How to Complete China's Digital Arrival Card
Most foreigners who clear immigration file the Digital Arrival Card online within 72 hours of arrival—official NIA site only, never a paid third-party form.
Key takeaway
**Yes—if you clear Chinese immigration, you almost certainly file an arrival card.** Complete the **free** Digital Arrival Card on the National Immigration Administration site **[s.nia.gov.cn](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/)** (or the NIA 12367 app) **within 72 hours before landing**. Screenshot the QR. If you cannot file online, use the **port kiosk or paper card**. Visa-free and 240-hour transit travelers **still file** unless they stay airside. Any site that **charges** to fill this form is not official.
How the rules work
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.
Who this is for
- First landing in China after 20 November 2025
- 30-day visa-free, 240-hour transit, or L-visa tourists
- Anyone who still has a paper “entry card” screenshot from an old blog
What to do next
- Visa-free or 240h?
- First day in China
- Before you go checklist
- Ask PaiPai with passport country + flight date (no passport numbers)
How to do it
Open the official NIA arrival-card page
Fill passport details exactly as printed
Submit inside the 72-hour window and screenshot the QR
Use port kiosk or paper card if online filing fails
Watch for
Paying a third-party form site
Assuming 240-hour transit skips the card
Filing more than 72 hours early
What may vary
Exempt groups and kiosk availability follow live NIA rules at the port.
Backup plan
Port self-service kiosk or paper Arrival Card at immigration. The embassy notice says you may complete on arrival if you could not file online.
FAQ
Do visa-free tourists need the Digital Arrival Card?
**Yes**, if they clear immigration. Visa-free is not one of the seven skip groups.
Is the 240-hour transit scheme exempt?
**No.** Only some **24-hour airside** transits that never leave the restricted area skip the card.
When did this start?
Online filing for arrival cards rolled out **20 November 2025** (NIA / embassy notices).
Can ChinaPie or PaiPai submit the form for me?
**No.** Only you (or the port) file with NIA. We link the official page and the next landing steps.