document and passport number.) Credit: screenshot of [National Immigration Administration](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/), 2026-10-11.
3. Step 3: no visa? Answer No and pick your entry policy (made-up details). (screenshot: Cropped screenshot of step 3: the question Do you hold a valid visa or other entry permit answered No, and Entry Policy Selection set to Visa-free Entry, with made-up details.) Credit: screenshot of [National Immigration Administration](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/), 2026-10-11.
4. Step 4: purpose, entry date, cities and your address. (screenshot: Cropped screenshot of step 4 with the Purpose of Entry dropdown open, listing Conference/Business, Visit, Sightseeing/Leisure, Visiting Friends/Relatives, Work, Study, Permanent Residence and Return to Country of Residence.) Credit: screenshot of [National Immigration Administration](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/), 2026-10-11.
5. Step 5: a pop-up asks if you're filling it in for someone else. Alone? Tap No. (screenshot: Cropped screenshot of a Reminders pop-up on the online arrival card asking Need to help your companion fill the form, with No and Yes buttons.) Credit: screenshot of [National Immigration Administration](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/), 2026-10-11.

The system's notice warns that omitting or concealing information while filling in may lead to denied entry or transit ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)).

> **From a traveller (a personal report, not an official rule): A pop-up kept asking about a companion and the signature box would not work.** A traveller on Reddit (June 2026) found on a first attempt that the signature box would not accept input, while a "Need to help your companion fill the form?" pop-up kept coming back although they travelled alone. They later wrote that it worked in their phone's browser. Replies suggested trying again at another time or on another network, and saving a screenshot of the QR code.
> [sonamyfan on Reddit, 2026-06-16](https://www.reddit.com/r/chinatravel/comments/1u77e4s/china_digital_arrival_card_unable_to_sign_need_to/). Keep in mind: One person's glitch in June 2026, which later worked on their phone's browser; the form changes over time, and our own walk-through reached the pop-up but did not go past step 5.

## Where people slip

**Copycat sites.** On 2 December 2025 the NIA warned that overseas fraudsters copy the filling site and charge money, and repeated that online filling is free ([2](https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1755806/content.html)). Beijing's foreign affairs office reposted the warning on 31 December 2025 ([6](https://wb.beijing.gov.cn/home/index/wsjx/202512/t20251231_4382655.html)). If a site asks you to pay, it's not the official one.

**The entry date.** On 11 October 2026 the form's date picker accepted entry dates from today to about three months ahead. That comes from the form itself, not from a notice; the notices we read give no earliest or latest time ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/) · [1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html) · [4](https://melbourne.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/tz/202511/t20251128_11762317.htm) · [5](https://chicago.china-consulate.gov.cn/zytz_0/202512/t20251204_11767038.htm)).

**The purpose of entry.** The form lists 12 purposes, from Conference/Business and Visit to Work, Study and Transit, and you choose one ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)). Here as a tourist? Choose Sightseeing/Leisure.

> **From a traveller (a personal report, not an official rule): Officers rarely ask about the purpose you choose.** Replies in a Reddit thread (August 2026) said officers rarely ask about the purpose of entry you pick on the online form.
> [Past_Engineering9305 on Reddit, 2026-08-26](https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinavisa/comments/1vytnqs/china_entry_card_followup_q/).

**City and port of entry.** Both are required ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)). Coming from Hong Kong by high-speed train, it can look as if there's no Hong Kong port, but a traveller in May 2026 found it: choose Guangdong, then Shenzhen, then West Kowloon.

**Your name.** A Chinese name is optional on the form ([3](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)).

## What happens at the border

> **From a traveller (a personal report, not an official rule): Staff checked for the card before the immigration queue.** A traveller on Reddit (June 2026), who flew in via Guangzhou, said staff checked that they had filled in the arrival card and would not let them join the queue until they saw it. They recommend filling it in at home and saving the QR code. They also filled in two cards because of a connecting flight, one for each flight, and were not questioned.
> [trainerkittyk on Reddit, 2026-06-23](https://www.reddit.com/r/chinatravel/comments/1ud1hly/1month_trip_report_including_visit_to_yunnan/). Keep in mind: Other travellers in 2026 were not asked for the QR code at all, so checks seem to vary by airport and day. Filing two cards is one traveller's workaround, not an official instruction.

