China e-Arrival Card 2026: How to Fill the Online Entry Form Before You Fly

What is the China Digital Arrival Card?

The CDAC replaced the paper arrival card that used to be handed out on planes. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) launched the online system on November 20, 2025. As of mid-2026, over 15 million travelers have used it.

The form collects the same information the old paper card did: passport details, flight info, where you're staying. It submits everything digitally before you land. When you reach the immigration counter, the officer scans your QR code instead of squinting at your handwriting.

You can fill it out on the NIA website or through the "移民局12367" app (available on iOS and Android). Some airports also have self-service kiosks and QR-code stations at the arrival hall if you didn't do it in advance.

Step-by-step: How to fill the e-Arrival Card

Step 1: Open the official form

Go to s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC on your phone or laptop. The page loads in Chinese by default but has a language toggle in the top-right corner. Switch to English. Do not use third-party sites that charge a fee (see Common Mistakes below).

Alternatively, download the 移民局12367 app from the iOS App Store or Google Play. The app has the same form but also stores your past submissions for reuse on future trips.

Step 2: Upload your passport photo page

The form asks for a clear photo of your passport biodata page. Take the photo with your phone or upload an existing scan. Make sure:

• All four corners of the page are visible
• Your photo, name, and passport number are readable
• No glare or reflections covering the text

The system auto-reads your passport number, name, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry from the image. Double-check that it read everything correctly before moving on.

Step 3: Enter your travel details

You'll be asked for:

If you're transiting through China and staying in the transit area, you may be exempt. But if you're going through immigration (even for a 24-hour visa-free transit), you need the card.

Step 4: Enter your accommodation address

This is where a lot of people get stuck. You need the full address of your first night's accommodation:

• Hotel name in English (or Chinese if you have it)
• Street address with building number
• District and city
• A phone number for the property is ideal but not mandatory

If you're staying with a friend, use their full residential address. "Airbnb near the Bund" will not work — the address needs to be specific enough for the system to accept it.

Step 5: Provide a contact phone number

Enter a phone number where you can be reached. Include your country code (e.g., +1 for US, +44 for UK). This does not need to be a Chinese number. Your regular mobile number works.

Step 6: Review and submit

Go through each field one more time. Common data-entry mistakes:

• Typing your passport number wrong (O vs 0, I vs 1)
• Picking the wrong port of entry (Beijing Capital PEK vs Beijing Daxing PKX)
• Forgetting to include the country code in your phone number

Once submitted, the system generates a QR code. Save it — screenshot it, email it to yourself, or keep the browser tab open. You'll show this at immigration.

Step 7: At immigration in China

When you reach the immigration counter, open the QR code on your phone and show it alongside your passport. The officer scans it and the data from your online form populates their screen. You'll still need to provide fingerprints and a photo at the counter — the CDAC does not replace biometric screening.

If your phone is dead or you cannot access the QR code, tell the officer. They can look up your submission by passport number, but this takes longer and you may be asked to fill a paper form as backup.

Can I fill it out after landing?

Yes. Every international port of entry in China has:

• QR code posters in the arrival hall — scan them with your phone to open the form
• Self-service kiosks with touchscreens (mostly in Chinese, some with English)
• Paper forms at the immigration counter as a last resort

But doing it at the airport is slower. Lines form at the kiosks during peak hours, and the airport Wi-Fi is not always reliable for uploading a passport photo. Fill it out 24-48 hours before departure and you skip all of that.

Who is exempt?

According to the NIA, you do not need a CDAC if you hold:

• A People's Republic of China Permanent Resident Identity Card (the foreign permanent resident card)
• A diplomatic passport and are on official duty (confirm with your embassy)

For everyone else — tourist, business traveler, student, transit passenger — the card is mandatory. Children need their own card, submitted by a parent or guardian.

e-Arrival Card vs paper form

Paper still works if you prefer it, but most flights no longer hand out arrival cards proactively. You'd need to ask for one at the immigration counter, which means standing in two lines.

What happens after you submit

After submitting, you'll see a confirmation page with a large QR code. That code is valid for your specific arrival date and port of entry. If your plans change — different flight, different date, different city — you can log back into the system and update your submission or create a new one.

The QR code does not expire in a technical sense, but immigration officers cross-check the information against your actual flight and passport at the counter. A mismatch (wrong flight number, wrong date) will flag their system and they'll ask you to re-submit on the spot.

One submission = one entry. If you leave China and return on the same trip, you need a new CDAC for the second entry.