China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) has rolled out a nationwide system that lets foreign visitors complete the long-standing “Arrival Card” entirely online instead of handwriting it on the plane or at the border. From 00:00 on 20 November 2025, travelers can pre-submit personal and travel details through the NIA website, the 12367 mobile app, or WeChat/Alipay mini-programs and receive a QR code valid for 24 hours. Border officers simply scan the code on arrival, cutting the typical two- to eight-minute form-filling step to a few seconds.
The digital card is one of ten new immigration-service measures the NIA says are aimed at “supporting a higher level of opening-up and high-quality development.” Other steps include wider e-channel access and talent permits for cross-border professionals, but the online card is expected to have the most immediate impact because every non-Chinese passport holder must complete it.
![China launches paperless online arrival card for foreign travelers]()
Early feedback at ports from Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang to the land border at Erenhot has been positive. Irish business traveler Paula Fagan told Chinese media that she “just tapped a few times on my phone” and walked straight to inspection, while Mongolian trader Sarinas said the new system “really saves time” on her frequent runs across the China-Mongolia border.
For companies moving staff into China, the change removes a pain-point that often caused queues, errors and missed connections. Global mobility managers should update pre-trip checklists and travel-day briefings: employees can now complete the form before departure, but those who forget can still scan a QR code on arrival or fall back on the legacy paper form. The NIA stresses that travelers who hold Chinese permanent-residence cards, cruise passengers returning on the same vessel, and 24-hour direct transit passengers remain exempt from the requirement altogether.
Practical tips: advise travelers to submit the card within 24 hours of their scheduled landing to avoid QR-code expiry; screenshots of the code are accepted; and the online system supports nine languages, though the Chinese- and English-language versions are the most complete. The NIA has hinted that the paper card will be phased out once adoption passes 80 percent, so mobility teams should prepare for a fully digital process by late 2026.
The digital card is one of ten new immigration-service measures the NIA says are aimed at “supporting a higher level of opening-up and high-quality development.” Other steps include wider e-channel access and talent permits for cross-border professionals, but the online card is expected to have the most immediate impact because every non-Chinese passport holder must complete it.
Early feedback at ports from Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang to the land border at Erenhot has been positive. Irish business traveler Paula Fagan told Chinese media that she “just tapped a few times on my phone” and walked straight to inspection, while Mongolian trader Sarinas said the new system “really saves time” on her frequent runs across the China-Mongolia border.
For companies moving staff into China, the change removes a pain-point that often caused queues, errors and missed connections. Global mobility managers should update pre-trip checklists and travel-day briefings: employees can now complete the form before departure, but those who forget can still scan a QR code on arrival or fall back on the legacy paper form. The NIA stresses that travelers who hold Chinese permanent-residence cards, cruise passengers returning on the same vessel, and 24-hour direct transit passengers remain exempt from the requirement altogether.
Practical tips: advise travelers to submit the card within 24 hours of their scheduled landing to avoid QR-code expiry; screenshots of the code are accepted; and the online system supports nine languages, though the Chinese- and English-language versions are the most complete. The NIA has hinted that the paper card will be phased out once adoption passes 80 percent, so mobility teams should prepare for a fully digital process by late 2026.
