China Digital Arrival Card 2026: Official Website and Step-by-Step Guide

Most international travelers entering mainland China need to complete a China arrival card, including travelers using visa-free entry. The form is free on the official National Immigration Administration website at s.nia.gov.cn. Complete it shortly before your trip, save the confirmation QR code on your phone, and show it at immigration.

The online form is officially called the Foreigner Arrival Card, or 外国人入境卡 in Chinese. It was launched by China's National Immigration Administration, or NIA, on November 20, 2025. "China Digital Arrival Card" and "CDAC" are commonly used travel-industry names rather than the government's official terminology.

The most important detail is the website address. The official service is hosted on the Chinese government domain s.nia.gov.cn. NIA does not charge a filing fee, so a website asking for payment is not the official service.

This card is separate from your visa or visa-free eligibility. It records your arrival details; it does not grant permission to enter China and is not a substitute for a visa when one is required. It is also separate from a health declaration.

The China arrival card online form is completely free. NIA has issued a specific warning about counterfeit websites that imitate the official form and charge travelers a service fee. Some lookalike services charge anything from a few dollars to more than $40, even though payment is unnecessary.

Use one of the official filing channels:

• Desktop website: s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/
• Mobile website: s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPhone/
• NIA 12367 app
• WeChat or Alipay mini-program: search for 移民局12367
• Official QR codes at the port of entry

Check the domain before entering passport information. The meaningful part of the official web address is s.nia.gov.cn, including the government-only .gov.cn ending. A page with different branding, a similar-looking domain, or a payment screen should not be treated as the official form.

NIA's own notice, Beware of Fraudulent Websites for Arrival Card Filling, confirms that the service is free and warns travelers about fee-charging counterfeit sites.

If you already paid a third-party site, that does not change the basic entry process: you still need a valid arrival-card record connected to your passport details. Use the official channel to make sure you have submitted the required information and received the confirmation QR code.

International travelers entering mainland China by air, land, or sea generally need to file an arrival card. This includes people arriving with a visa and most people entering under a visa-free arrangement.

Visa-free entry and the arrival card serve different purposes. Visa-free rules determine whether you may enter without obtaining a visa in advance; the arrival card records details about this particular arrival. As a result, travelers using a 30-day visa-free arrangement still generally file the card.

Transit-visa-free travelers who leave the airport also file it. This applies to travelers using eligible transit arrangements, including 24-, 144-, or 240-hour transit windows, when they pass through immigration and enter mainland China. A traveler remaining in the restricted transit area for a qualifying 24-hour direct transit may fall within an exemption.

The official exemption list covers seven categories:

• Holders of a Foreign Permanent Resident ID card
• Non-Chinese holders of a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong or Macao residents
• Travelers covered by group-visa or group-visa-free arrangements
• Travelers in 24-hour direct transit who remain inside the restricted area
• Cruise passengers arriving and departing on the same vessel
• Travelers using an eligible e-channel or fast-track entry facility
• International crew members working on cross-border transport

Each passport needs its own card, including a child's passport. Families should therefore prepare one submission per traveler rather than one form for the whole group.

The arrival card is only one practical part of preparing for China. Our guide to traveling safely and confidently in China covers more of the questions that tend to come up before departure.

Start from the official NIA channel and select the English-language option. You can complete the form before traveling or use an official option after reaching your port of entry.

The official notices summarize the requested information as personal details, your flight number, your address in China, and a passport photo. In practice, you will typically be asked to work through information such as:

• Passport details matching the document you will present at immigration
• Personal information identifying the traveler
• Arrival or transport details, such as the relevant flight number
• An address in China, based on your planned stay
• A passport photo or passport-image step requested by the form

Enter everything exactly and double-check it before submitting. Pay particular attention to passport numbers, names, travel details, and the address in China. The card is tied to one passport, so the submitted information should match the passport used for entry.

After submission, the system provides a confirmation QR code. Keep it available on your phone for immigration. A printed copy is not required.

There is no need to complete the form months ahead. The official wording simply says that it may be filed before coming to China, while several travel guides report an approximate 72-hour window. Because that timing is not stated as an official NIA rule, the practical approach is to submit it in the day or two before you travel, when your transport and accommodation details are settled.

When planning those first days, it also helps to prepare for China's everyday payment systems. Our practical guide explains how to pay in China as an international traveler.

You can still complete the arrival card at your port of entry. NIA states that travelers may file before coming to China or complete the process on arrival. Ports continue to provide self-service smart kiosks and paper arrival cards for people who did not submit online.

If the website is inconvenient before departure, use one of the official on-arrival options rather than paying an unofficial service. You can scan an official QR code at the port, use a self-service kiosk, or fill in a paper card where available.

Completing the form online mainly allows you to arrive with the confirmation already prepared. If you do so, keep the QR code easy to retrieve on your phone and make sure you have completed a separate card for every passport in your party.

If you discover a mistake while checking your saved confirmation, return to an official NIA channel for the available filing option. The reliable principle is simple: use details matching the passport and travel arrangements you will present at immigration, and do not rely on a paid intermediary to correct them.

Use this short checklist before leaving for the airport. It covers the arrival-card steps that matter without turning a simple form into another source of travel anxiety.

• Confirm whether you fall within one of the seven official exemption categories.
• Use s.nia.gov.cn, the NIA 12367 app, the 移民局12367 mini-program, or an official port-of-entry option.
• Do not pay a fee; the official filing service is free.
• Prepare the passport, transport details, address in China, and passport photo requested by the form.
• Complete one card for each passport, including each minor traveling with you.
• Check all details carefully before submitting.
• Save the confirmation QR code on your phone for immigration.
• Remember that the arrival card does not replace a required visa or determine your eligibility for visa-free entry.

Once this is done, you can move on to the more enjoyable parts of planning. If Hangzhou is on your route, our local Hangzhou travel guide is a useful starting point for understanding what to see and how to approach a visit.

For travelers who prefer to explore with people who grew up here, Brivience also runs small-group guided tours in Hangzhou. There is no need to decide that while completing an immigration form, but it is a natural next step when your China itinerary begins taking shape.