How Do You Complete China’s Arrival Card and Get Through Immigration?

The immigration desk is not the place to start searching for your hotel address, flight number, or visa details. Put them in one note before departure, even if you plan to submit the arrival card online.

Prepare one arrival note: passport number, visa or visa-free basis, inbound flight number, arrival date, hotel name and address, Chinese contact if relevant, and your planned departure details. Keep it available offline.

Table of Contents

What the arrival card is for

Foreign passengers may be asked to provide basic identity, travel, accommodation, and entry-purpose information. China now provides an official online arrival-card channel through the National Immigration Administration, but procedures at your airport and for your passport may change. Follow the current official page and the signs at the port of entry.

Before you submit anything online

Use the official National Immigration Administration channel. Avoid lookalike websites charging a fee for a government form.
Copy details from documents. Do not rely on memory for passport numbers, dates, or flight numbers.
Use your first night’s real accommodation. Save the hotel’s full name, city, address, and phone number.
Check the purpose of entry. It should agree with your visa or the conditions of the visa-free policy you are using.
Keep the confirmation available offline. Take a screenshot or save the official result as instructed.

What to do after landing

Follow signs for foreign passports or the lane appropriate to your travel document.
Complete any arrival-card or self-service step requested at that airport.
Have your passport, boarding pass, visa if applicable, and accommodation details ready.
Remove hats or glasses when instructed and complete fingerprint or biometric procedures if required.
Answer the officer’s question briefly and truthfully. A hotel confirmation and onward ticket can help if details need clarification.
After inspection, check that your passport has been returned before walking away.

请问，外国人入境卡在哪里填写？

Pronunciation: Qingwen, waiguoren rujingka zai nali tianxie?

Where can I complete the foreigner arrival card?

If the online record cannot be found

Do not argue that the website said you were finished. Show the confirmation, then follow the officer’s instruction. You may need to resubmit information or complete a paper or terminal-based process. Airport procedures take priority over an old screenshot or third-party guide.

Small mismatches that cause delays

Your hotel is booked under another traveler’s name.
The flight number is the codeshare number rather than the operating flight.
Your passport was renewed after another booking was made.
The planned first hotel changed after you submitted the form.
Your stated travel purpose does not match the document or visa-free condition.

If you notice an error before reaching the officer, ask airport staff where to correct it. Do not create several competing submissions unless the official system instructs you to.

请问，可以帮我检查一下这张入境卡吗？

Pronunciation: Qingwen, keyi bang wo jiancha yixia zhe zhang rujingka ma?

Could you please check this arrival card for me?

If you are entering under a visa-free policy

Visa-free rules are time-sensitive and depend on nationality, passport type, purpose, route, and length of stay. Check the current National Immigration Administration or Chinese embassy information shortly before travel. Do not use a social-media screenshot as proof that you qualify.

FAQ

Do I still need to carry my hotel booking if I submitted the card online?

Yes. Keep it available. The officer may need to clarify where you are staying or how long you will remain.

What if I do not have mobile data after landing?

That is why the address, flight details, and online confirmation should be saved offline before departure.

Can a family complete one card?

Follow the instructions for each traveler shown by the official system or airport. Do not assume one submission covers everyone.

What if I made a genuine mistake?

Tell staff calmly and ask how to correct it. Trying to hide an obvious mismatch is worse than explaining it.

Check the current immigration instructions

Keep reading: what you should declare or avoid bringing into China.