China arrival card: the official form is free

1. Start with the official NIA link

Use the “Official free arrival-card form” source link below. Its host is s.nia.gov.cn. The National Immigration Administration’s own warning links to this service and says it is free; it also warns about counterfeit sites that charge travelers.

The government form does not require buying an eSIM, a processing package or an express service. If a page asks you to pay, stop and reopen the link from NIA’s warning. A paid intermediary is not necessary to use the official free service.

Sources: Official free arrival-card form · National Immigration Administration · NIA: free service and warning about fraudulent fee websites

2. Check whether an arrival card applies to you

Read the live portal’s Instructions before proceeding. It lists exemptions, including holders of specified permanent-resident or non-Chinese Hong Kong/Macao travel documents, qualifying groups, some crew and cruise travelers, and eligible E-channel users.

The direct-transit exemption is specifically for transit within 24 hours without leaving the port’s restricted area. The portal says travelers who need to leave the port during an applicable 24-hour or 240-hour transit period can submit entry information. Do not treat every connecting flight as an arrival-card exemption.

Sources: Official free arrival-card form · National Immigration Administration · Shanghai Government: current arrival-card options and exemptions

3. Check your entry route before filling the form

An arrival-card submission is not a visa or a decision that you qualify for visa-free entry. Check the official rules for your passport nationality, document type, purpose, travel dates and route. Transit arrangements also have conditions about onward travel, entry ports and permitted areas.

Use NIA’s current policy pages and the relevant Chinese embassy or consulate if your circumstances are unclear. A rule for a traveler with another passport, or a trip that ends in a different country or region, may not fit your itinerary. Mainland entry rules also do not establish eligibility for Hong Kong or Macao.

Sources: NIA: current entry-policy and nationality guidance · NIA: visa-free transit conditions

4. Prepare your documents and complete the official prompts

Have your passport, flight or other arrival details, and accommodation address in China ready. The official service instructs travelers to photograph the travel-document data page. Check any automatically read information against the document before submitting.

Choose Entry Declaration on the home screen, read the current instructions, then follow the official service’s prompts. Use the separate border-resident declaration only if its stated document category applies to you. We reviewed the public instructions without uploading a passport or submitting a declaration.

• Match names, nationality, document number and expiry date to the travel document.
• Check arrival dates, transport details and your China address against your bookings.
• Follow the portal’s current timing instructions; this guide does not assume a universal three-day or 24-hour filing window.
• Enter passport details only on the official service, not into this website or a correction form.

Sources: Official free arrival-card form · National Immigration Administration · Luxembourg Consulate in Shanghai: document preparation and generated QR code

5. Save the result for your journey

The official consular guidance says the completed service generates a QR code for immigration control. Save the result on your phone so you can find it without depending on airport Wi-Fi. Keep your passport and travel documents available as well.

Check that the saved result belongs to the correct traveler. Follow staff instructions at your arrival port; do not treat a screenshot as permission to enter or a replacement for any other document your route requires.

Sources: Luxembourg Consulate in Shanghai: document preparation and generated QR code

6. If the site fails, use the official arrival fallback

NIA says travelers unable to submit online in advance can use the smart devices at the port on arrival, and paper arrival cards remain available. Shanghai’s current government guide also lists the official QR-code, on-site device and paper options.

A loading error is not a reason to pay a search advertiser. Keep your accommodation and transport details offline and ask immigration staff for the official arrival-card route. This guide covers mainland China’s arrival card; check separate procedures for other stops.

Sources: NIA: free service and warning about fraudulent fee websites · Shanghai Government: current arrival-card options and exemptions

Sources and review

Roamzo’s editorial team reviewed these published sources on 11 November 2026. This is a desk review; it does not represent a personal immigration submission, payment transaction or mainland network test.

• Official free arrival-card form · National Immigration Administration
• NIA: free service and warning about fraudulent fee websites
• Shanghai Government: current arrival-card options and exemptions
• NIA: current entry-policy and nationality guidance
• NIA: visa-free transit conditions
• Luxembourg Consulate in Shanghai: document preparation and generated QR code

Report an error or a changed requirement. See how we review evidence.

Keep planning your trip

• Set up your China eSIM before you fly
• Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao: check every stop
• Will Google and WhatsApp work on your China eSIM?
• How much mobile data should you budget for China?
• Paying in China: set up Alipay or WeChat, keep a fallback

Compare plans for your trip or check your phone’s eSIM compatibility.