China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) will flip the switch on a nationwide digital arrival-card system on 20 November 2025, replacing the familiar green paper forms that foreign nationals have filled in for decades. An implementation notice published on 12 November sets out multiple submission channels, including the NIA website, the ‘Immigration 12367’ app, and WeChat and Alipay mini-programmes. QR codes printed on physical cards will redirect users to the e-form, ensuring a seamless transition for tech-savvy travellers.
Seven categories of passengers—ranging from Chinese permanent-residence card holders to 24-hour direct-transit passengers and cruise visitors—remain exempt. Everyone else must complete the form either in advance or at self-service kiosks that are being installed at major ports such as Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou Baiyun.
![Online arrival card goes live 20 November as China digitises immigration formalities]()
For corporates, the change means travel coordinators can pre-populate employee data before departure, cutting average immigration processing times by an estimated 30 % during peak periods, according to pilot results at Shenzhen Bay Port. Airlines are being encouraged to push the QR code in pre-flight emails, and travel-management companies are updating mobile itineraries to embed the link.
The e-card forms part of a wider ten-measure package unveiled this month that also expands 240-hour visa-free transit to 65 ports and introduces facial-recognition fast-track lanes for frequent travellers between the mainland and Hong Kong/Macao. Together, the measures align with China’s ‘digital government’ strategy and its goal of restoring 2019-level inbound volumes by mid-2026.
Travellers should still carry a hard-copy itinerary and hotel booking, as border officers retain discretion to request supporting documents. Data entered into the system is stored for six months and subject to China’s Personal Information Protection Law, meaning companies must update their privacy notices when collecting traveller details.
Seven categories of passengers—ranging from Chinese permanent-residence card holders to 24-hour direct-transit passengers and cruise visitors—remain exempt. Everyone else must complete the form either in advance or at self-service kiosks that are being installed at major ports such as Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou Baiyun.
For corporates, the change means travel coordinators can pre-populate employee data before departure, cutting average immigration processing times by an estimated 30 % during peak periods, according to pilot results at Shenzhen Bay Port. Airlines are being encouraged to push the QR code in pre-flight emails, and travel-management companies are updating mobile itineraries to embed the link.
The e-card forms part of a wider ten-measure package unveiled this month that also expands 240-hour visa-free transit to 65 ports and introduces facial-recognition fast-track lanes for frequent travellers between the mainland and Hong Kong/Macao. Together, the measures align with China’s ‘digital government’ strategy and its goal of restoring 2019-level inbound volumes by mid-2026.
Travellers should still carry a hard-copy itinerary and hotel booking, as border officers retain discretion to request supporting documents. Data entered into the system is stored for six months and subject to China’s Personal Information Protection Law, meaning companies must update their privacy notices when collecting traveller details.
