China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) has quietly flipped the switch on a new electronic **Arrival Card** that replaces the last paper form most foreign passengers still had to fill in on the aircraft or at the immigration counter. Since 20 November the card can be completed on a multilingual web portal, a WeChat mini-program, Alipay or a QR code displayed by airlines. Border officials at Shanghai Hongqiao—the pilot site—told reporters on 28 November that more than 60 percent of inbound passengers are already using the system, slashing processing times for large tour groups from an average 45 minutes to under 20. The Italian Santa Cecilia Orchestra cleared 130 musicians in 20 minutes when it landed for a mainland concert tour, thanks to pre-departure e-filing and on-site language support.
The e-Arrival Card is one of ten “high-quality-development” measures rolled out by the NIA this month to streamline cross-border travel. Seven categories of travellers—among them 24-hour direct-transit passengers, cruise visitors and holders of China’s permanent-residence ID—remain exempt. Everyone else receives a confirmation QR code that is scanned together with the passport.
![China debuts nationwide e-Arrival Card, cutting airport queues by half]()
For corporate mobility managers the change removes the headache of chasing paper receipts and allows compliance teams to monitor real-time submissions across multiple employee groups. HR departments are being urged to circulate the registration link and recommend that travellers submit the form at least 24 hours before departure to avoid in-flight Wi-Fi glitches.
Border-technology vendors view the move as part of a wider Asian shift to contact-less processing, mirroring Singapore’s Digital SGAC and Korea’s electronic arrival card. Beijing Daxing and Guangzhou Baiyun airports are next in line for deployment, followed by major land ports in Guangdong and Yunnan ahead of the Lunar New Year peak. Airlines are expected to update their pre-departure checklists in the coming weeks, while hotels have been told to accept the digital QR as proof of lawful entry.
With the paper era effectively over, China joins the growing club of economies betting on digital border controls to accommodate surging travel demand without adding more counters—or more immigration officers—to their airports.
The e-Arrival Card is one of ten “high-quality-development” measures rolled out by the NIA this month to streamline cross-border travel. Seven categories of travellers—among them 24-hour direct-transit passengers, cruise visitors and holders of China’s permanent-residence ID—remain exempt. Everyone else receives a confirmation QR code that is scanned together with the passport.
For corporate mobility managers the change removes the headache of chasing paper receipts and allows compliance teams to monitor real-time submissions across multiple employee groups. HR departments are being urged to circulate the registration link and recommend that travellers submit the form at least 24 hours before departure to avoid in-flight Wi-Fi glitches.
Border-technology vendors view the move as part of a wider Asian shift to contact-less processing, mirroring Singapore’s Digital SGAC and Korea’s electronic arrival card. Beijing Daxing and Guangzhou Baiyun airports are next in line for deployment, followed by major land ports in Guangdong and Yunnan ahead of the Lunar New Year peak. Airlines are expected to update their pre-departure checklists in the coming weeks, while hotels have been told to accept the digital QR as proof of lawful entry.
With the paper era effectively over, China joins the growing club of economies betting on digital border controls to accommodate surging travel demand without adding more counters—or more immigration officers—to their airports.
