China arrival card 2026 Who needs it & how to fill it

In most cases, yes. Since 20 November 2025, China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) has run an online arrival card that applies to foreign nationals entering the mainland by air, land or sea — including travellers who enter under a visa-free policy. Seven categories are exempt (see the exemptions above); if you do not fall into one of those, plan to complete an arrival card either online before you travel or at the port on arrival.

Sort of — but not a hard cut-off. The "within 72 hours" or "within 3 days" window cited widely is when the online form is meant to be filled before you enter, rather than a deadline that bars you if you miss it. The official China embassy notice (3 December 2025) describes filling the card "before coming to China" and allows you to complete it on arrival if you did not do it in advance. So fill it roughly three days before travel if you can, and know that doing it at the port is always allowed. Verify the current window on the official NIA site, since online systems can change.

The official platform is run by the National Immigration Administration at https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/. You can also reach it through the "NIA 12367" app or the NIA mini-programs inside WeChat and Alipay, or by scanning the official Arrival Card QR code. Be cautious of third-party sites that charge a "service fee" to submit the card — the official NIA channel does not charge for it.

Yes. If you cannot complete it online beforehand, you can do it at the immigration inspection site — by scanning the QR code with your phone, using the self-service devices at the checkpoint, or filling in a paper arrival card, which remains available as a backup. Doing it in advance mainly saves you time and queueing on arrival.

Yes, for individual visa-free travellers. The requirement applies even if you qualify for one of China's individual visa-free entry or transit policies — being visa-free on your own does not exempt you. The one visa-free exemption is the organised group case; more broadly, the seven exempt categories listed by the NIA are permanent residents, certain transit and group cases, e-channel users, crew, and so on.

The NIA lists seven exempt categories: foreign nationals holding a valid Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card of China; holders of a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao residents (non-Chinese citizens); travellers entering on a group visa or under organised group visa-free arrangements; passengers in 24-hour direct transit who stay within the designated port area; cruise passengers entering and departing on the same vessel; travellers cleared through automated e-channel lanes; and foreign crew members of transport vehicles. Everyone else entering the mainland is expected to complete the card.

No. The arrival card is a short entry-information form collected by immigration — it is not a visa and does not grant permission to enter on its own. You still need the correct visa, or to qualify for a visa-free policy, to be admitted. See our visa and visa-free guides for whether you need a visa in the first place.