How to Complete China's Digital Arrival Card
Last reviewed: 2026-08-29
Detailed Answer
Read this if you need the form itself—not which visa product to use (visa-free vs 240h vs L) and not the hour-by-hour landing sequence (first day guide).
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Official URL | https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/ (desktop) · phone page on the same NIA host |
| When | Within 72 hours before arrival—not days earlier |
| Cost | Free. Do not pay a “e-arrival” vendor |
| Who files | Most foreigners who pass immigration |
| Who may skip | Seven NIA categories (e.g. PRC permanent residence, some group visas, 24-hour airside transit that never leaves the restricted zone) |
240-hour visa-free transit is not an exemption. That scheme exists so you enter the city. Airside-only 24-hour connections are a different category.
Step-by-step
- Open the NIA page (or NIA 12367 app / official WeChat or Alipay mini program named for arrival-card filing). Bookmark it on home Wi‑Fi.
- Fill passport details exactly as printed, flight/train number, and the entry product you will use (visa sticker, 30-day visa-free, or 240-hour transit).
- Submit, screenshot the QR / confirmation, and keep it offline with your onward ticket.
- At immigration, present passport + confirmation + onward ticket (transit) or visa page.
- If the website fails: use the port QR / kiosk or paper Arrival Card—do not miss the flight queue arguing with a third-party app.
FAQ
Do visa-free and 240-hour transit travelers still need the Digital Arrival Card?
Yes in most cases. Filing is tied to clearing immigration into China—not to holding a sticker visa. Airside-only 24-hour connections that never leave the restricted zone are a different NIA exemption category.
What if the NIA website fails before my flight?
Do not pay a third-party “e-arrival” vendor. Use the port QR / kiosk or a paper Arrival Card at immigration, and keep passport plus onward ticket ready.