Here’s how to fill personal details on China arrival card, the Foreigner Arrival Card (China Arrival Card): copy your surname and given names as printed in your passport, enter the flight number that lands in China, and add an overseas phone number.
This is an independent guide, not a government site. You file on the National Immigration Administration (NIA) portal at s.nia.gov.cn. We don’t charge fees or submit the card for you, so check the rules there before you fly.
Who Files and Where to Start
Most foreign travelers complete the card before entering mainland China, and filing is free. Visa-free entry doesn’t exempt you, so Singapore passport holders file too — for a detailed walkthrough of the whole process, see our step-by-step China arrival card online guide, and if you’re unsure whether you qualify for an exemption, check the full list of requirements and exemptions.
The desktop form is at s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/, and the phone form is at s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPhone/. The NIA 12367 app and its WeChat and Alipay mini-program work too — you can follow our Alipay and WeChat mini program submission guide for that route. The portal offers 13 languages, English included.
Lookalike sites that imitate the official form exist, and NIA has warned travellers about them. Check the domain before entering passport details, and if a site asks for payment, read our guide to zero-cost filing and third-party fees.
These groups do not need to file the card:
- permanent resident ID card holders
- non-Chinese Mainland Travel Permit holders for Hong Kong or Macau
- group-visa travelers
- direct transit under 24 hours without leaving the transit area
- cruise passengers boarding and leaving on the same ship
- e-channel users
- international crew
Leave the transit area and you file. Border-resident certificate holders use a separate form. Filing shortly before departure, once your travel details are settled, is the practical approach; NIA sets no fixed window, but our article on when to submit the card and QR code validity covers the timing in detail.
Personal Details on the China Arrival Card
Upload a flat, clear photo of your passport biodata page. Then check each auto-filled field against your passport. If a name or passport number still doesn’t match after submitting, see our guide to fixing names, passport numbers and declarations.
| Field | Copy from your passport | Common slip |
|---|---|---|
| Surname | Family name as printed in the passport | Typing a given name here |
| Given names | All given names as printed in the passport | Dropping one of them |
| Passport number | Auto-filled from the passport scan | Not checking the auto-filled value |
| Date of birth | Copy from the passport | Not checking the auto-filled value |
Names must match your passport. Enter all given names exactly as printed.
Flight Number and Embarkation City
Enter the flight number that lands in China, and double-check it before submitting. The card also asks for your arrival port in China. If you’re landing at a specific hub, our airport guides — for example the Shanghai Pudong (PVG) arrival card walkthrough — cover terminal layouts and clearance steps.
| Your trip | Arrival port | Flight number |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Singapore to Shanghai Pudong | Shanghai Pudong | The SIN-PVG flight |
| SIN-BKK, then a separate BKK-PVG flight | Shanghai Pudong | The BKK-PVG flight |
| Connection via Hong Kong | Your mainland China destination | The flight landing in China |
Leave mainland China and come back, for example via Hong Kong, and you file a new card.
Phone Number, Email and Hotel Address
Enter your phone number with the country code, and no Chinese SIM is needed.
Enter the phone number
Include the country code
Add an email address
Required to receive your confirmation QR code
Write the hotel address
Hotel name, then Province, City, District, Street and number – generic names get rejected
Submitting, Saving Your QR Code and Fixing Errors
Submit the form, screenshot the confirmation QR code, and check whether the portal lets you update the declaration. If it doesn’t, submit a new one with the correct details. For the full receipt process, see our QR code generation guide for Singapore travellers.
Submit the form
Wait for the confirmation QR code
Screenshot the QR code
Save it for offline use
Show it at immigration
Keep it ready on arrival
Printing is optional: one guide allows it, another says it isn’t required.
Traveling with kids? Each passport, including a child’s, needs its own card — our arrival card guide for minors and family groups explains the details.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Swapping surname and given names causes mismatches, so copy each from the passport.
- Skipping an offline QR copy leaves you stuck without signal, so save a screenshot before you fly. If that happens anyway, here’s how to retrieve your card with a lost QR code.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to fill personal details on China arrival card if my passport shows two given names?
Enter all given names exactly as printed in your passport, in the same order, and put your family name in the surname field. The form requires names to match your passport, so check each field against the passport before submitting.
What flight number should I put on the China arrival card if I have a connecting flight?
Enter the flight number that lands in China, as shown on your booking or boarding pass, and check it carefully before submitting.
Do I write my layover airport as the embarkation city on the China arrival card?
The card asks for the flight that lands in China and for your arrival port in China rather than a separate origin field. Enter the number of your final flight, and check the current field layout on the NIA portal before you fly.
What phone number can I write on the China arrival card if I have no Chinese SIM?
Enter a phone number you can reach, with the country code. Follow the on-screen fields for the exact format.
Can I edit my China arrival card after submitting it?
Check whether the portal lets you update the declaration. If it doesn’t, submit a new declaration with the correct details and keep its QR code for immigration.
Do Singaporeans need to fill in a China arrival card for visa-free travel?
Yes. Visa-free entry doesn’t exempt you from the card, and only the exemption groups listed above skip it. Singapore passport holders file like everyone else. Check the current rules on the NIA portal at s.nia.gov.cn before you fly.
Which website should I use for the China arrival card, and does it cost anything?
Use s.nia.gov.cn, run by the National Immigration Administration, or the NIA 12367 app. Filing there costs nothing. Fee-charging copies exist, so if a site asks for payment, close it and compare its address with s.nia.gov.cn before you enter passport details.
How to fill personal details on China arrival card for a child or infant?
Start a separate card for each child and copy every field from the child’s own passport: surname, given names, passport number and birth date. Check every field against the child’s own passport before submitting, and keep the confirmation QR code for each child.
Sources and Further Reading
- NIA Arrival Card Filling portal: the filing portal and languages.
- NIA English website: official announcements and warnings.
- Desktop filing form: the form itself.
Rules can change, so check the portal before you travel.
