The process of entering China for foreign visitors mainly includes filling out the arrival card, fingerprint collection, border inspection, baggage claim and customs declaration (if any), and accommodation registration. The general situation is as follows:
1. Fill out the Arrival Card
There are two main ways to fill in the arrival card: paper arrival card and electronic arrival card.
Paper Arrival Card
When an international flight, ship or train is about to arrive in China, the flight attendant will usually provide a《Alien Arrival Card》. You can also fill in the designated area after arriving at the station.
When filling out, you will need to provide personal information, passport information, visa information (if any), etc. You can refer to the sample”of the“Arrival Card provided at the site, or you can ask the flight attendant or border control officer directly.
Electronic Arrival Card
At major international airports and ports such as Beijing Capital International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport, entrants can scan the QR code through the airport's self-service kiosks or mobile phones.
2. Fingerprinting
Go to the designated area to enter your fingerprint by yourself or manually.
The following people are not required to have their fingerprints taken:
- (1) Business, tourism, family visit, transit, and crew Chinese visa applicants who meet the entry requirements
- (2)Persons under the age of 14 or over 70
- (3) A person who has been issued a visa with the same passport within the past five years and has had his fingerprints taken
- (4) A person whose fingerprints cannot be retained with broken fingers
3. Border checks
Give your passport, visa and arrival card to the border control officer. The border control officer will check the visa information, the reason for entering the country, etc., and may ask some basic questions, such as the purpose of entry, the length of stay in China, the address of accommodation, etc.
4. Baggage pick-up
After passing through border control, follow the signs to the baggage claim area to collect your baggage.
5. Customs declaration (if any)
If there are no items to declare, go to the“Non-Declaration Channel”/“Green Channel”to clear customs. If there are items that need to be declared, you need to fill out a declaration form to declare.
6. Accommodation registration
According to Chinese law, after checking into the hotel, the hotel will report the accommodation information to the local police station on behalf of the hotel. If you are staying in a non-hotel place (e.g. a friend's house, a short-term rental apartment), you need to register your accommodation at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival.
If you have any questions, please call the National Immigration Administration at 12367.
Source: National Immigration Administration
Note: The above information may be subject to dynamic adjustment, which is subject to the latest official information of the National Immigration Administration of China (https://www.nia.gov.cn/).