Do Visa-Free Travelers Still Need to Complete China’s Digital Arrival Card?

Yes. Most individual travelers entering mainland China under an ordinary 30-day visa-free policy still need to complete an Arrival Card unless they fall into an official exemption.

Visa-free entry and the Arrival Card are separate requirements. Visa-free entry means an eligible traveler does not need to obtain a Chinese visa in advance for the permitted trip. The Arrival Card is entry information used as part of the immigration inspection process.

There is one more distinction that matters: needing an Arrival Card does not mean you must submit the digital version online before your flight. China now offers online filling before travel, but current official guidance still allows travelers who did not complete it in advance to finish the process after arriving at the port of entry.

Visa-free does not automatically exempt you from the Arrival Card

China's ordinary 30-day visa-free policies apply only when the traveler meets the relevant passport, purpose-of-visit, and stay conditions. This article assumes you have already confirmed that part.

If you are still unsure whether your trip uses ordinary visa-free entry or a transit policy, first check the difference between 30-day visa-free entry and 240-hour visa-free transit.

Once your visa-free eligibility is clear, treat the Arrival Card as a separate question. The current official exemption list does not include ordinary individual 30-day visa-free travelers simply because they are visa-free.

So for a typical tourist entering China on an eligible ordinary passport under the 30-day visa-free policy, the practical assumption should be: complete an Arrival Card unless you clearly fit one of the official exemption categories.

Who is currently exempt from the Arrival Card?

Current Chinese official guidance lists seven categories that do not need to fill in the Arrival Card:

1. Holders of a valid Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card of the People's Republic of China.
2. Non-Chinese citizens holding a valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents.
3. Holders of a group visa, or travelers eligible for formal group visa-free entry.
4. Passengers in 24-hour direct transit who remain inside the designated restricted area of the port.
5. Cruise passengers entering and departing on the same vessel.
6. Travelers entering through an eligible E-channel or fast-track channel.
7. Foreign crew members of exit-entry transport vehicles.

The key point is what is not on that list: ordinary individual 30-day visa-free entry is not itself an exemption from the Arrival Card.

“Group visa-free entry” does not mean traveling with a group of friends

The third exemption can be easy to misread.

“Group visa-free entry” refers to a specific immigration arrangement with its own eligibility conditions. It does not mean that several friends traveling together become a visa-free group, and it does not mean every traveler on an ordinary tour automatically qualifies for this exemption.

If you are entering under the normal 30-day visa-free policy based on your own passport eligibility, do not treat yourself as exempt just because you are traveling with family, friends, or a tour group.

Do you have to complete the Digital Arrival Card before departure?

No. China introduced online Arrival Card filling on November 20, 2025, so foreign travelers can submit their entry information before traveling through official National Immigration Administration channels.

That online option is useful because it can reduce what you need to do after landing. But current official guidance does not say that every traveler who needs an Arrival Card must finish the digital form before boarding a flight to China.

If you have not completed it online in advance, you can currently finish it after arriving at the immigration inspection area by:

• scanning the official Arrival Card QR code with your phone;
• using the smart devices provided at the port of entry; or
• filling out a paper Arrival Card.

The National Immigration Administration also confirms that paper Arrival Cards remain available at ports of entry. The official online service is free; use the official NIA Arrival Card system rather than a paid third-party form.

The shortest way to decide what to do

For most individual visa-free tourists, the action sequence is simple:

1. Confirm that your trip really qualifies for ordinary 30-day visa-free entry.
2. Check whether you fit one of the official Arrival Card exemptions.
3. If you do not, prepare to complete the Arrival Card.
4. Fill it online before departure if convenient; if not, use the official options at the Chinese port of entry.

The two rules to remember are:

Visa-free does not automatically mean Arrival Card exempt.

Arrival Card required does not automatically mean digital submission before departure is mandatory.

That is the distinction most ordinary 30-day visa-free travelers need before flying to China.