China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) has quietly switched on a nationwide digital arrival-card platform, allowing foreign visitors to complete mandatory entry declarations online before they land. The system—which became fully operational on 20 November and was highlighted again this week by Beijing’s Foreign Affairs Office—can be accessed through the NIA website, a dedicated “NIA 12367” mobile app, WeChat and Alipay mini-programs, or by scanning a QR code printed on the legacy paper form.
The change ends the familiar scramble to locate paper cards and a pen in the immigration hall. Travellers now upload passport data, flight details and a brief health declaration in a process that takes two to three minutes and generates a digital barcode recognised by all Chinese ports of entry. Those unable to pre-file online can still scan the QR code on arrival or use self-service kiosks; the paper form will be phased out gradually. Seven groups—including holders of China’s Foreigner Permanent Resident ID Card, 24-hour transit passengers and foreign cruise tourists—remain exempt from filing any card at all.
![China Debuts Online Arrival Card, Streamlining Border Formalities for Foreign Travelers]()
Border agents say the e-card shortens inspection times by up to 40 percent during peak arrival waves at busy hubs such as Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong. Carriers report smoother passenger flows and fewer missed connections, while travel managers welcome the paperless option as part of broader efforts to digitalise China’s entry-exit ecosystem, which already includes facial-recognition e-channels for frequent travellers and an expanding online visa-application portal.
For multinationals, the new process removes a small but persistent pain point for relocating staff, short-term assignees and visiting executives. HR teams can circulate the e-card link alongside flight itineraries and remind travellers that the data must be submitted within 72 hours of departure. Importantly, the NIA has confirmed that no additional personal data are retained beyond existing requirements under China’s Exit-Entry Administration Law, addressing privacy concerns raised by some foreign chambers of commerce.
The digital arrival card is the first of ten immigration reforms rolled out this month, which also include expanding 24-hour visa-free transit to ten more airports and adding five new ports to the 240-hour, 10-day visa-free transit scheme in Guangdong. Taken together, the measures reinforce Beijing’s post-pandemic strategy of using smarter, tech-driven border controls to entice business and tourism traffic back to China.
The change ends the familiar scramble to locate paper cards and a pen in the immigration hall. Travellers now upload passport data, flight details and a brief health declaration in a process that takes two to three minutes and generates a digital barcode recognised by all Chinese ports of entry. Those unable to pre-file online can still scan the QR code on arrival or use self-service kiosks; the paper form will be phased out gradually. Seven groups—including holders of China’s Foreigner Permanent Resident ID Card, 24-hour transit passengers and foreign cruise tourists—remain exempt from filing any card at all.
Border agents say the e-card shortens inspection times by up to 40 percent during peak arrival waves at busy hubs such as Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong. Carriers report smoother passenger flows and fewer missed connections, while travel managers welcome the paperless option as part of broader efforts to digitalise China’s entry-exit ecosystem, which already includes facial-recognition e-channels for frequent travellers and an expanding online visa-application portal.
For multinationals, the new process removes a small but persistent pain point for relocating staff, short-term assignees and visiting executives. HR teams can circulate the e-card link alongside flight itineraries and remind travellers that the data must be submitted within 72 hours of departure. Importantly, the NIA has confirmed that no additional personal data are retained beyond existing requirements under China’s Exit-Entry Administration Law, addressing privacy concerns raised by some foreign chambers of commerce.
The digital arrival card is the first of ten immigration reforms rolled out this month, which also include expanding 24-hour visa-free transit to ten more airports and adding five new ports to the 240-hour, 10-day visa-free transit scheme in Guangdong. Taken together, the measures reinforce Beijing’s post-pandemic strategy of using smarter, tech-driven border controls to entice business and tourism traffic back to China.
