China is introducing a new digital arrival card system and expanding its visa-free transit options, as Beijing steps up efforts to streamline international travel and attract more foreign visitors amid a post-pandemic tourism revival.
The rollout, effective November 20, 2025, marks a significant modernization of the country’s border control processes.
The National Immigration Administration (NIA) said the digital arrival card will allow travellers regardless of visa status, to submit entry details online before their trip, eliminating the need for traditional paper forms.
The move follows similar initiatives in regional peers such as India, Indonesia, and South Korea, as Asia’s major economies shift toward digitized border management systems.
Foreign visitors can access the new form through the NIA website, the 12367 mobile app, or WeChat and Alipay mini-programs. For those who forget to complete the process pre-arrival, digital kiosks and QR code stations will be available at major airports. Authorities said the paper-based forms will remain temporarily available during the transition period.
Travelers who are exempted
The NIA outlined seven categories of travelers exempt from completing the new form.
- These include foreign permanent residents, Hong Kong and Macao residents with valid Mainland Travel Permits.
- Cruise passengers who arrive and depart on the same vessel, and international transit passengers who do not leave the airport.
- Crew members of international transport vehicles and participants in collective visa or group entry programs are also excluded.
The introduction of the digital system is one of ten new measures designed to simplify travel to China and reinforce its commitment to “high-level opening up.” Among these are expanded visa-free transit arrangements aimed at boosting the country’s competitiveness as a global travel hub.
What you should know
Starting November 5, 2025, China’s 24-hour visa-free transit policy, allowing travelers en route to a third country to remain in the airport without passing through immigration, will cover ten additional international airports. The expansion includes Tianjin, Dalian, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Qingdao, Wuhan, Nanning, Haikou, Chongqing, and Kunming.
At the same time, the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit program will now extend to five new entry points 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.
The program, which now spans 65 ports across 24 provinces, allows eligible travelers from 55 countries to visit for business, tourism, or family purposes without a visa.
China is also introducing reforms to make travel between the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao more convenient. Mainland residents visiting family in the two Special Administrative Regions can now renew their travel permits directly through China Travel Service offices there, removing the need to return to the mainland for renewal.
