What the official portal actually looks like
Screenshots below show the four screens you'll actually see on s.nia.gov.cn: the landing page, then Steps 2 / 3 / 4 of the form. They're here so you know what you should see — and what scam sites get wrong.
Landing page · s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC
The official portal shows the National Immigration Administration logo (red emblem), the title "National Immigration Administration Government Service Platform", a 简体中文 / English language toggle in the top right, and two cards:
- Entry Declaration — what most 240h travelers click.
- Entry Declaration for Border Area Residents — only for citizens of DPRK, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam holding border-resident certificates.
What scam sites do differently: different logo, different title, or any kind of fee prompt before you even start. The official site does not charge.
Step 2 of 5 · Basic Information Filling
OCR pre-fills most of this. Your job here is to verify, not retype. The fields on the left come from your passport (Last/First Name, Gender, DOB, Citizenship, Passport Number); the fields on the right are your flight (Entry Transportation Mode, Arrival Flight/Train/Vessel Number, City of Entry, Port of Entry).
Where mistakes happen: OCR commonly confuses O vs 0, I vs 1 vs l, and B vs 8 in the passport number. Open your passport next to the screen and check character-by-character. A wrong passport number here means your card won't match at immigration.
Field deep-dive · Step 2
Arrival Flight/Train/Vessel Number — what to fill
The Arrival Flight/Train/Vessel Number is the single field on the CDAC that links your declaration to your actual inbound trip into mainland China. It sits on the right side of Step 2 below "Entry Transportation Mode". OCR does not pre-fill this — you type it yourself.
What to enter, by transport mode:
- Air (Entry Transportation Mode = Aircraft): the IATA flight number printed on your boarding pass — for example
MU585 (China Eastern SFO→PVG), CA985 (Air China LAX→PEK), or CX260 (Cathay HKG→PVG). No spaces, no leading zeros. If your itinerary has multiple legs, use the last leg that actually lands in mainland China — not the original departure flight from your home country. - Rail (Entry Transportation Mode = Train): the China Railway train code — for example
G99 (Hong Kong West Kowloon → Beijing), D27, or Z180. The letter prefix is part of the number; do not omit it. - Sea (Entry Transportation Mode = Vessel): the ship name and voyage number if your ticket shows one — for example
MS Diamond Princess voyage 2510 or Cosco Star CS-118. Cruise itineraries usually print this on the boarding ticket; if it isn't there, write the vessel name alone.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Using your booking reference (PNR) instead of the flight number — the PNR is a 6-character alphanumeric code (e.g.,
ABC123) and does not belong here. - Entering the codeshare partner's number when the operating carrier is different — always use the operating carrier's flight number from the boarding pass.
- For air travel: filling the flight from your home country when you actually transit through a third hub (e.g., Doha). Fill only the final inbound segment that lands in mainland China.
- Mixing letters and digits incorrectly:
G99 is not the same as G099 — type exactly what the carrier prints.
If the field does not match the manifest the airline/rail operator transmits to immigration, your CDAC may be flagged for review at arrival, even though the rest is correct. Open your ticket next to the screen and type character-by-character.
Field deep-dive · Step 4
Confirmed Departure Itinerary on the China Arrival Card
For 240-hour transit travelers, the Confirmed Departure Itinerary question on Step 4 is the single most important field — it proves you'll leave mainland China within 240 hours, which is the entire basis of your visa-free entry. Get this wrong and you can be denied boarding by the airline before you ever reach immigration.
What "confirmed" means in NIA's eyes: a ticketed onward journey to a country or region different from the one you arrived from, with a fixed seat/cabin and a date that falls inside your 240-hour window. It is not the same as a refundable booking, a "hold" reservation, or a one-way placeholder you intend to change. The departure must be on a real ticket the airline or rail operator can verify.
How to fill the form:
- Confirmed Departure Itinerary: Yes — never select No if you're on 240h transit.
- Exit Transportation Mode — Aircraft, Train, or Vessel, matching how you'll leave.
- Exit Flight/Train/Vessel Number + date + port — the same format rules as the arrival field (see Arrival Flight/Train/Vessel Number above). Use the operating carrier's number, no PNR, no codeshare.
- Destination country/region — must be different from where you flew in from. A→China→A round trips do not qualify for 240h transit.
If automated systems can't see your onward ticket (separate bookings, different airline alliance, recently booked), bring backup evidence to the airline counter and to immigration:
- Printed e-ticket PDF with passenger name, route, date, and operating carrier visible.
- Booking confirmation email screenshot showing the airline's booking reference (PNR).
- For rail: the China Railway 12306 e-ticket or operator booking with seat assigned.
- For sea: the cruise line's pre-printed boarding pass or pier check-in voucher.
This summary covers the 240h case. For the full decision rules — including what visa holders and ordinary visa-free travelers without a booked exit should select — read the dedicated Confirmed Departure Itinerary guide. See also the denied-boarding guide for what happens when an airline check-in agent cannot verify your onward ticket — and how to recover.
Step 5 + final submit
Step 5 · Accompanying Person — anyone traveling on the same passport (usually only minor children). Leave blank if you're solo.
Final review & submit — sign the declaration, confirm, and the system generates a QR code / barcode receipt. Screenshot it immediately. Print if possible. Show it at immigration when asked.
You cannot edit after submitting. Review every field before pressing the final submit button. If you spot an error post-submit, your only fix is to submit a brand new card.
