China is introducing a brand new digital arrival card system and increasing its visa-free transit choices, as Beijing steps up efforts to streamline worldwide journey and entice extra overseas guests amid a post-pandemic tourism revival.
The rollout, efficient November 20, 2025, marks a major modernization of the nation’s border management processes.
The Nationwide Immigration Administration (NIA) mentioned the digital arrival card will enable travellers no matter visa standing, to submit entry particulars on-line earlier than their journey, eliminating the necessity for conventional paper types.
The transfer follows comparable initiatives in regional friends akin to India, Indonesia, and South Korea, as Asia’s main economies shift towards digitized border administration methods.
Overseas guests can entry the brand new type by the NIA web site, the 12367 cellular app, or WeChat and Alipay mini-programs. For many who neglect to finish the course of pre-arrival, digital kiosks and QR code stations shall be obtainable at main airports. Authorities mentioned the paper-based types will stay quickly obtainable throughout the transition interval.
The NIA outlined seven classes of vacationers exempt from finishing the brand new type.
The introduction of the digital system is certainly one of ten new measures designed to simplify journey to China and reinforce its dedication to “high-level opening up.” Amongst these are expanded visa-free transit preparations aimed toward boosting the nation’s competitiveness as a worldwide journey hub.
Beginning November 5, 2025, China’s 24-hour visa-free transit coverage, permitting vacationers en path to a 3rd nation to stay within the airport with out passing by immigration, will cowl ten further worldwide airports. The enlargement consists of Tianjin, Dalian, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Qingdao, Wuhan, Nanning, Haikou, Chongqing, and Kunming.
On the similar time, the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit program will now lengthen to 5 new entry factors in Guangdong Province: Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Terminal, Hengqin Port, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge Port, Zhongshan Passenger Port, and the West Kowloon Station Port of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed rail.
This system, which now spans 65 ports throughout 24 provinces, permits eligible vacationers from 55 international locations to go to for enterprise, tourism, or household functions with out a visa.
China can be introducing reforms to make journey between the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao extra handy. Mainland residents visiting household within the two Particular Administrative Areas can now renew their journey permits immediately by China Journey Service places of work there, eradicating the necessity to return to the mainland for renewal.
