Most guides to China's new arrival card just tell you it exists. The questions that actually strand people at the gate are different: *Do I even need it if I'm visa-free? Does it work at the Hong Kong land border? One card per family or one each? And why is that site asking me to pay?* This page answers those — verified June 2026, with the official sources — and flags the one field that quietly causes the most last-minute panic. ## What is the China Digital Arrival Card? The China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC) is a free online form launched by China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) on **20 November 2025**. It replaces the paper arrival/landing card foreign visitors used to complete on the plane or at the immigration counter. You fill it in online, and the system issues a **QR code** that you show at the border. What changed in practice: - The **paper card is being phased out** — during the rollout, kiosks and paper forms still exist at ports of entry as a backstop, but the digital card is the default. - The digital form collects **more detail** than the old paper slip (contact details and itinerary, not just a name and flight number). - It applies **nationwide** — air, land, sea, and rail ports of entry. ## Do you actually need to fill it out? Almost certainly yes. The NIA lists **seven exempt categories**; everyone else must file. Use this table: | Your situation | Need the CDAC? | |---|---| | Tourist / business visitor with a visa, arriving by air | **Yes** | | Visa-free entry (e.g. unilateral or mutual visa exemption) | **Yes** | | 24 / 144 / 240-hour visa-free **transit**, leaving the airport | **Yes** | | Transit passenger staying **airside** (never clears immigration) | No — exempt | | Foreign holder of a China Permanent Resident ID Card | No — exempt | | Non-Chinese citizen using a Mainland Travel Permit for HK/Macao | No — exempt | | **Group** traveler (collective visa or group visa-free) | No — exempt (handled by the group) | | Cruise passenger entering and leaving on the **same vessel** | No — exempt | | Entering via a **fast-track / express lane** | No — exempt | | **Foreign crew** of an international flight, ship, train or vehicle | No — exempt | > If you can't open the airport doors without clearing immigration, you need the card. The only transit travelers who skip it are those who never leave the secure transit area. It's not just a formality, either: under China's exit–entry border-inspection rules, refusing to complete the card or submitting false information can mean **a slower clearance, a warning or fine, and in serious cases denied entry or removal.** Uptake is already high — at Beijing's ports roughly **98% of foreign travelers now file online**, so officers increasingly expect you to arrive with the QR ready. ## When should you complete it? The recommended window is **24–72 hours before arrival**. Two practical reasons travelers learn the hard way: - **Most flights have no usable Wi-Fi**, so "I'll do it on the plane" often fails. - After a long flight your **phone battery** may be low and immigration halls are crowded — you don't want to be filling forms in the queue. Doing it the day before, on home or hotel Wi-Fi, is the low-stress path. Kiosks at the port are a backup, not a plan. ## Where to fill it in — official channels only There are exactly three official routes, all free: 1. **NIA official website** — desktop at `s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/`, or scan the official QR at the airport for mobile. 2. **The "NIA 12367 / 移民局 12367" app** — from the iOS App Store or Google Play. 3. **The "NIA 12367 / 移民局 12367" mini-program** inside WeChat or Alipay. ## How to fill it in, step by step 1. **Upload your passport photo page.** The system auto-reads part of your details. 2. **Verify the auto-filled personal info** (name, passport number, nationality, date of birth) and correct anything wrong. 3. **Add your contact details** — email and a phone number. 4. **Enter your travel plans** — flight/train number, date of entry, and your **accommodation address** (see the trap below). 5. **Sign and submit**, then **save the QR code** (screenshot it and, ideally, take a photo print or save offline — you may not have signal at the border). The whole thing takes a few minutes once your booking is in hand. ## The accommodation-address trap The **address of your first night's stay is a mandatory field.** This catches out travelers who like to wing it, or who plan to book on arrival. Two ways through: - Book your **first night** (even a cheap, **free-cancellation** room) before you file, so you have a real address to enter. - If your plans genuinely aren't fixed, enter the hotel you're most likely to use; the card records your declared address, it isn't a binding reservation. ## Visa-free and transit travelers: you still need it This is the single most-asked question online, so to be unambiguous: if you enter under **visa-free** rules or the **24/144/240-hour visa-free transit** scheme and you **leave the airport**, you must complete the CDAC. It's the **same form** — there is no separate transit version. Only passengers who remain in the airside transit area without clearing immigration are exempt. At the transit-without-visa (TWOV) counter you still present passport + onward ticket as before; the arrival card is now just done online beforehand. ## Land borders and Hong Kong → Shenzhen The card applies at **land and rail crossings**, not only airports. Travelers crossing from Hong Kong into Shenzhen (Luohu, Futian and other ports) report completing the same digital card and showing the QR at immigration. If you're doing a HK–mainland day trip or a rail entry, treat it exactly like an air arrival. ## Traveling as a family or couple Each traveler needs **their own arrival card** — it's tied to an individual passport. If you're traveling as a family, complete one per person (including children, on their own passports). Group-tour travelers on a collective visa are the exception: the group operator handles entry formalities, so individual filing isn't required. ## What the CDAC does NOT do - It is **not a visa** and **not an entry permit.** You still need a valid visa, or to qualify for visa-free/transit entry. Filing the card does not grant you permission to enter. - It does **not get you online.** You'll want data the moment you land — to show the QR, call a Didi, or open a map. Sort that out before you fly: see [the best eSIM for China](/en/esim/). - It does **not set up payments.** You still need Alipay or WeChat Pay for daily spending. If you haven't checked whether you even need a visa, start with our [China visa-free entry guide](/en/visa-free/). ## Frequently asked questions **Is the China Digital Arrival Card mandatory in 2026?** Yes. Since 20 November 2025 it is required for nearly all foreign visitors entering mainland China, with seven narrow exempt categories (permanent residents, airside transit passengers, group travelers, and a few others). **How much does it cost?** Nothing. The official arrival card is free. Any "fee" means you're on a scam site. **How early can I fill it out?** The recommended window is 24–72 hours before arrival. File it the day before on reliable Wi-Fi rather than relying on in-flight internet. **Do I need it for a 240-hour visa-free transit?** Yes, if you leave the airport. It's the same form as a normal arrival, not a separate transit document. **Does it replace my visa?** No. It's an arrival declaration, not permission to enter. You still need a valid visa or visa-free eligibility. **Can one person fill it out for the whole family?** No — each passport needs its own card. Complete one per traveler. **What if I didn't do it before landing?** There are kiosks, scannable QR codes, and (during the rollout) paper forms at ports of entry. It's slower, but you won't be turned away for not having done it online. ## Sources - [Online Arrival Card Filling Service — National Immigration Administration (en.nia.gov.cn), official](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c191530/content.html) - [Arrival Card Filling (desktop portal) — s.nia.gov.cn, official](https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/) - [China Arrival Card: 2026 Entry Guide — Trip.com](https://www.trip.com/guide/info/china-arrival-card.html) - [China Digital Arrival Card: How to Fill It Out (2026) — Wego Travel Blog](https://blog.wego.com/china-digital-arrival-card-how-to-fill-it-out-and-what-travellers-need-to-know-2026/)