> **From a traveller (a personal report, not an official rule): Not asked for the QR code, but asked to write names in Chinese.** A Canadian traveller on Reddit (June 2026) filled in the online card the day before and kept the QR codes on their phones, with printouts as backup. At Beijing Capital airport the officers did not ask for the QR code. Their parents, whose legal names are Chinese names, were asked to write those names out in Chinese.
> [omchan on Reddit, 2026-06-06](https://www.reddit.com/r/chinatravel/comments/1txzt8b/may_2026_trip_report_beijing_xian_chengdu/). Keep in mind: One family at one airport; the traveller assumes the officers saw the completed record in their system.

Photo: An overhead sign at Shanghai Pudong airport pointing foreigners left and Chinese nationals straight on, in Chinese and English. Pudong airport: foreign passports go left (2018). Credit: MNXANL · [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:201812_Immigration_Inspection_directory_Sign_at_PVG.jpg).

## What if you did not fill it in?

Foreigners who can't fill it in beforehand can complete it at the border inspection site by phone QR code, smart device or paper card ([1](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html) · [4](https://melbourne.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/tz/202511/t20251128_11762317.htm) · [5](https://chicago.china-consulate.gov.cn/zytz_0/202512/t20251204_11767038.htm)). The notices don't say what happens if you use none of them.

## Sources

Numbers in brackets point to these sources; place names point to our place pages, which carry their own sources and check dates. Published 2026-10-11. Checked 2026-10-11.

- 1. [NIA, Announcement NO.4 [2025]: 10 immigration and exit-entry management service policy initiatives](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147413/c187308/content.html) · page dated 2025-11-03, read 2026-10-10 · official
- 2. Chinese-language page: [NIA, warning about fake arrival card filling sites (警惕不法分子设置虚假外国人入境卡网上填报网站骗取钱财)](https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1755806/content.html) · published 2025-12-02, read 2026-10-10 · official
- 3. [NIA, Arrival card filling system (English): Instructions and form steps 1 to 5](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/) · read 2026-10-11 · official
- 4. [Consulate General of the PRC in Melbourne, Notice on implementing online filling of the Arrival Card](https://melbourne.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/tz/202511/t20251128_11762317.htm) · published 2025-11-28, read 2026-10-10 · government
- 5. Chinese-language page: [Consulate General of the PRC in Chicago, 关于实施外国人入境卡网上填报的通知](https://chicago.china-consulate.gov.cn/zytz_0/202512/t20251204_11767038.htm) · published 2025-12-04, read 2026-10-10 · government
- 6. [Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, repost of the NIA warning about fake filling sites](https://wb.beijing.gov.cn/home/index/wsjx/202512/t20251231_4382655.html) · published 2025-12-31, read 2026-10-10 · government
- 7. [Wikimedia Commons, China Arrival Card 2023 (front and back; a scan of a blank card, public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_Arrival_Card_2023_-_Front.jpg) · uploaded 2024-07-02, read 2026-10-11 · site


## Other traveller experiences

Personal reports, not official rules.

- **From Hong Kong by high-speed train, pick Shenzhen as the city of entry.** A traveller on Reddit (May 2026) wrote that for the high-speed train from Hong Kong it can look as if the form has no Hong Kong port, but it does: choose Guangdong, then Shenzhen as the city of entry, then West Kowloon as the port of entry. _Keep in mind: One traveller's guide; we did not test this route on the official form._ ([The__Anonymous__Guy, 2026-05-15](https://www.reddit.com/r/travelchina/comments/1td2yvs/guide_to_how_to_fill_in_arrival_card_online_for/))

Next: [Paying](https://chinafootnotes.com/before-you-go/payments)