Short answer
Since 20 November 2025 the paper arrival card no longer exists. Foreign travellers entering mainland China now complete the China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC) — a free online form — before they land. It is mandatory, not optional.
Fill it in in the 24 hours before arrival, through the National Immigration Administration's 12367 app or the NIA's official online channel. It costs nothing. Nobody legitimate charges a fee for it.
The CDAC is not a visa and does not replace one. Visa-free arrivals fill it in too. At the border you still give fingerprints, either at a self-service kiosk or a staffed counter.
What the CDAC actually is
For decades, landing in China meant filling in a paper landing card on the plane with a borrowed pen, then handing it to an immigration officer. From 20 November 2025 that paper form was replaced by an online one.
The card is an arrival record, not an entry permit. It tells the immigration authority who is coming, on what flight, and where they will be staying. It carries no visa weight, grants no rights, and does not decide whether you are admitted — the officer at the counter does that.
It is free. There is no government fee, no expedited tier, and no approved agent. Anything online that asks for payment to "process" your arrival card is either a scam or an unnecessary middleman.
Who has to fill one in
The requirement is broad:
- Nearly every foreign national arriving in mainland China.
- Visa-free arrivals. Removing the visa requirement did not remove the arrival card. This is the single most common misunderstanding.
- All modes of arrival — air, land and sea.
- Repeat visitors. A previous trip does not carry over; a new arrival means a new card.
A small number of categories are exempt, and the exemptions are set by the immigration authority rather than by the airline. If you think one applies to you, for example certain transit or crew situations, check the NIA's official guidance directly rather than assuming.
The card is tied to one passport. Each traveller completes their own, so a family of four is four cards, not one.
Paper versus digital: what changed
| Old paper card | Digital arrival card | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you get it | Handed out on the plane or at the airport | Online, on your own phone |
| When you fill it in | In the air, in pen | Usually within 24 hours before arrival |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Legibility | Your handwriting | Typed |
| If you make a mistake | Cross it out and initial it | Correct it and resubmit before you land |
| Status | Retired 20 November 2025 | Mandatory |
What you need before you start
Have all of this open or written down before you begin; the form is short, but it will not wait while you dig through email at a boarding gate.
- Passport details exactly as printed: number, expiry date, issuing country.
- Your arrival details: flight number, arrival date, and the airport or port you land at.
- The address of your first night in China. A hotel name and city is normally enough. If you are staying with someone, their address.
- A phone number and email address you can actually reach.
- Purpose of visit, tourism, business, visiting family, transit.
Filling it in, step by step
- Start inside the last 24 hours before you landFilling it in a week early is the most common mistake. The form is meant to reflect your actual arrival, and a stale submission is worth nothing.
- Open the official channelThe National Immigration Administration's 12367 app, or the NIA's official online form. Use the official one, third-party sites that mirror the form add no value and hold your passport data.
- Enter your passport details character for characterMatch the machine-readable zone. A transposed digit in the passport number is what turns a two-minute border check into a twenty-minute one.
- Enter your travel detailsFlight number, arrival date, port of entry. Use the flight number on your actual ticket, not the codeshare number on your itinerary.
- Enter your first address in ChinaHotel name and city, or a private address. Do not leave it blank because you have not booked anything yet, book the first night before you fly.
- Submit and keep the confirmationSave the confirmation and screenshot it. Email it to yourself. You want a copy that works when your phone has no data.
- Have it ready at the counterNot buried in an app three taps deep, not dependent on airport Wi-Fi. Screenshot in your photos, or printed.
Why the timing matters
The arrival card is not an application you file in advance and wait on. It is a record of a specific arrival. Submitting it two weeks before you fly gives the immigration authority information that may no longer be accurate, and if your flight number or date changes you have effectively filed the wrong thing.
The practical window is the day before you fly. If your arrival plans change materially after you have submitted, a different date, a different port, fill it in again.
At the border: what still happens
The digital card removed a piece of paper. It did not remove the border process. Two things still happen on arrival.
Fingerprint collection
Fingerprints are collected from foreign arrivals, either at a self-service kiosk before the immigration queue or at a staffed counter. It takes a minute. Certain categories of traveller are exempt, and that is applied by the officer or the kiosk rather than by you, you do not need to work out in advance whether you qualify.
The immigration counter
You hand over your passport, and the officer has your CDAC submission on screen. Expect to be asked where you are staying and how long you are staying. Occasionally onward tickets or a hotel booking are requested. Answer briefly and factually; this is a routine check, not an interrogation.
Land border crossings work the same way, with the same card and the same fingerprint step.
Mistakes that cost you time
- Filling it in too early. The card should describe your actual arrival, not a plan from last month.
- Assuming visa-free means form-free. It does not. Visa-free travellers fill in the CDAC.
- Assuming the card is a visa. It is not. If your nationality needs a visa, you still need the visa.
- Typos in the passport number or name. Match the passport exactly, including how your name is split across given-name and surname fields.
- No saved copy. Submit, screenshot, move on. Do not leave it only inside an app.
- Waiting until you land. Airport Wi-Fi is filtered, often congested, and sometimes requires an SMS you cannot receive.
Frequently asked questions
Is the China Digital Arrival Card mandatory?
Yes. Since 20 November 2025 it has replaced the paper arrival card and is required of foreign travellers entering mainland China. It is not optional and there is no paper fallback.
Do visa-free travellers need to fill one in?
Yes. The visa exemption removes the visa requirement, not the arrival card. If you are entering under a visa-free arrangement, you still complete the CDAC.
How much does the CDAC cost?
Nothing. It is a free government form. There is no paid tier and no legitimate agent to pay. Treat any site charging for it as a scam or an unnecessary middleman.
When exactly should I fill it in?
In the 24 hours before you land is the practical window. Doing it weeks ahead risks describing an arrival that has since changed. If your flight number or date changes, submit again.
Where do I fill it in, which app or website?
Through the National Immigration Administration's official channels, including the 12367 app. Use the official channel rather than a third-party mirror; the form asks for your full passport details.
Do I still have to give fingerprints?
Yes. Fingerprint collection is a separate step from the arrival card and still happens on arrival, at a self-service kiosk or a staffed counter. Certain categories are exempt and the exemption is applied at the border.
What if I have not booked accommodation yet?
Book at least your first night before you fly. The form asks for an address in China, and a hotel name plus city is normally sufficient. Leaving it blank invites a question at the counter.
What happens if I make a mistake on the form?
Correct it and resubmit before you land; it is an online form, not a locked document. If you only notice at the counter, tell the officer; a small discrepancy is a normal thing for them to handle.
Related reading
Arrival card requirements are set by China's National Immigration Administration and can be revised. Confirm the current form, submission window and exemptions through official NIA channels before you travel.