Quick answer
The China arrival card is the short entry registration every foreign traveler completes when entering the country — whether you hold a visa, use 30-day visa-free entry, or enter on 240-hour visa-free transit. In 2026 the paper card you fill on the plane still exists, but the National Immigration Administration now also accepts online pre-filing through its app and mini-program at major ports. Filling it correctly takes five minutes and removes the most common cause of a slow border queue. I renewed my own entry at Beijing Daxing in March 2026 and re-confirmed the process for this guide.
Why this matters in 2026
China updated its entry policy significantly in 2024 and 2025, upgrading the 144-hour transit scheme to 240 hours and expanding 30-day visa-free entry wave by wave to 94 nationalities. More travelers than ever now meet the border for the first time without having applied for anything in advance — which makes the arrival card, the address you declare, and the customs form the only paperwork standing between you and the arrivals hall. Knowing which category you fall into also saves you CNY 1200–1800 in visa fees if you do not need one at all.
Key facts at a glance
- Who fills it in: every foreign national entering mainland China — visa holders, visa-free entrants, and 240-hour transit passengers alike
- Where: inbound flights hand them out; otherwise at the border hall counters, or online in advance via NIA channels
- What you need: passport, inbound flight number, and the full name and address of your first accommodation
- Cost: free
- Biometrics: most ports take fingerprints from travelers aged 16 to 70 on first entry
- Time: 5 minutes to fill; 15–40 minutes in the border queue at peak arrival waves
Step-by-step walkthrough
Step 1: Get the card, or file online
Cabin crew distribute arrival cards on inbound international flights — fill yours before landing. If your airline ran out, counters at the border hall have them. At major ports you can instead pre-file through the NIA app or its mini-program and use a faster lane with the confirmation code.
Step 2: Fill in the basics
Name exactly as in the passport machine-reading zone, passport number, nationality, occupation, inbound flight, purpose of visit, and your address in China. For the address, use the first hotel or host exactly as booked — "my friend's apartment" without a full district address invites questions.
Step 3: Sign and keep it with your passport
Do not lose the card between the plane and the counter. If you receive a card with a departure portion, keep that stub with your passport — hotels and exit checks may ask for it.
Step 4: Clear border inspection
Join the foreigner lane, hand over passport and card, and give fingerprints if asked. Visa-free and 240-hour transit entrants state their purpose plainly and show the onward ticket when asked. The officer stamps or prints your entry; check the date stamp before walking off.
Step 5: Baggage and customs
Collect bags, then walk through customs. A verbal or scan declaration is enough for normal luggage; declare cash above USD 5,000 (or CNY 20,000), items above the duty-free allowance, and anything commercial. Green channel means nothing to declare.
Step 6: Keep your entry paperwork for the trip
The entry stamp and arrival registration matter beyond the airport: hotels check them, train stations match your passport to tickets, and exit border control reviews your stay against it. Photograph the stamp as a backup.
Common scenarios and use cases
1. Visa-free entrant (30 days)
Fill the card, state tourism, show the return ticket if asked. Your 30 days run from the entry stamp — overstays cost CNY 500 per day, so set a calendar reminder on arrival.
2. 240-hour visa-free transit entrant
Have your onward ticket to a third country ready on your phone before you reach the counter. Border inspection issues the temporary entry permit after checking eligibility; the permit covers the transit window only.
3. Visa holder arriving for work or study
Your visa category and the purpose on the card must match. Within 24 hours of arriving at a private home (not a hotel), the host must register you at the local police station — hotels do it automatically at check-in.
4. Family with children
Each passport gets its own card, including infants. Queue together at the same counter so the officer can process the family in one pass.
Costs and pricing breakdown
- Arrival card: free, paper or online
- Visa-free entry: no fee
- 240-hour transit permit: no fee
- Tourist visa if you do need one: CNY 1200 equivalent (USD 140–185 by nationality), 4–7 working days standard processing
- Overstay fine: CNY 500 per day, plus possible exit bans for long overstays
- Hotel registration: included in the room; private stays require a free police visit within 24 hours
Pitfalls to avoid
- Declaring a dead booking: officers spot fake addresses. Book a real, refundable first night and keep the confirmation on your phone.
- Routing through Hong Kong or Macau on the same card logic: each territory has a separate immigration system — entering mainland China from Hong Kong is a fresh border crossing with its own stamp.
- Throwing away the departure stub: some ports still issue two-part cards. Losing the stub turns your exit into a detour through a registration office.
- Overstaying by accident: the 30 days count from the entry stamp, not your booking dates. Check the stamp the officer prints, not the one you assumed.
- Bringing cash you forgot to declare: undeclared currency above the limits can be seized at customs even when nothing else is wrong.
Alternatives and trade-offs
- Online pre-filing vs paper card: pre-filing is faster at major ports but needs the NIA app set up in advance; paper is universal and needs nothing but a pen.
- Visa-free entry vs a real visa: visa-free covers 30 days with zero paperwork; a 10-year multi-entry visa suits repeat visitors who want stays beyond the visa-free window.
- Airside transit vs 240-hour entry: staying airside is effortless but leaves the airport untouched; 240-hour transit costs a border queue and buys a real night in the city.
- Cruise and land borders: some smaller ports only offer paper cards and slower processing — build in extra time if you arrive by train from Vietnam, Laos, or Kazakhstan.
Local context and customs
Border officers in China are efficient and rarely chatty; short, direct answers work best, and pointing at a screenshot beats any translation app at the counter. Queue discipline is strict — the lane markings are real. After the border, the arrivals hall offers SIM counters, ATM machines, and taxi queues with fixed, metered lines; ignore anyone offering rides inside the terminal. Keep your passport handy for the first 24 hours: check-ins, SIM registration, and even some museum entries all start with it.
Verifying current information
Entry procedures adjust port by port as online filing rolls out. Confirm through:
- National Immigration Administration: https://www.nia.gov.cn for the arrival card and pre-filing channels
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PRC): https://www.fmprc.gov.cn for entry policy announcements
- China Visa Application Service Center: https://www.visaforchina.org if you do need a visa
- Your airline: carriers flying into China publish the current arrival formality requirements at check-in
- Your first hotel: they confirm what address format the border expects and handle police registration automatically
Putting it all together
In my experience the whole entry is smooth when three things line up before you land: the card filled in (or pre-filed online), a real first-night address you can show on your phone, and — for transit entrants — the onward ticket one tap away. Border officers process hundreds of visa-free arrivals a day; your job is simply to be the passenger whose paperwork answers their questions before they ask. Do that and the arrival card is a five-minute formality, not a queue-lengthening mystery.