China Arrival Card: Official NIA Site, Free Filing (2026)

What the card is

China’s Arrival Card is the entry registration form for foreign nationals. Since 20 November 2025 it can be filed online through the National Immigration Administration’s system, and the card can also be completed at the port of entry.

The online filing is free. The National Immigration Administration’s fee warning confirms that filing is free. It collects document, personal and travel details. The ordinary filing screen currently has five steps, ending with accompanying-person information. A declaration receipt is available after submission.

The official entry

The web form lives at s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/, on the government’s .gov.cn domain.

The implementing notice names five more official channels for the same filing:

• the NIA government service platform
• the “NIA 12367” mobile app
• the WeChat and Alipay mini-programs
• scanning an arrival card QR code at the port

The National Immigration Administration published its own notice about paid look-alike filing pages on 2 December 2025. Its wording: “境外不法分子通过假冒我国外国人入境卡填报网站，骗取旅客费用” — offshore operators have been imitating the arrival card filing site and taking fees from travellers. The same notice restates that the filing “不收取任何费用”, carries no fee at all.

Check the domain before you type anything. The verified web filing entry is s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/.

Who files, and who is exempt

Foreign nationals entering China, including foreign border residents, file the arrival card. The form’s own filing notice lists eight categories that do not need to file online:

1. holders of a valid Foreign Permanent Resident ID;
2. holders of a valid Hong Kong or Macau travel permit (non-Chinese nationals);
3. foreigners transiting directly within 24 hours without leaving the restricted area of the port (official English wording);
4. members of visa-free tour groups or holders of group visas;
5. foreign crew members, sailors, drivers and other transport-staff employees;
6. cruise passengers who enter and exit on the same ship;
7. persons eligible for courtesy treatment with centralized document inspection;
8. foreigners entering through the fast-channel (e-gate) lanes.

Two related rules from the same notice. Transit travellers who will leave the port, under the 24-hour or 240-hour arrangements, may also use this system. And border-area residents of the neighbouring countries holding border-resident documents use the separate “Entry Declaration for Border Area Residents” channel instead of this form.

The notice also warns: photograph your document’s data page as the system instructs, and know that false or omitted information can lawfully lead to refusal of entry or transit.

When to file

The official notices reviewed do not specify an advance filing window. Do not infer a filing deadline from a visa-free transit duration. You can file before departure, and the notice confirms the card can be completed at the port of entry.

Transit-policy durations are stay limits, not filing deadlines. This guide does not determine which transit policy applies to your trip.

Prepare your document, address and travel details before opening the form. If you cannot file online, the NIA notice provides equipment and paper-card options at the port.

What you get

The system returns an Entry Declaration Receipt for Foreigner. The receipt screen offers two buttons, “Download to Local” and “Send to Email”. Pick one before you close the page and keep the file or screenshot reachable on the device you travel with.

Help with the form

The ordinary filing screen currently shows five steps: ID document upload, basic information, personal information, travel information, and accompanying-person information. The questions shown can change with your answers.

The passport upload accepts JPEG or PNG images. It compresses the image before checking a 102400-byte limit. PDF belongs to a separate supporting-material upload, not the passport upload. A small file alone does not guarantee acceptance.

Invitation details appear only when you answer that you have an inviting entity or person in China. A hotel booking does not by itself make the hotel your inviter; the accommodation address is a separate question.

See the China Arrival Card filling guide for eight selected items and the upload, address and invitation rules. This guide does not provide an online pre-check.

Frequently asked

Is there a fee?

No. The National Immigration Administration’s fee warning confirms that filing is free.

When should I file it?

Before departure, or at the port. The notices reviewed specify no advance window, and transit-policy durations are stay limits, not filing deadlines.

Do I have to file online?

The online system is one official channel. The notice wording is “may”, and the card can be completed at the port.

Who is exempt?

Eight categories, from Foreign Permanent Resident ID holders to fast-channel users. The full list is above.

Is the form in English?

Yes. The interface offers 13 languages in total, including Chinese and English.

What do I get after submitting?

An Entry Declaration Receipt for Foreigner. Use Download to Local or Send to Email, and keep it reachable for inspection.

This independent guide is not affiliated with the National Immigration Administration of China.