China arrival card requirements for business travellers come down to the form itself: the card asks for your purpose of entry, your destination city and address in China, and whether you have an inviting entity in China. File with the National Immigration Administration (NIA) at s.nia.gov.cn before border inspection, unless you’re exempt.
This is an independent guide, not a government site. We don’t charge fees or file for you, so check the rules on the NIA’s portal at s.nia.gov.cn before you fly.
Who Must File: Business Travellers and Exemptions
Travellers with a visa and visa-free travellers both file, because the card applies with or without a visa. The digital card has applied since 20 Nov 2025. For a full breakdown of the rules, see our guide to who needs to fill the China arrival card.
If you need a visa, get it before you fill in the card, because the form asks for the visa number. If you’re unsure how the two documents differ, read our comparison of the China arrival card vs the Chinese visa.
Only these seven groups are exempt:
- Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card holders
- Non-Chinese holders of a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao
- Group travellers (collective visa or group visa-free entry)
- 24-hour direct transit in a designated port area
- Cruise passengers entering and leaving on the same vessel
- Fast-track or E-channel users
- Foreign crew of entry or exit vehicles
For details on each category and what to show at the border instead, see the full China arrival card exemption list.
Where and When to Submit the Card
Filing online before you arrive is the most convenient option, since the card can also be completed at the port of entry. If you’re planning your timing, our article on how early you can submit the China arrival card explains the filing window.
| Channel | When to use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PC portal: https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/ | From a computer | Online form |
| Mobile portal: https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPhone/ | From your phone | Online form |
| NIA 12367 App, WeChat or Alipay mini-program | From an app | Search 移民局12367 |
| Airport kiosk, QR scan or paper form | On arrival, if unfiled | Paper is transitional |
You’ll get a QR code to download or receive by email, and you show it at inspection. The form has 13 languages. For a walkthrough of the desktop channel, see our PC portal filling guide.
Holders of border resident certificates from the DPRK, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos or Vietnam use a separate form.
China Arrival Card Requirements for Business Travellers: Fields
Upload your passport data page
Check the auto-filled details and complete the rest.
Add entry details
Entry date, transport mode, flight, train or vessel number, city and port of entry.
Choose your purpose of entry
Select Conference/Business, not Tourism/Leisure.
Enter your destination city and address in China
The city where you will stay the longest, plus province, city, district and detailed address.
Answer the visa question
Enter the visa number, or pick an entry policy such as a visa waiver or 24/240-hour transit.
Answer the inviting entities question
Name your host.
Sign and confirm
Use One-click Input, sign electronically and click Confirm.
If your trip covers several cities, the form asks for the city where you’ll stay the longest as your destination. Planned transit cities go in a separate field. For help with multi-city and hotel entries, see our guide to the China arrival card hotel address format.
Tour Groups and Cruise Passengers
- Tour groups: holders of a group visa, and travellers eligible for group visa-free entry, are exempt. Travellers entering on individual visa-free rules file their own card.
- Cruises: the cruise exemption covers passengers who enter and leave China on the same vessel.
Common Mistakes and Steps After Submission
- Choosing Tourism instead of Conference/Business: for a work trip, choose Conference/Business as your purpose of entry, not Tourism/Leisure.
- Writing an incomplete address: give your full address in China, including province, city, district and the detailed address.
Accommodation registration (住宿登记) is available online through the NIA portal. To understand how it differs from the arrival card, read about the arrival card vs police PSB registration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the China arrival card requirements for business travellers from Singapore?
You still file when entering visa-free, because the card applies with or without a visa. Visa-free entry also requires a passport valid for at least six months on arrival with a blank visa page, proof of funds, and proof of onward or return travel. Confirm the entry conditions with your airline before you fly.
What are the China arrival card requirements for business travellers without a single host?
The form asks whether you have an inviting entity in China, and for the city where you will stay the longest as your destination city; planned transit cities go in a separate field. Give your address in China as province, city, district and detailed address.
Where do I fill in the card online?
Go to the PC portal at https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/ or the mobile portal at https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPhone. The NIA 12367 App and the WeChat and Alipay mini-programs work too. This guide isn’t the filing site. Pick your language on the form.
Does the arrival card cost anything?
Filing is done directly on the NIA portal, which describes no fee for it. Visa applications, not the arrival card, require documents such as a letter of invitation, proof of travel arrangements and a photo. That’s separate paperwork.
Does an ABTC holder still file?
The card applies with or without a visa, so check your status against the exemption list on the NIA portal before you fly and file if you’re not covered by one of the seven categories.
Do same-ship cruise passengers file?
Passengers who enter and leave China on the same vessel are exempt. Check the rules on the NIA portal before you disembark at a Chinese port.
Who files for a packaged tour group?
Members of a group visa are exempt; travellers entering on individual visa-free rules file their own card.
Can I change details after submitting?
Official guidance in the sources doesn’t describe how to change a card after submission, so check the NIA portal for the current procedure before you travel.
Sources and Further Reading
- NIA Arrival Card Filling: the online form and its fields.
- NIA portal: immigration services, including accommodation registration.
Rules can change, so check the portal before you travel.
