China Arrival Card: Fill It In Online for Free (2026)

Every foreign visitor fills in a short form when they arrive in China. It's called the arrival card.

It used to be a paper slip you filled in with a pen at the airport. Since November 20, 2025, you can do it online before you fly, from your phone or your computer.

It's free. This guide shows you the official place to do it, what the form asks, and what happens if you forget.

What the Arrival Card Is

It's a short form that tells the border officers who you are, how you're arriving, where you're staying, and when you're leaving.

It isn't a visa, and it doesn't replace one. You still need your passport, and you still need to meet the entry requirements for the way you're entering China. That could be a visa, the 30-day visa-free policy, a mutual visa exemption or the 240-hour transit policy.

The arrival card is just the paperwork that goes with your arrival. The online version saves you from doing it in a queue after a long flight.

Where to Fill It In

China's National Immigration Administration runs the form. You can reach it in any of these ways:

The official website: s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC
The "NIA 12367" app, which is the immigration administration's own app
The mini program inside WeChat or Alipay
The QR code printed on the paper arrival card, which you scan with your phone

The website works in English and several other languages, including Spanish, French, Russian and Vietnamese.

A simple way to check you're in the right place: the official web address ends in nia.gov.cn.

It's Free, and Some Websites Charge for It

The official form costs nothing. The National Immigration Administration says so in plain words: the online arrival card is "free of charge."

On December 5, 2025, the same office published a warning. It said people outside China had built websites that look like the official one and charge travelers a fee to fill in the card.

Here's how to stay safe:

Use the link on this page, or type the address yourself.
Check that the address ends in nia.gov.cn.
If a page asks for a card payment, close it. The real form never does.

If you've already paid one of these sites, you can't be sure what it did with your details. Fill in the official form yourself. It's free. Then ask your bank or card company about getting the money back.

What the Form Asks

It starts by asking you to take a photo of the page in your passport with your picture on it. The form reads your details from the photo and fills them in for you. Check them before you go on, because a camera can misread a letter or a number.

Then it asks about your trip:

Your nationality and passport number
Why you're visiting
The city you're flying from
The flight, train or ship number you're arriving on
Your address in China, which is usually your first hotel
The date you plan to leave, and the flight, train or ship number if you have it
A phone number
Which visa-free policy you're using, if you're entering without a visa
Whether a person or a company in China invited you
Whether your passport has ever been lost or stolen

So have these next to you before you start: your passport, your flight details in and out, and your hotel's address.

Traveling with family or friends? The form lets you add the people traveling with you, so one person can do it for the group.

Answer everything honestly. The form itself says that leaving things out or hiding them can lead to being refused entry.

When you've finished, the form saves your answers, and there's a button to download a copy. Keep that copy on your phone.

When to Fill It In

The official notice doesn't set a deadline. It only says you can fill in the form "before coming to China."

You may see other websites say it has to be done within 72 hours of your flight. We checked the National Immigration Administration's announcement, its notices from Chinese embassies, and the form itself in September 2026, and none of them say that.

A sensible time is a few days before you fly, once your flights and your first hotel are booked. If the form doesn't accept your arrival date yet, try again closer to your trip.

Didn't Do It? You Can Do It When You Land

Nothing goes wrong if you arrive without it. At the border you have three choices:

Scan the QR code with your phone and fill in the form there
Use one of the machines at the border
Fill in a paper card with a pen

The first choice needs the internet on your phone the moment you land. An eSIM for China that you set up at home takes care of that.

Who Doesn't Need One

Seven groups of travelers skip the arrival card:

People changing planes who stay inside the airport's transit area and leave within 24 hours
Cruise passengers who arrive and leave on the same ship. See our guide to visiting China by cruise ship
People traveling on a group visa, or in a tour group that enters visa-free as a group
People who hold a Chinese Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card
People who hold a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, the version for non-Chinese citizens
People who enter through the fast lanes, also called e-channels
Foreign crew working on planes, ships and trains that cross the border

Leaving the airport during a layover is different. If you go into the city on the 24-hour transit rule or the 240-hour transit policy, you fill in the arrival card like everyone else.

Not Sure Which Visa-Free Policy You're Using?

The form asks, so it helps to know before you start. Our Eligibility Finder tells you in a few seconds. You choose your passport and how you're traveling, and it shows you which policy fits.

If your trip has several stops and you'd like a person to check it, that's what our Route Review is for.

FAQ

Is the China arrival card free?
Yes. China's National Immigration Administration says the online arrival card is free of charge. If a website asks you to pay for it, it isn't the official one.

What is the official website for the China arrival card?
s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC. You can also use the "NIA 12367" app, or the mini program inside WeChat or Alipay.

Do I still need an arrival card if I'm entering visa-free?
Yes. Visa-free travelers fill it in too, whether you're on the 30-day visa-free policy, a mutual visa exemption or the 240-hour transit policy. The form even asks which one you're using.

How early can I fill it in?
The official notice doesn't give a deadline. It only says you can fill it in before coming to China. A sensible time is a few days before you fly, once your flights and first hotel are booked.

What if I forget to do it before my flight?
You can do it when you land. At the border you can scan a QR code with your phone, use one of the machines there, or fill in a paper card.

Is the arrival card a visa?
No. It's a short form about your trip. It doesn't replace your passport, your visa, or the entry requirements for the visa-free policy you're using.

I'm only changing planes in China. Do I need one?
Not if you stay inside the airport's transit area and leave within 24 hours. If you leave the airport, for example on the 24-hour or 240-hour transit policy, you fill it in.

Bottom Line

The China arrival card is a short, free form. Fill it in on the official website a few days before you fly, download your copy, and you'll walk up to the border with one less thing to do. If you forget, you can still do it when you land.

The only real risk is a website that charges you for it. The official address ends in nia.gov.cn, and the real form never asks for money.

Meeting these requirements is routine for most travelers, but final approval always rests with the immigration inspection officers at the port of entry. If you have a question before you book, call the China Immigration Service Hotline on 12367 inside China, or +86-12367 from outside.

Travel policy note. Entry rules can change. This guide was checked against the official sources below on September 21, 2026.

The China Arrival Card: How to Fill It In Online for Free