China Digital Arrival Card: How to Fill It Before You Land

Quick Answer

Since November 20, 2025, China has allowed foreign travelers to complete the arrival card online before entry. You can fill it out through the NIA online arrival-card site, the Immigration 12367 app, WeChat/Alipay mini programs, or by scanning the official QR code. If you do not complete it in advance, official guidance says you can still finish the process at the port of entry by mobile QR code, on-site smart devices, or a paper arrival card where available.

What Changed and When

China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) launched the online entry card system on November 20, 2025. The online card is now the preferred method, but official notices still describe on-site and paper-based completion as fallback options for travelers who cannot file online in advance.

This change affects most foreign nationals entering China at international airports, land border crossings, and ferry terminals that have been upgraded to the new system.

Who does not need the arrival card. The official NIA notice exempts a few categories: holders of a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card of the People's Republic of China; non-Chinese holders of the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents; travelers entering on a group visa or under a group visa-free scheme; passengers in direct transit within 24 hours who stay inside the port's restricted area; cruise passengers entering and leaving on the same ship; travelers cleared through the automated e-channel/fast lanes; and foreign crew of cross-border transport vehicles. If none of these apply to you, file the card.

The short version: fill it in before your flight and you walk through arrival faster. Skip it and you fill it in on a kiosk at the airport, which adds a small amount of time but is not catastrophic.

Where to Fill the Digital Arrival Card

You have four options, all official:

1. NIA official website The official arrival-card website is `https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/`. Use this direct official link rather than search-result ads or third-party forms.

2. Immigration 12367 app Download the "NIA 12367" app before your trip. It handles the entry card, as well as other immigration-related queries. The app is available on both iOS and Android. English language support is available within the app.

3. WeChat mini program Search for the official NIA mini program inside WeChat. If you already have WeChat set up (which you should — it is useful throughout the trip), this is the fastest route. The mini program is accessible through the search bar inside WeChat.

4. Alipay mini program Same approach as WeChat. Search for the NIA service inside Alipay's mini program section. Given that most travelers set up Alipay before the trip anyway, this is a convenient option.

At the port of entry (if you didn't fill it in advance) Official guidance says foreigners who cannot fill the information online in advance may complete it after arriving at the immigration inspection site by scanning the official QR code, using smart devices on site, or filling out a paper-based arrival card. Availability can vary by port, so advance filing is still the calmer option.

What You Will Need to Fill In

The fields are similar to the old paper form:

• Full name (as it appears on your passport)
• Passport number
• Nationality
• Date of birth
• Flight or vessel number
• Purpose of visit (tourism, business, transit, visiting family, etc.)
• Planned length of stay
• First address in China (hotel name and address, or host's address)
• Port of entry

The address field is the one that catches people. You need to enter where you are staying on your first night, not a general city name. Have your hotel booking confirmation ready before you start filling the form. If you are staying with friends or family, use their address and register at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival (more on that in the hotel registration guide).

When to Fill It

Ideally: 1 to 3 days before your flight. The system may generate a confirmation page, code, or QR-style confirmation depending on the channel. Save a screenshot and keep your passport, flight number, and first-night address handy.

Do not fill it too far in advance — some fields, particularly flight number, need to match your actual travel. If your flight changes, you may need to update the entry.

What Happens at the Airport

When you arrive at passport control:

1. Join the foreign passport line (look for signs saying "Foreign Passports" or "Foreigners")
2. Present your passport and the arrival card confirmation (on your phone screen or printed)
3. The immigration officer scans your passport and processes your entry
4. You receive an entry stamp in your passport with the permitted length of stay

If you did not fill the card in advance, the officer will direct you to a nearby kiosk or assistance desk to complete it before processing.

E-channels (automated passport control) are available at some large airports for certain nationalities. These are usually marked separately and process you through facial recognition and document scanning without a counter officer. Eligibility depends on nationality and varies by port — check the NIA website for the current list. Note that travelers cleared through an e-channel are among the categories exempt from the arrival card.

Common Questions

Do I need to print it? Usually no. Showing the confirmation on your phone screen should be enough, but printing or saving an offline screenshot is a harmless backup.

