China's Digital Arrival Card 2026: The NIA 12367 App Every Visitor Now Needs

Short answer: China replaced the paper arrival card on 20 November 2025 with a mandatory digital version called the China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC). Almost every foreign visitor now has to file it within 72 hours before landing, either through the official NIA 12367 app or a mini-program inside WeChat or Alipay. You get a QR code, and immigration scans it at the border.

This guide covers who needs it, when to file, exactly which app to use, and how to avoid the most common mistakes at the gate.

What Changed in November 2025

For decades, every passenger landing in mainland China filled out a small white paper arrival card on the plane, then handed it to the immigration officer with their passport.

That paper card is gone. China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) launched the Digital Arrival Card on 20 November 2025, and almost every passenger now needs to submit it electronically before reaching the border desk. You can still file at airport kiosks on arrival, but that adds 10 to 20 minutes to your line time, especially in Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Capital, and Guangzhou Baiyun.

Who Needs to File the CDAC

Almost every foreign visitor. The CDAC applies to people entering mainland China by air, sea, or land, regardless of nationality, including:

• Visa holders (tourist, business, student)
• Visa-free 30-day arrivals (US passports since 1 March 2026, UK and Canada since 17 February 2026, plus the other 47 countries on the visa-free list)
• 240-hour transit visa-free passengers
• Cruise passengers who disembark in a Chinese port

You can skip it if you are:

• A holder of a China Permanent Resident ID Card
• A non-Chinese national with a valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong or Macao residents
• Part of a group on a collective visa or visa-free arrangement (the tour operator files for the group)
• An airside transit passenger who stays within the secure area
• A cruise passenger who stays on board for the whole call

Children and infants are not exempt. Each traveller, including a baby with a passport, needs their own CDAC.

How to File: Three Official Routes

You have three ways to submit the CDAC. All three feed the same NIA database, so it does not matter which one you pick.

1. The NIA 12367 App (Recommended for First Visits)

The "移民局 12367" app (literally "Immigration Bureau 12367") is the official standalone app, available on the iOS App Store and Google Play. Search for "NIA 12367" or "移民局 12367".

The English-language interface is solid. Once you open the app, tap "Arrival Card Filling", scan your passport photo page, and the app pre-fills name, date of birth, nationality, and passport number. You then add your flight number, planned hotel address, purpose of visit, and a contact number. Submit, and the app generates a QR code valid for 72 hours.

Save the QR code as a screenshot. Connectivity at China's border desks can be patchy, and a screenshot loads faster than reopening the app.

2. The Alipay or WeChat Mini-Program

If you already have Alipay set up for spending in China (and you should, since cash is increasingly hard to use), search "NIA 12367" or "Digital Arrival Card" inside Alipay's mini-program directory. The flow is identical to the standalone app, and you skip an extra download.

The same mini-program is available inside WeChat. Pick whichever app you already trust on your phone.

3. The NIA Website

You can also file at nia.gov.cn, no app required. The web version works fine, but the mobile interface is the cleanest experience and saves the QR code natively to your phone.

Timing: The 72-Hour Window

The CDAC must be filed within three calendar days (72 hours) before you arrive. Filing earlier than that returns an error.

A practical rhythm:

• The night before your flight, file the CDAC on your phone
• Screenshot the QR code
• AirDrop or send it to anyone travelling with you so they have a backup

If you forget and only realise on the plane, every major international airport in China has CDAC kiosks in the immigration hall. You can fill it on arrival, but expect to lose 10 to 30 minutes depending on the queue. Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong, and Guangzhou Baiyun get especially backed up around early evening when most long-haul flights from Europe and North America land.

What You Need Before You Start

Have these ready:

• Your passport (the photo page, plus the visa page if you have a paper visa)
• Your flight number and seat (if you have it)
• The full address of your first night's hotel, including district and postcode
• A contact number that works on arrival (your eSIM works fine here, you do not need a Chinese number)
• The purpose of your visit (tourism, business, family visit, study)

You do not need a Chinese phone number to register. The CDAC accepts foreign mobile numbers and email addresses for confirmation.

At the Gate: What Immigration Actually Wants

When you reach the immigration officer in China:

1. Hand over your passport
2. Show your CDAC QR code (open the screenshot or the app)
3. The officer scans both
4. Fingerprints (for most non-exempt arrivals over 14 years old)
5. Stamp, and you are in

The officer may also ask one or two routine questions: where you are staying and for how long. Have your hotel name on hand. They will rarely look beyond that, but if anything in your CDAC entry conflicts with your verbal answer, it slows things down.

Common Pitfalls

• Passport scan fails. The OCR can mis-read photo pages with heavy glare or wear. Type the details manually if the auto-scan is unsure.
• Hotel address in English. That is fine. The form accepts Latin characters. If you have the Chinese address, even better, but it is not required.
• Multiple entries. Each entry into China needs a new CDAC. If you fly Beijing to Hong Kong then back to Shanghai, you file a fresh card before the Shanghai leg. Hong Kong and Macao are treated as separate jurisdictions.
• Group bookings. Tour operators handle group CDACs. If you are on a packaged tour, ask the operator if they have already filed for the group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the CDAC the same as a visa?

No. The CDAC is an arrival declaration, not entry permission. You still need a valid visa or visa-free eligibility (passport from one of the 50 visa-free countries, 240-hour transit, etc.).

Do I need to print the QR code?

No. A screenshot on your phone is fine. The officer's scanner reads it off the screen.

Can I file it after I land?

Yes, at airport kiosks, but expect to add time at the immigration line. Filing on the phone before takeoff is much faster.

What if I do not have a hotel booked yet?

Use your first night's address. If your itinerary changes after you arrive, that is fine. The CDAC is not used for tracking your movements inside the country.

Is there a fee?

No. The CDAC is free. Any website charging for it is a scam.

Does the CDAC replace the 240-hour transit visa form?

It supplements it. You still need to declare your transit purpose at the desk, but the paper transit application is being phased out in favour of CDAC-linked transit declarations.

Why This Matters in 2026

China's visa-free programme expanded sharply over the last 18 months. US passports got 30-day visa-free entry from 1 March 2026. The UK and Canada joined on 17 February 2026. The full visa-free list now covers 50 countries, and the programme has been extended through 31 December 2026.

That means millions of first-time visitors are landing in China this year with no recent experience of the country's entry process. The CDAC is the single most-missed step. Sort it before you fly, and you avoid the kiosk queue, save time at immigration, and start your trip on the right foot.

For the full set of apps you actually need on the ground in China (Alipay for payments, an eSIM with built-in VPN, DiDi via the Alipay mini-program, Baidu Maps), see the China country page.