CDAC

China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC) — what it is and how to file it

A mandatory entry declaration, separate from your Boarding Kit. File it through an official NIA channel — it's free.

Open the official CDAC site · https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/
What

What the CDAC is

Since 20 November 2025, the China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC) is required for all foreign travelers entering mainland China. It is a digital entry declaration you submit online before you arrive. It is separate from this site's Boarding Kit: the Boarding Kit explains your transit eligibility to the airline check-in counter; the CDAC is your legal arrival declaration for border inspection.

Where

Where to file it (official channels only — it is free)

NIA names several official channels, not just one: its own website https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/, government service platforms, the “NIA 12367” service, and the WeChat and Alipay mini-programs — you can also scan the designated arrival-card QR code on your phone. All of them are free. Do not pay anyone. NIA's own fraud warning is that counterfeit sites charge a fee, so treat any fee prompt as the signal. A .gov.cn address is a good sign, but the official mini-programs do not live on a website at all — judge by whether you reached it through an official channel above and by whether anyone asks for money.

When

When to file it

Submit within 72 hours before your arrival. After you submit, the system shows a QR code / barcode receipt — screenshot it and ideally print it for border inspection. You cannot edit the declaration after submitting, so check every field first.

After

After you file — bring the number to your Boarding Kit

Once you have your CDAC reference number from the official site, you can paste it into your Boarding Kit so the airline counter and border see your declaration is done. We never submit the CDAC for you and never store your data.

Who does not need to fill this in

The National Immigration Administration lists eight groups that are exempt. If you are in one of them, you do not need this form at all.

  • Foreigners with valid Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card of People's Republic of China.
  • Foreigners with valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (Non-Chinese).
  • Foreigners transiting directly within 24 hours without leaving the restricted area of the port.
  • Members of foreign tourist groups who are visa-free or holding group visa.
  • Foreign crew members, drivers and other employees of transport vehicles.
  • Foreigners who enter by cruise ship and return with the original cruise.
  • Individuals eligible for the courteous treatment of centralized submission of entry and exit documents.
  • Foreigners who enter through the E-channel.

Note the difference: staying inside the port for under 24 hours is exempt. Leaving the port on a 24-hour or 240-hour transit is not.

Holders of border-resident documents from North Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam use a separate entry on the same portal, not this form.

What the form asks, in order

  1. Uploading ID Document Page
  2. Basic Information Filling
  3. Personal Information Filling
  4. Travel Information Filling
  5. Accompanying Person (s) Filling

Step one is a photo, not a field. You upload a picture of your passport data page before you type anything, so have your passport and a working camera ready.

If there is any fraudulent behavior such as omission or concealment during the filling process, you may be denied entry or transit.

How to tell the official portal from a copy

  • The address is s.nia.gov.cn — check it before typing anything.
  • The page is titled National Immigration Administration Government Service Platform.
  • The footer carries Site ID: ICP(BJ) NO.18064790 and the address 6 East Chang'an Street, Beijing.
  • There is no payment step anywhere. The form is free from start to finish.

The official form speaks more languages than this site

The portal offers 13 interface languages: Chinese, English, Russian, French, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Mongolian, Burmese, Thai and Vietnamese. If your language is not on our site, it may still be on theirs.

Details

Get your details ready before you start

Have these ready (consistent with your Boarding Kit and hotel booking):

  • Passport data page (the official form uses OCR — verify O vs 0).
  • Your inbound flight/train number in IATA/railway format (e.g. MU585, G99) — not the booking reference (PNR).
  • First-night hotel address in China, in Latin script, matching your booking.
  • Confirmed onward (departure) itinerary leaving mainland China — flight/train number, date, and destination outside mainland China.
Two fields that trip travelers up Diagram comparing the correct arrival flight or train number field with the wrong booking reference (PNR) field, and a close-up of the letter O versus the digit 0. Arrival flight or train number MU5807 ✓ Correct field Booking reference / PNR 6XK2P9 ✗ Wrong field This is your airline booking code, notthe flight number the form asks for. Check character bycharacter O Letter O — in a word 0 Digit 0 — in a number
WiFi

Airport WiFi trap: use the dedicated Arrival Card WiFi

At ports such as Shanghai Pudong, the electronic arrival card often has to be submitted through the dedicated "Arrival Card WiFi", not the airport's public WiFi. iPhone and other Apple phones often still fail to submit or freeze in the mini-program even after joining that network. If this happens, do not keep retrying while tired after a long flight: use the nearby airport self-service tablet, finish the form there, and take a photo backup of the receipt.

Best fallback: file within 24 hours before landing when you still have stable internet, then save a screenshot of the QR code / receipt. Check the official NIA instructions at the time you travel.

Pick the right WiFi at the airport Diagram showing the dedicated Arrival Card WiFi network highlighted as correct, a generic public WiFi network marked as unreliable for filing, and a fallback note about airport self-service tablets. Arrival Card WiFi Select this network — required to submit theCDAC form ✓ Free Airport WiFi Public WiFi — may not reach the CDAC filingsite iPhone still stuck after joining? Use the airportself-service tablet instead.

After submitting on the official NIA site, save the QR code or receipt number for border inspection.

Offline

Offline arrival-card quick card

Save this card before landing so you can show or review it without mobile data.

  • File before landing when possible; screenshot the QR code / barcode receipt and keep it in Photos and Files.
  • At the airport, choose the dedicated Arrival Card WiFi. If your iPhone gets stuck, switch to the airport self-service tablet and photo the result.
  • Prepare your first-night hotel address in Latin script, plus the hotel phone number if your booking shows it.
  • Use only NIA's official channels (site, government service platforms, 12367, or the WeChat/Alipay mini-programs) and verify current instructions before travel.

Stuck on this step?

Scenarios people actually get stuck on, and where to go on this site. Nothing to buy.