Short answer
Three things decide how your landing goes: a passport with at least 6 months of validity left and a blank page, an arrival card filed online or picked up at the port, and fingerprints at the booth if you are aged 14 to 70.
Officers may also ask for your onward ticket, the address of your first night and proof you can fund the trip. Keep the answers consistent with your arrival card.
At customs, declare foreign cash of USD 5,000 or more, or CNY 20,000 or more. Duty-free you may bring in 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars or 500 g of tobacco, 1,500 ml of alcohol at 12% or above, and personal goods worth up to CNY 2,000.
Passport validity
China requires at least 6 months of remaining validity on the day you arrive, and at least one blank page. Both are checked twice: by the airline at check-in and by the officer at the booth.
The 6 months run from your arrival date. A passport expiring in March fails a January arrival even though the document is still valid.
- The blank page is required even when you are visa-free. There is no visa sticker, but the entry record still needs space, and a full passport is grounds for refusal.
- One passport per person, infants included, and the name must match your ticket. With two passports, travel on the one you booked with.
- Keep a photo of the data page on your phone. If the passport goes missing, that image speeds up the police report and the emergency document at your embassy.
The digital arrival card
Since 20 November 2025 the paper landing card has been replaced by an online form, the China Digital Arrival Card. You can file it online before you land, and ports also provide self-service kiosks and paper cards. It is free.
This page does not repeat the filling steps. What matters is the distinction: it is an arrival record, not a visa. Visa-free travellers file one too, a previous trip does not carry over, and the card is tied to one passport, so a family of four files four cards. Steps, timing and each field are in our China Digital Arrival Card guide; if you still need to settle whether you need a visa, start with visa-free entry to China.
Fingerprints and the border booth
Foreign nationals give fingerprints on arrival and on departure. The age range is 14 to 70 inclusive: under 14 and over 70 are exempt, as are some diplomatic document holders.
The equipment is a kiosk before the queue where you press your thumbs onto a reader, plus a scan at the counter if the officer wants a second set. Cold, wet or greasy fingers are the usual cause of a short holdup.
- Walk from the gate to the immigration hallFollow the signs for Foreigners / All Passports, not the line for Chinese citizens unless the hall is shared.
- Give fingerprints firstKiosks sit before the queue in most halls. Both thumbs, sometimes all fingers. Dry your hands and remove gloves.
- Approach the booth alonePassport open at the data page, phone away. Answer what you are asked and nothing more.
- Expect four questionsWhy you are visiting, how long, where you are staying, and whether you have a ticket out. Have the first hotel's name and address offline.
- Check the passport before you leave the hallConfirm the entry record is there and the permitted stay matches what you expected, then photograph the page outside.
Self-service gates are open to travellers who are already enrolled. Registration happens at a border office, normally needs a biometric passport plus a longer-term visa or residence permit, and takes effect the next day. First-time visitors on a short stay use the staffed counters.
Queues follow the flight banks, not the clock: when several long-haul flights land together the hall fills up, and the line still moves because most travellers at a Chinese port are residents.
Customs: what to declare
After immigration you collect your bags and choose a channel: green for nothing to declare, red for goods to declare. Walking through green with something declarable is a false declaration, and the penalty is a fine or confiscation. When in doubt, use red and ask.
| Item | Declare when |
|---|---|
| Foreign currency cash | Equivalent to USD 5,000 or more |
| Chinese yuan cash | CNY 20,000 or more |
| Alcohol | Over 1,500 ml of drinks at 12% ABV or above |
| Tobacco | Over 400 cigarettes, or 100 cigars, or 500 g of tobacco |
| Personal goods staying in China | Non-resident allowance is CNY 2,000 of goods in total |
| Restricted goods | Gold and silver, cultural relics, endangered species products, radio transmitters, printed material |
Cash declarations work both ways. Taking over USD 5,000 in foreign currency out again means two forms and an endorsed copy for departure. Undeclared over-limit cash can be seized.
Valuables, relics and wildlife. High-value jewellery, gold and silver are declarable, and receipts prove they are going home with you. Antiques need an export permit from the cultural relics authority before they leave the country. Ivory, some horn and certain traditional medicines are banned in both directions, so do not buy, carry or accept them. Bring prescription medicine in its original packaging with the prescription, since some medicines that are ordinary at home are controlled in China, and fresh fruit, meat and dairy are restricted on arrival.
Connecting to your onward transport
Through customs you are in the arrivals hall, dealing with three things in a fixed order: data, money, then transport.
- Data first. Install your eSIM before you fly or buy a SIM at the airport, so the ride app works when you need it. See the eSIM guide for China and the essential apps list.
- Money second. Take cash from an ATM and keep small notes for day one. What to expect on withdrawals is in cash and ATMs in China.
- Transport third. Airport rail and metro are cheapest and immune to traffic, the taxi rank is signed in English, and ride-hailing runs through the official DiDi app or the ride entry in Alipay. Setup is in paying in China as a foreigner.
- Connecting to a train. Some large airports have a rail station inside the terminal, others need a ride to a city station first. Allow for immigration, bags, a taxi queue and station security before your train.
Airport rail lines, taxi ranks, ride-hailing pickup points and transfer times by city are in our China airport transfer guide, and the first-time guide to Chinese trains covers boarding with a foreign passport. If your first night is not confirmed as foreigner-friendly, see hotels that accept foreign guests.
Frequently asked questions
How much validity do I need left on my passport to enter China?
At least 6 months from your arrival date, plus one blank page. The airline checks at check-in and the officer at the booth, so a passport under the 6 month line stops you before you fly.
Do I need to print the arrival card for China?
No. It is filed online, and ports of entry also have self-service kiosks and paper cards. It is free, and any site charging a fee for it is a middleman or a scam.
Do I have to give fingerprints at the Chinese border?
Yes, if you are aged 14 to 70 inclusive. Under 14 and over 70 are exempt, as are some diplomatic document holders. Collection happens on arrival and on departure, usually at a kiosk before the queue.
Can I use the self-service gates at Chinese immigration?
Only if you are already enrolled. Registration is done at a border office, normally needs a biometric passport plus a longer-term visa or residence permit, and activates the next day. On a short first visit, expect the staffed counters.
How much cash can I bring into China?
You must declare foreign currency equivalent to USD 5,000 or more, and CNY 20,000 or more. That is a form, not a limit: complete it on arrival and keep the endorsed copy for your exit.
What happens if I use the green channel with goods to declare?
It is treated as a false declaration, and the outcome is a fine or confiscation. The usual triggers are cash over USD 5,000 or CNY 20,000, and goods above the CNY 2,000 non-resident allowance. If unsure, use red.
What will the officer ask me at the booth?
Usually four things: why you are visiting, how long, where you are staying, and whether you have a ticket out. Have the first hotel's address offline, and keep answers consistent with the arrival card.
Do I need to register my address after arriving in China?
Hotels register your stay for you at check-in, which is one reason they scan your passport. Staying in a private home or rented flat means registering at the local public security bureau yourself, normally within 24 hours.
Related reading
Compiled from National Immigration Administration guidance, China Customs (GACC) public passenger clearance rules and airline check-in requirements, cross-checked 28 September 2026. Allowances, the fingerprint age range and the declaration thresholds are set by the authorities and can change, so verify current figures on the official NIA and China Customs channels. Not legal advice.