China's Online Arrival Card 2026
A Family Guide
Since 20 November 2025, almost every foreign visitor to China, including children, fills an arrival card, and you can now do it online, free, before you fly. This 2026 guide explains who must fill it, the official site to use, the seven exemption groups, and how families with kids can breeze through Shenzhen's airport.
What the China arrival card is, and when it went online
The arrival card is the form foreign nationals complete on entering China, giving your passport details, purpose of stay, address in China and onward travel. From 20 November 2025, under the National Immigration Administration's Announcement No. 4 [2025], you can submit it online before departure through the NIA website, the Government Service Platform, the NIA 12367 app, or the WeChat and Alipay mini-programs, instead of the old paper form at the immigration desk.
It is free. The NIA has warned travellers about copycat websites that charge a fee to submit the card; the only official address is s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/. Load a translation app if your Chinese is limited, because the form is primarily in Chinese. At Shenzhen's ports the change is visible: families that once queued at the desk now arrive with the code already on their phone.
A parent can complete the card on behalf of a young child or infant; each traveller still needs their own submission, but the infant's details are entered by the accompanying adult.
Who must fill it, and who is exempt
Most travellers must fill it. Crucially, the 240-hour visa-free transit scheme does not exempt you: transit passengers must complete the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners before leaving the port. Visa-free tourists, L-visa holders and everyone else entering normally are all in scope. Seven groups are exempt (the NIA system adds an eighth courtesy category); the table below lists the common ones families meet.
| Traveller type | Must fill the card? | What the family should know |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free tourist or L-visa holder | Yes | Submit online before flying, or at the port by QR code, smart device or paper |
| Passenger on the 240-hour transit scheme | Yes, the temporary-entry card | Required to leave the port, so enter your onward ticket details |
| Holder of a foreign permanent resident ID card | No, exempt | One of the seven exemption groups |
| Traveller on a group visa or group visa-free | No, exempt | Exempt as part of the group |
| Passenger in 24-hour direct transit within the port | No, exempt | Exempt while staying in the port area |
| Cruise passenger on the same vessel | No, exempt | Exempt if returning on the same ship |
| Entrant through the E-channel express lane | No, exempt | Exempt at the automatic lane |
| Foreign crew of exit-entry transport vehicles | No, exempt | Exempt as working crew |
How to fill it before you fly
Step through it at s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/ up to 48 hours before arrival. You photograph the data page of each passport, enter the purpose of stay, your Chinese address (a hotel booking is fine), and your onward travel if you are in transit. Submit once per traveller; the system returns a QR code you show at the immigration desk with the passport. If you cannot do it in advance, every port, including Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and Shenzhen's land crossings, lets you scan a QR code, use a smart device, or fill a paper card on arrival.
- Use only s.nia.gov.cn and never pay a third-party site, because the service is free.
- Photograph each passport data page, and let a parent enter the child's details.
- Make one submission per traveller, including lap infants.
- Save the confirmation QR code offline, because roaming data can fail on landing.
At Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport the same form covers arrivals from Hong Kong and Macao by land or the West Kowloon high-speed rail, and the seven exemptions apply there too.
Why it matters more in 2026
China is seeing a record wave of inbound family travel. In the first half of 2026 the country recorded 22.91 million foreign entries, up 20.4 percent year on year, and 17.82 million of them entered visa-free, about 77.7 percent of all foreign arrivals. During the 2026 National Day week alone, 682,000 foreign visitors entered, 505,000 of them visa-free. With 50 countries now under unilateral visa-free entry and 57 covered by the 240-hour transit scheme, the arrival card is the one form almost every new visitor completes.
Filling it online before you leave turns a potential queue with tired children into a quick QR scan at the desk. It is a small step, but on a long-haul arrival it is the difference between a smooth start and a scramble.
These figures are from the National Immigration Administration and People's Daily in 2026. Visa-free lists and the transit country count move with policy notices, so confirm the current scope on en.nia.gov.cn before you book.
How we brief international families
We run family camps and journeys in China for children aged 3 to 14, and over 16 years we have guided more than 8,000 families, many arriving from abroad. Document routine is part of every pre-trip call: we remind each family to fill the arrival card online, keep the QR code and a paper folder with passports, birth certificates and a consent letter where one parent travels alone. Our 11 camps and 40 guided journeys, from the Dapeng Peninsula to the 867 m Qiniang Mountain, all start with a calm arrival, and the card is the first box we tick. Our leaders carry the current entry rules on every trip and brief each family in English before they fly.
Honest limits, and who should plan ahead
A few families should not assume the online form will be effortless.
- The form is mostly in Chinese, so load a translation app or keep the English 12367 hotline ready if you are stuck.
- If you belong to no exempt group but cannot fill online, allow extra time at the port for QR, device or paper submission with children in tow.
- Exempt groups should still carry proof of their status, such as a permanent resident ID, group visa paperwork or crew documents.
- A false or omitted entry can delay entry, because the NIA warns that untruthful information may lead to refusal, so match the passport exactly.
This is operational guidance from a tour operator, not legal advice. Confirm the current arrival-card rules and the visa-free scope with the Chinese embassy or consulate in your country before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Do children need an arrival card for China?
Yes. Every foreign national entering China completes one, children included, and a parent fills it on the child's behalf after photographing the child's passport data page. The seven exemption groups, such as permanent residents and group-visa travellers, are excluded.
Is the China arrival card free?
Yes. The official NIA service charges nothing. Beware copycat websites that ask for payment; use only s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/.
Do 240-hour transit passengers need the arrival card?
Yes. Transit passengers are not exempt and must complete the temporary-entry arrival card to leave the port, with their onward ticket details entered before arrival.
Can I fill it at Shenzhen airport if I forgot?
Yes. At Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and Shenzhen's land ports you can scan a QR code, use a smart device, or fill a paper card on arrival, though doing it online first is faster with kids.
What if I make a mistake on the form?
Correct it before submitting. The NIA warns that false or omitted information can lead to refusal of entry or transit, so match every field to the passport exactly.
Sources
- National Immigration Administration, Announcement No. 4 [2025] on 10 innovative measures incl. online arrival card (official, effective 20 Nov 2025)
- Embassy of China in Canada: Guidance on Online Arrival Card for International Travelers, 24 Oct 2026 (official)
- Official online arrival card service (NIA): s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/
- National Immigration Administration of China, English portal and 12367 hotline (official)
- People's Daily: inbound tourism figures for H1 2026 and National Day week (official)
- Qumogu — 11 camps for children aged 3 to 14 (our programmes)
- Qumogu — 40 guided family journeys across China (our programmes)
What this means for your family
Since 20 November 2025 the China arrival card has been fillable online, free, at s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/, and almost every foreign visitor, children included, must complete it. Transit passengers under the 240-hour scheme are not exempt. Do it before you fly, photograph each passport data page, save the QR code offline, and you trade a port-side queue with tired kids for a quick scan at the desk. With a record 22.91 million foreign entries in the first half of 2026, the card is the one form nearly every new family meets. Confirm the current exemption list and visa-free scope with the Chinese embassy before you go.
Planning a trip to China with your family?
Tell us your dates, the ages of your children and what you want them to take home. We will send a plain-English plan within two working days.
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