What if the app doesn't work or I lose my confirmation code? Complete it at the port of entry using the official QR code, on-site smart devices, or a paper-based arrival card where available. There is no separate penalty described in the official notice for not filing in advance, but it can slow you down.

Can I fill it for my whole family at once? Each traveler needs their own individual entry card. If you are traveling with children, each child needs a separate entry form.

Is the NIA 12367 app available outside China? Yes. Download it before you leave. It works internationally.

What language is the entry card in? English is available as a language option in all official channels.

The Signature Step Says "Need to Help Your Companion Fill the Form?"

Some travelers reach the signature step and cannot get past it because the form has switched into its multi-person mode — the version that asks whether you also want to help a traveling companion fill in their card. The official channels do let one person add fellow travelers (there is a "My Companions" screen with an "Add" / "新增" option), but the card is still one submission per passport, and each traveler needs their own QR code.

The likely cause is that the companion / "My Companions" option was tapped, so the form is now waiting on a second person's details before it will let you finish signing and submit.

How to avoid it. Complete the card as a single traveler: fill in only your own passport and trip details, and do not tap the "Add companion" / "My Companions" option. If you are traveling as a family or group, the cleanest approach is for each person to file their own card on their own device — the immigration officer can link the separate filings at the counter.

If you are already stuck. You do not need to hunt for a hidden "delete companion" button. The cleanest reset is to close the form and start a fresh card, filling in only your own passport and trip details and not tapping "Add companion" the second time through. Because the card cannot be edited in place once submitted, filing a fresh card is the standard remedy for any mistake, and consumer travel guides report that the system keeps only your latest valid submission — so an abandoned or half-finished attempt does not lock you out of filing again.

Be aware this is a genuine documentation gap, not simply something we skipped checking: the official NIA notice, the consular guidance, and the current traveler guides do not publish an in-app step for removing an already-added companion or exiting the multi-person mode, and travelers do not consistently report one. That is exactly why restarting with a clean single-traveler card is more reliable than searching for a delete control.

As a final safety net, you do not have to solve this online at all: official guidance says travelers who cannot complete the card in advance may finish at the port of entry, including by filling out a paper-based arrival card where available. A paper card at immigration is a valid, accepted route, so a stuck online form is not a reason to worry about boarding.

The Address Question: What If I Have Multiple Hotels?

Only enter your first night's accommodation. Subsequent addresses are not required on the entry card.

If you have not booked accommodation yet, this is a problem. Port of entry officers may ask about your plans. Most practical advice: book at least your first night in China before arrival, even if you plan to be flexible after that.

Which Address to Enter When Connecting Through a Different Port

If you land at one Chinese airport and connect onward to another city, two fields get confused. The port of entry is where you first clear immigration in mainland China — the first international airport where you land, even if you are only transferring there to fly onward. The address / accommodation field is different: enter the address where you will actually stay in mainland China — your first-night hotel at your final destination — not the transit airport or transit city.

For a same-day connection where you do not spend a night at the port city, use your destination-city hotel address, and have that booking confirmation ready before you start.

The official NIA notice does not spell out this field in detail, so treat this as current step-by-step practice rather than a quoted rule: the address field is your accommodation in mainland China, while the port of entry is recorded separately. The form can change, so confirm the current fields through the official NIA channel before you travel. (Note: if you stay inside the port's restricted area on a 24-hour direct transit, you are exempt from the arrival card entirely — see the exemptions above.)

Land Border Crossings and Ferry Terminals

The same digital system applies. Some smaller crossings may still use paper forms or have limited kiosk availability. If you are crossing by land from Russia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, or arriving by ferry, check the specific crossing's status on the NIA website before you travel.

Insider Note

The online arrival card should make major-airport arrivals smoother when you complete it before flying. The most predictable friction point is the address field: travelers who do not have their first hotel booking ready often get stuck looking for the exact address. Have that ready.

Also: the 12367 app has uses beyond the entry card. It lets you check the status of visa applications, look up registration requirements for different provinces, and access other immigration-related services during your stay. Worth keeping installed.