China Arrival Card: the official, free way to fill it in
Where to find the official, free China Arrival Card and how to avoid paid third-party sites that re-skin a free government form.
The China Arrival Card is a short immigration form that most foreign visitors complete before or on arrival. It is provided free by the National Immigration Administration. You do not need to pay a third party to fill it in.
What to know before you fly
- The official form is free.
- Some search results link to paid sites that simply re-submit the free form for a fee.
- Rules and the form itself can change — verify directly with the official source close to your trip.
The National Immigration Administration (NIA) is the official authority. Always start there to find the current version of the arrival card and any updated requirements.
How to fill it without surprises
- Have your passport and flight details ready.
- Use the official form linked from the NIA site.
- Save a screenshot of your submission confirmation.
- If a link does not open, see the troubleshooting note below.
Old guides sometimes show outdated versions of the form. The official version is the only one that matters at the border.
Some Chinese government, airport, and app-provider pages may behave differently depending on your browser, country, VPN, DNS, company network, or PDF preview app. If a link does not open, copy the visible URL, scan the QR code, turn off VPN, or try another browser/network.
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Official sources & references
- National Immigration Administration (NIA)officialhttps://www.nia.gov.cn/
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DayOne China is an independent travel-prep guide. It is not affiliated with the Chinese government, payment platforms, transport companies, airports, hotels, telecom operators, railway companies, or app providers. Always verify critical information with official sources before travel.