China Online Arrival Card: How to Fill It In (2026)
Every foreign visitor fills in an arrival card — and since November 2025 you can do it online before you land. Where to file, what it asks and how to avoid scam sites.
- Cost
- Free — never pay a “processing fee”
- When
- Up to 72 hours before arrival
- Who
- All foreign visitors, including visa-free and children
- Online at all ports since
- 20 November 2025
Where to file
Use only official channels run by the National Immigration Administration (NIA): the NIA website, the NIA 12367 app, or the NIA mini-programs inside WeChat and Alipay. QR codes at the arrival hall link to the same system if you did not file in advance.
Several look-alike websites charge for “processing” arrival cards. The NIA has warned travellers about them. The official card is free.
What it asks
Passport details, flight or train number, purpose of visit, the address of your first night’s accommodation and your contact details. Each traveller needs their own card, including children. The online form is available in multiple languages including English.
On arrival
Keep the confirmation on your phone. At immigration you present your passport; officers may ask about your hotel and onward plans. Visa-free and transit travellers should have their hotel booking and onward ticket ready to show.
Before you go
- Passport number and expiry date.
- Flight number and arrival date.
- Hotel name and address in China (Chinese address helps).
- A working email or phone number.
FAQ
Is the paper arrival card still available?
Paper cards and kiosks may still be found at some ports, but the online card speeds things up and is available at all open ports.
Do I need an arrival card if I am visa-free?
Yes. Visa-free and 240-hour transit visitors fill one in like everyone else, unless they fall into one of the NIA’s exempt categories such as permanent residents.
Related briefings
Sources
- Civil Aviation Administration of China paper to ICAO on online arrival card filing (2026)
- National Immigration Administration (English)
Rules change often. If something here no longer matches the official source, the official source wins — and please tell us at [email protected].
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