China Arrival Card 2026: How to Fill It In Before You Land

The 60-second version

• Most foreign visitors still need an arrival card in 2026 — including visa-free arrivals. Your visa does not replace it.
• It is free and can be done online. File through the National Immigration Administration (NIA) website, the NIA 12367 app, or the NIA 12367 WeChat or Alipay mini program.
• File within three days of landing (up to 72 hours). Not weeks ahead — the form is tied to a specific arrival.
• Never pay a third party. The NIA has warned about counterfeit arrival-card websites charging fees for a free form.

What the arrival card actually is

The arrival card is a short entry declaration: who you are, how you are arriving, why you are visiting, and where you will stay. It existed on paper for decades; what changed is that since 20 November 2025 foreign nationals can submit the same information online in advance through the China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC).

Two things it is not. It is not a visa — it does not replace one for nationalities that need a visa, and it does not create visa-free eligibility. Nor is it a guarantee of admission: a border officer still checks your passport, your purpose of travel and, for transit entries, your onward ticket. Primary source: NIA's 10 new measures, including online arrival card filing.

Do you need one? By traveller type

If you are entering mainland China as a foreign national, the default is yes. The table below covers the situations Western visitors actually fall into in late 2026.

Your situation	Arrival card required?
Entering visa-free for up to 30 days (UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and dozens of others)	Yes — visa-free does not mean form-free
Holding a tourist (L) visa or any other Chinese visa	Yes
Using the 240-hour visa-free transit	Yes — the policy explicitly requires the temporary-entry arrival card
US passport holder without a visa (transit only)	Yes — the US is not on the 30-day visa-free list, so most Americans use the 240-hour transit or a visa, and either way need the card
24-hour direct transit, staying inside the port's restricted area	No (leave the area and the rules change)
Entering through the E-channel fast lanes	No
Group visa or group visa-free entry	No
Chinese Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card holder	No

Visa policy moves fast. As of late 2026, citizens of 50 countries — including the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — can enter visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business or family visits, with most policies running until 31 December 2026 (Russia's to 31 December 2027). US citizens are not on that list and generally need a visa or 240-hour transit. Confirm your nationality against the Chinese foreign ministry's visa-free FAQ and our visa-free China guide.

Who is exempt (the official list)

The NIA names seven categories that do not need to file. In practice, almost every leisure traveller is outside them:

• Holders of a valid Chinese Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card.
• Holders of a valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (non-Chinese citizens).
• Travellers with a group visa, or those eligible for group visa-free entry.
• Passengers in 24-hour direct transit who stay within the port's designated area.
• Cruise passengers entering and departing on the same vessel.
• Travellers entering through the E-channel fast lanes.
• Foreign crew of exit-entry transport vehicles.

If you are arriving on a normal flight, with a normal passport, to start a normal holiday or business trip, none of these apply to you. The full exemption wording appears in the embassy guidance on the online arrival card.

Where to fill it in — official channels only

There are four legitimate ways to file, all free:

1. The official arrival card website: s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC.
2. The NIA 12367 app from your app store.
3. The NIA 12367 WeChat mini program, or the equivalent Alipay mini program.
4. Scanning the official QR code with your phone — the same code is displayed at ports and on embassy notices.

What you should not do is search "China arrival card", click the first paid site, and enter your passport details. The NIA has publicly warned that fraudsters run counterfeit arrival-card sites collecting a "service fee". If a site asks for payment, back out and use the official link above — the warning is summarised in this official English notice.

What to have ready before you start

The form takes five to ten minutes if your documents are to hand. Have these open before you begin:

• Your passport bio page — number, expiry and your name exactly as printed, middle names included.
• Your flight number, arrival date and port of entry (for example, Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Capital, Guangzhou Baiyun).
• Your purpose of visit — tourism, business, visiting family or friends, exchange, or transit.
• The address of your first stay in China. Copy the hotel's Chinese name and address as well as the English one; a Chinese address is what helps at the counter.
• A contact phone number and email that work while you travel.
• If you hold a visa or permit, its number. If you are entering on 240-hour transit, your onward ticket to a third country.

Save a screenshot of your hotel booking and onward ticket too. Officers rarely ask, but visa-free entry is discretionary and proof keeps the conversation short.

Step by step: filing online

1. Open the official site, app or mini program on your phone or laptop. If the interface defaults to Chinese, your browser's translate function handles it well enough.
2. Choose the arrival card or entry registration option and select your arrival transport type — air, land or sea.
3. Enter your personal details from the passport. Match the spelling and name order exactly; a middle name left off is a common reason a record does not match at the desk.
4. Add your flight number, scheduled arrival date and port of entry.
5. Select your purpose of visit and enter the address where you will stay. Use the hotel's own address, not your home address.
6. Review, submit, and wait for the confirmation screen. It produces a QR code. Screenshot it, save it to your photos and email it to yourself — do not rely on mobile data at the airport.
7. Repeat the process for every traveller in your group, including children.

The window matters. Embassy guidance says to complete it within three days of arrival — up to 72 hours before entry; check the form for the live window. If your flight slips to another day or you change arrival port, submit a fresh card. Background: embassy update on China's Digital Arrival Card.

If you cannot or did not file in advance

Nothing is ruined. Travellers who cannot file online can complete the same information at the immigration inspection site: scan the official QR code, use the on-site smart terminals, or fill in a paper arrival card. The trade-off is time — budget an extra 15–30 minutes on a busy arrival bank, and longer at Chinese New Year or Golden Week. Pre-filing is the difference between a ten-minute stop and a queue.

Seven mistakes that actually cost time

1. Paying a lookalike website. The NIA form is free. Paid "arrival card services" are either unnecessary or fraudulent.
2. Filing too early. Outside the 72-hour window the submission may not be valid, so you do it twice.
3. Name or passport mismatches. Type your name exactly as printed and check the passport number digit by digit.
4. Forgetting the children. One card per passport; parents file on behalf of minors.
5. No offline copy. Airport Wi-Fi often wants a Chinese number. Screenshot the QR code and carry a power bank.

Arrival card, 240-hour transit and hotel registration

Keep these three separate.

The 240-hour visa-free transit is an entry route, not a form. As of late 2026 it covers nationals of 57 countries — including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore — entering through 65 ports in 24 provinces and staying up to 10 days. You need a passport valid for at least three months and a confirmed onward ticket to a third country; work, study and news reporting are not allowed. The policy requires the temporary-entry arrival card. Official conditions: NIA visa-free transit policy.

Hotel registration is separate again. Hotels register foreign guests with the local police automatically at check-in — that is why the front desk scans every passport. Private stays (a friend's flat, an Airbnb-style booking) are your responsibility: register at the local police station within 24 hours; the Shanghai government accommodation registration guide covers the online version. Put that same address on your arrival card.

Pre-flight checklist

1. Confirm whether your nationality currently needs a visa or qualifies for visa-free or 240-hour transit.
2. File the arrival card inside the 72-hour window, once per traveller.
3. Screenshot the QR code and email a copy to yourself.
4. Save the hotel name and address in Chinese characters.
5. Make sure you will have data on landing — an eSIM installed before you fly is the simplest fix. See our China eSIM guide.
6. Check that your first payment method will work; our how to pay in China guide covers the set-up order.

Most arrival-day friction is not the form itself — it is being tired, offline and unsure what the officer wants. If you would rather have someone meet you at the airport, our Beijing and Shanghai companions handle the first day.

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