English guide for foreign visitors
What do I need to prepare before my first trip to China?
Back to Guides · National Immigration Administration — visa-free transit policy ↗
Step 1 of 7
Confirm your entry route
Do this
Decide how you will enter China for your nationality, dates and itinerary, and record the official decision. Check whether you need a visa, or whether a visa-free or transit route applies to your situation.
- Done when
- You can state which entry route you are using and can point to the official guidance that supports it for your passport and itinerary.
If this fails
If you are unsure whether you need a visa, or whether a transit route fits your itinerary, open the CTD visa guidance and the original NIA transit policy before booking anything non-refundable. Do not assume a transit route is interchangeable with ordinary visa-free entry.
Step 2 of 7
Match your documents
Do this
Check that the name and passport details on your flight booking and hotel booking match your passport exactly, and save copies of the confirmations so you can open them offline.
- Done when
- The name and passport details on your bookings match your passport, and you can open the confirmations without a data connection.
If this fails
If a booking name does not match your passport, contact the airline or hotel to correct it before you travel. If you cannot open confirmations offline, save them as files or screenshots on your device.
Step 3 of 7
Plan the arrival card
Do this
If you plan to submit arrival information online before travelling, use only the official NIA channels. Note that the online arrival card service is free of charge, and plan your fallback in case you cannot submit online.
- Done when
- You have either submitted your arrival information through an official channel, or you know that smart devices and paper arrival cards are available at China's ports on arrival.
If this fails
If the online service is inaccessible, do not pay any third-party site. Use the smart devices at the port or the paper arrival card on arrival. Treat any site charging a fee as fraudulent.
Step 4 of 7
Set up data and payment
Do this
Arrange data connectivity for your phone, then set up a mobile payment app and confirm you can log in. Keep a physical bank card and some RMB cash as a backup.
- Done when
- You can log in to your payment app and your data plan is arranged. You understand that a successful setup does not guarantee that a specific merchant or card will work.
If this fails
If a card will not link or a payment is declined, use the CTD payment fallback guidance. Carry a physical card and RMB cash so a single failed app payment does not strand you.
Step 5 of 7
Plan rail and timed tickets
Do this
Decide how you will book intercity rail and any time-sensitive attractions, and note that you will need your original passport for rail travel.
- Done when
- You have chosen a booking route for your trains and timed attractions and know that you must carry the original passport used for the booking.
If this fails
If you are unsure which booking channel to use, review the CTD train booking guidance. Do not rely on a third-party site for ticketing problems that the railway will not handle.
Step 6 of 7
Save address and registration plan
Do this
Save your hotel name and address in Chinese so you can show them offline, and understand how accommodation registration works for where you are staying.
- Done when
- You can show your hotel name and address in Chinese without a data connection, and you know who handles accommodation registration for your type of stay.
If this fails
If you are staying somewhere other than a hotel, check the CTD guidance on non-hotel accommodation registration. Hotels submit registration for their guests; for other domiciles the rules and channels differ.
Step 7 of 7
Check on arrival
Do this
After landing, confirm that your mobile data works, that you can open your payment app, that you know your transport from the airport, and that your accommodation registration is handled.
- Done when
- Data works, your payment app opens, you have a transport plan to your accommodation, and you know your accommodation registration is being handled.
- Finished only when
- You have a verified entry route supported by official guidance, passport details matching your flight and hotel bookings, an arrival-card plan with a port fallback, a working payment app login and data plan, an offline Chinese hotel address, and a known fallback if a payment fails.
- You are relying on a transit or visa-free route without checking it against official guidance for your passport and itinerary
- A booking name does not match your passport
- You have paid a third-party site for an arrival card
- You have installed a payment app but cannot log in or have no cash or card backup
- You cannot show your hotel address in Chinese without a data connection
If this fails
If data does not work, switch to your backup connectivity plan. If a payment fails, use your physical card or cash. If registration is unclear, ask your accommodation or use the offline public security channel.
After this task
Checking that your day-by-day plan is realistic is a different job from the pre-departure preparation checklist.