Do transit passengers need China arrival card paperwork? Only if they clear border control. Stay airside on a direct connection and you don’t need the China Arrival Card (Digital Arrival Card). Leave the airport, collect self-transferred bags or use visa-free transit, and you file it on the NIA portal.
This is an independent guide, not a government site. Check rules on the National Immigration Administration site before you fly. It’s written for Singapore flyers planning a China layover.
Do Transit Passengers Need China Arrival Card?
Not if you stay in the sterile airside area. Once you cross border control, you file the card. For the full list of travellers who can skip it, see our guide to China Arrival Card exemptions.
The Digital Arrival Card took effect on 20 November 2025, according to the NIA. Most foreigners file one, including visa-free visitors. Paper forms and QR kiosks remain during a transition period.
Four things put you outside the transit exemption:
- Leaving the airport
- Collecting your bags
- Staying in the city
- Entering under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, which still requires the card
The card exemption for transit covers passengers who stay within the designated port area. At the 10 airports below, 24-hour direct transit means you never leave the airport. Since 5 November 2025, these airports waive immigration procedures for it, per the NIA:
- Tianjin Binhai
- Dalian Zhoushuizi
- Nanjing Lukou
- Fuzhou Changle
- Qingdao Jiaodong
- Wuhan Tianhe
- Nanning Wuxu
- Haikou Meilan
- Chongqing Jiangbei
- Kunming Changshui
You need an international interline ticket and an onward flight to a third country within 24 hours. You can’t leave the airport.
Transit is one of seven exempt groups:
- Foreign permanent residents of China
- Non-Chinese holders of a Hong Kong or Macau travel permit
- Group travellers
- 24-hour direct transit within the port area
- Cruise passengers returning on the same ship
- Fast-track or E-channel users
- Crew of international carriers
Do Transit Passengers Need China Arrival Card Overnight?
Staying overnight in a city hotel takes you outside the port-area exemption, so you file the card before you pass border control.
| Scenario | Leaves port area? | Card needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Stay airside, bags through-checked | No | No |
| Self-transfer or separate tickets | Yes | Yes, file the card |
| Overnight in a city hotel | Yes | Yes, then the inspection counter |
| 240-hour visa-free transit | Yes | Yes, choose the transit policy |
The NIA lists the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, for up to 10 days. You qualify with:
- Citizenship of one of 55 eligible countries
- A valid travel document
- A confirmed ticket to a third country or region with a set departure date
- Entry through one of 65 ports in 24 provinces and regions (60 before 5 November 2025)
Work, study and journalism need a visa in advance. Keep your onward boarding pass and booking ready at the counter.
Singapore Passport Holders: Entry Route and Stay Rules
Holders of ordinary Singapore passports can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days under a reciprocal arrangement in force since 9 February 2024, per Singapore’s MFA. It doesn’t replace the card. See our full China Arrival Card guide for Singapore citizens for the visa-free entry workflow from Changi.
- Direct airside connection: you don’t file a card.
- Overnight in the city: you file the card despite the exemption.
On a city layover, you can file under the 30-day visa-free entry policy instead of transit. Confirm the details with the NIA or MFA. Our sources don’t say whether Singapore is among the 55 transit countries.
After landing, register with the Public Security Bureau (PSB) within 24 hours. Your hotel does this at check-in. Otherwise go to a police station. Carry your passport if you’re over 16, and check the MFA page for validity rules. Note that the arrival card and PSB police registration are two separate obligations.
How to Fill In the Digital Arrival Card
File before you land, then show the QR code at immigration. Start on the NIA desktop page or the mobile page. You can also use:
- The NIA 12367 app
- The WeChat or Alipay mini-program
- The NIA government service platform
- QR kiosks at the airport
Upload your passport data page
Add a scan or photo of the passport data page.
Check the details
Confirm the details the form reads from your passport.
Add the extra details
Fill in the remaining required information.
Enter your stay information
Include a hotel address if you’re staying overnight.
Sign and send
Review your details and submit the form.
Collect your QR code
Show the QR code at immigration.
For a deeper walkthrough, see our guide on how to fill the China Arrival Card step by step. In the visa status field, enter your visa number if you hold a valid visa. If you are entering visa-free, select the entry policy instead.
Copy your passport number as printed. The customs declaration is separate and doesn’t replace this form — read about the difference between the customs declaration and the arrival card.
Common Mistakes and Fake-Site Warnings
- Assuming a city overnight is exempt. It isn’t, so file before you land.
- Entering a visa number when you’re travelling visa-free. Select the entry policy instead.
- Having no confirmed onward ticket. Book one to a third country before you arrive.
- Check your details, especially your passport number, before you send the form.
- Some third-party services charge for help with the form. The official NIA route is listed with no fee in the sources we checked. Be wary of sites that impersonate a government authority or ask for bank details.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do transit passengers need China arrival card if they stay airside?
No, as long as you never reach an immigration desk. That covers 24-hour direct transit at the listed airports, where you stay within the port area with an international interline ticket. Leaving airside for any reason changes that, and you file first.
Do transit passengers need China arrival card for an overnight city hotel layover?
Yes. A city hotel is outside the airside area, so you clear immigration first. Enter the hotel’s address in the stay field and keep your onward ticket ready to show at the counter.
Do I need the card to collect checked bags?
Collecting bags means passing border control first, so file the card before you reach the immigration desk.
Do Singapore passport holders need it during a layover?
Yes, if you leave the airside area, even with 30 days visa-free entry. Choose the visa-free policy in the form. Direct airside connections need no card. Check the Singapore MFA China page for passport rules.
Where do I fill in the card online?
Go to s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC on desktop or s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPhone on mobile. Your QR code appears as soon as you send the form.
Is the card free, and how early should I file?
No fee appears in any source we checked, so don’t pay anyone to file it. The QR code is generated on submission.
Can I edit the card after submitting?
For the current procedure on correcting a submitted declaration, check the NIA portal before you travel.
What if I didn’t file before my flight?
Finish it at the airport. Scan the QR code at a digital kiosk or ask for a paper slip before you reach the immigration desk. Both remain available during the transition period.
Sources and Further Reading
- National Immigration Administration: arrival card and visa-free transit rules
- Singapore MFA: China travel advice for Singaporeans
Rules can change, so check the portal before you travel.
