China Arrival Card: How to Fill It Online (2026 Guide)

China has moved its Arrival Card online, and most foreign travelers can now fill it in before they land.

The change is a small but useful improvement: less paper, faster queues, and one less thing to juggle after a long flight. This guide explains how the system works as of 2026, how to fill it in, and where it stops and the customs declaration begins.

What changed

For years, foreigners arriving in mainland China filled out a paper Arrival Card on the plane or at immigration. From November 2025, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) rolled out an online Arrival Card that you can complete before you arrive. The paper version still exists as a fallback, but most travelers are now expected to use the digital form.

Step-by-step: filling the card in the 12367 app

The NIA 12367 app is the most direct route. The form asks for a short list of fields, most of which you can copy straight from your passport and boarding pass:

• Passport number — exactly as printed, including any letters.
• Full name — match your passport’s name field character for character.
• Nationality and date of birth — as shown in your passport.
• Passport validity — the expiry date, so keep the bio-data page open.
• Flight number and date of arrival — from your boarding pass or itinerary.
• Seat number — if you have one; some ports accept this as optional.
• Entry port — the airport, land or sea port where you’ll clear immigration.
• Accommodation in China — your hotel name and address, or the address where you’ll stay; if you haven’t booked yet, fill in what you can and update it later.
• Contact details — a phone number and, where asked, an email address.

Work through the fields top to bottom, double-check the passport number and name before submitting, and save the confirmation — a QR code or reference — that the app produces.

Filling it in via WeChat or Alipay

If you’d rather not install another app, the mini-program route inside WeChat or Alipay covers the same ground:

• Open WeChat or Alipay and search for the official arrival-card or NIA service.
• Select the Arrival Card option and follow the same field list as above.
• Submit and keep the QR code on screen or in your photo album for the border.

The mini programs are handy because they’re already on most travelers’ phones — especially if you’ve set up Alipay for payments anyway. Whichever channel you use, stick to the official one: third-party lookalike sites sometimes charge for a form that is free.

When to fill it in

Timing is more flexible than people expect, but there’s a sensible window:

• Aim for the 24 hours before landing. Many travelers fill the card in at the gate or in the air, once the flight and seat are confirmed.
• Don’t fill it in too far ahead. The form is tied to a specific arrival, so a card submitted weeks early may no longer match your flight or port and can need redoing.
• You can also do it after landing. If you forgot, scan the QR code at immigration or use an on-site device — the online version is a convenience, not a barrier.

Treat it like a boarding pass: fill it in when your travel details are final, and keep a screenshot.

What to do at the airport after landing

Once you’re off the plane:

1. Follow the signs to immigration and have your passport and the Arrival Card QR code ready.
2. Use the self-service e-gates if you’re eligible. Many ports now route foreign travelers with an e-passport through automated channels; the machine reads your passport and the card’s QR code.
3. Or take a manned counter. An officer will check your passport and entry scheme, and may ask about your stay.
4. Fingerprints are standard. Biometric capture is part of entry for most foreign travelers, so be ready to place your fingers on the reader when asked.
5. Then go to customs. The Arrival Card is immigration; customs is a separate step with its own online declaration — see below.

Common problems and fixes

• Special characters in your name. Copy the name exactly as it appears in the machine-readable zone of your passport, and don’t add spaces or accents that aren’t there.
• Connecting or multi-leg flights. Use the flight that actually lands in mainland China, not the first leg of a journey with a stopover elsewhere.
• Traveling with children. Every traveler fills their own card — kids included — using their own passport details. A parent usually completes it on their behalf.
• Filled it in wrong? Resubmit the form through the same channel with the corrected details; the latest submission is what counts.
• No seat number yet. If the airline hasn’t assigned a seat, complete what you can and update it at the gate if the app allows, or ask at immigration.

Arrival card vs visa-free entry

One clarification that trips people up: the Arrival Card is not a visa and doesn’t grant entry. It’s an immigration formality that sits on top of whatever entry scheme you’re using — a full visa, the 30-day visa-free entry, or the 240-hour transit arrangement. So if you’re entering visa-free, you’ll still usually need to fill in the card unless you fall into an exempt category. The visa-free scheme itself has its own requirements, which we cover separately in the visa-free requirements guide.

If you can’t fill it in online

You’re not blocked from entry. On arrival you can:

• Scan a QR code at the immigration inspection area and complete the form on your phone.
• Use the smart devices provided at many ports.
• Fill out a paper Arrival Card as a fallback.

The online version is a convenience, not a barrier.

Arrival card vs customs declaration

Don’t confuse the two forms:

• Arrival Card (immigration): your identity and travel details, handled by the NIA.
• Customs declaration: a separate online form covering goods, cash, and dutiable or restricted items you’re bringing in. It’s typically completed via the customs “pocket declaration” mini program, usually within 24 hours of arrival, and produces a QR code you show at customs.

Both are free and both are digital in 2026. If you carry nothing to declare, the customs step is still usually a quick formality.

Who is exempt

The NIA lists categories that don’t need to fill the Arrival Card, including:

• Holders of a valid PRC Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card.
• People entering on a group visa or group visa-free scheme.
• 24-hour direct transit passengers who stay within the port’s restricted area.
• Cruise passengers entering and departing on the same vessel.
• Foreign crew members of entry/exit vehicles.

If you’re not sure whether you’re exempt, fill it in anyway — it takes minutes.

Note that entering under a visa-free scheme does not automatically exempt you from the Arrival Card. The card is an immigration formality that applies on top of whichever entry scheme you use — see the visa-free requirements for what the entry schemes themselves ask of you. Only the exempt categories above skip the card.

Practical tips

• Use official channels only. Third-party sites sometimes charge for services that are free. Bookmark the official NIA site or use the mini programs inside WeChat/Alipay.
• Fill in before you fly if you can. It shortens the queue and gives you one less thing to do after landing.
• Keep your passport handy. You’ll need the number and your flight details; your accommodation address is helpful but not always required.
• Don’t skip the customs side. The two forms are separate, and customs may ask to see your goods declaration QR code.
• Sort out money and transport before you land — see our guides on paying in China and train tickets.

The official position

Procedures around arrival formalities are adjusted frequently. As of August 2026, the online Arrival Card is the standard expectation for most foreign travelers, but the exact channel and any exemptions can change. Always confirm the current procedure with the National Immigration Administration or your Chinese embassy before you travel — this guide is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing, not a substitute for the latest official instructions.

Where to verify

• National Immigration Administration (NIA) — en.nia.gov.cn
• China Customs — official notices on the goods/customs declaration
• Your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate — current entry formalities for your nationality

Last updated: August 2026. Entry rules change — always confirm with official sources before you travel.