China Arrival Card: Use the Free Official Channel and Check Submission

Step by step

1. 01

   Decide whether the published exemption applies

   Read the official exemption list. Most ordinary short-stay visitors should not infer exemption simply from visa-free eligibility. If your status is unusual, ask NIA or border staff which process applies instead of choosing a convenient category.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGYou know whether to file or have an identified official basis for exemption.

2. 02

   Reach the official service deliberately

   Start from NIA and follow its link to the official arrival-card channel. Inspect the address after any redirect. Do not enter card-payment details to pay an alleged government arrival-card charge.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe page is an official government service rather than a sponsored intermediary or imitation form.

3. 03

   Prepare the real information before submitting

   Keep the passport, arrival details, actual purpose and accommodation information beside you. Transcribe names and document numbers carefully. Read the fields that appear in the current form; do not substitute a hotel's marketing name for an address if an address is requested.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe information describes the passport and itinerary you will actually present.

4. 04

   Complete the official submission and retain its result

   Review the entered details, complete the service's requested verification and submission, and read the resulting status. Keep the confirmation or reference the official service provides. A partially completed page, uploaded document or saved draft alone is not proof of submission.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe official service clearly confirms submission, or you recognise that the task still needs completing.

5. 05

   Resolve changes through the official process

   If a material detail is wrong or the journey changes, inspect the service's current correction/retrieval instructions. We have not verified a universal edit menu or validity period. If unsure, show the issue to port staff rather than inventing a second identity record.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGYour current information is correct, or staff have directed you to the appropriate replacement process.

6. 06

   Keep the port fallback available

   If the online process remains unavailable, travel with the information needed to complete it at immigration inspection. The official arrangements include scanning the port's code, using on-site equipment or filling a paper card. Ask staff which route to use on that arrival.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGYou have completed the required information process and continue to the applicable immigration examination.

If it does not work

Words that help

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Free filing means no government arrival-card service charge

NIA's 2 December 2025 scam warning specifically says its online arrival-card filing does not charge a fee and identifies the official web address. A paid search result or convincing logo is not evidence of an official service. If a page demands payment for this government filing, stop and independently navigate from NIA.

This does not mean every travel-related payment is fraudulent: a legitimate visa application or transport purchase is a different service. Read what you are being asked to buy. Do not send a passport image or bank details to a social-media helper promising to accelerate a free card. If you already paid an imitation site, retain the page, charge and correspondence and ask your bank or provider about the actual transaction.

Visa-free travel and card exemptions are different

The Chinese embassy's published notice lists exemptions including permanent-resident card holders, the specified non-Chinese Hong Kong/Macao mainland-travel permit, group arrangements, direct transit without leaving the restricted port area, same-cruise return, fast-lane entry and foreign transport crew. Match the exact status; do not generalise these categories to every independent tourist.

In particular, a traveller leaving the airport for a visit under a transit arrangement should not borrow an exemption for someone remaining within the restricted area. A family also needs to consider each traveller's document and status. Ask about a child's filing through the actual official process rather than assuming one adult's record automatically includes everyone.

Prepare a small information pack, not a public passport upload

Before departure, obtain the first property's actual address and a usable contact, particularly if an English booking confirmation abbreviates the location. Distinguish the city, district, street and hotel. For a private stay, use truthful host information. If your itinerary is flexible, answer the current form accurately using the arrangements you actually have; ask official staff when a required field does not fit the trip.

Enter sensitive details only where the official service requests them. This website provides instructions and does not need your passport number, document photograph or completed card. Keep copies securely and avoid posting a confirmation publicly, since it can reveal personal information. A companion helping with translation should still let you inspect the final information before it is sent.

A finished form has a submission result

Treat preparation, data entry and submission as separate stages. A document image accepted by a browser proves only that stage succeeded. Wait for the final response and read it. Save the reference or confirmation provided by the actual service; do not assume a particular QR appearance that has not been verified for your version.

If the connection breaks after submission, use the service's own retrieval or help instructions before repeatedly resubmitting. Keep the passport and itinerary available to staff. An error should be handled as an information-process issue, not by changing your purpose of travel or selecting an inapplicable exemption simply to finish the screen.

Online preparation is convenient; an online failure has an official fallback

The NIA announcement effective 20 November 2025 retains port-based completion for travellers who cannot file beforehand. Allow time to ask at the immigration inspection area and follow its current signs. An arrival hall's public Wi-Fi or your travel eSIM is not essential if staff direct you to a supported on-site or paper process.

Do not mistake this fallback for permission to board without a required visa or qualifying exemption. The airline and border authority still assess the underlying travel documents. After immigration, a later hotel registration is another process; handing over a passport at reception does not retroactively submit a missing arrival card.

Common questions