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 appeal to extra international guests amid a post-pandemic tourism revival.
The rollout, efficient November 20, 2025, marks a big modernization of the nation’s border management processes.
The Nationwide Immigration Administration (NIA) stated 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 kinds.
The transfer follows comparable initiatives in regional friends corresponding to India, Indonesia, and South Korea, as Asia’s main economies shift towards digitized border administration methods.
Overseas guests can entry the brand new kind via the NIA web site, the 12367 cell app, or WeChat and Alipay mini-programs. For individuals who overlook to finish the course of pre-arrival, digital kiosks and QR code stations shall be out there at main airports. Authorities stated the paper-based kinds will stay briefly out there in the course of the transition interval.
The NIA outlined seven classes of vacationers exempt from finishing the brand new kind.
The introduction of the digital system is one among 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 via immigration, will cowl ten extra worldwide airports. The growth contains Tianjin, Dalian, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Qingdao, Wuhan, Nanning, Haikou, Chongqing, and Kunming.
On the identical 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 and not using a visa.
China can also 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 instantly via China Journey Service places of work there, eradicating the necessity to return to the mainland for renewal.
