A foreign traveller with a luggage trolley looking at signs in a Chinese airport arrivals hall

Airport Arrival in China: Your First 24 Hours

What to expect in your first 24 hours in China: immigration, baggage, transport into the city, SIM, apps, and your first night.

Touchdown in a new country is exhilarating and a little overwhelming. This step-by-step China airport arrival guide covers your first 24 hours in China, from the moment the plane lands to your first night’s sleep.

Check the official source before you act

This guide reflects rules and prices as published by Chinese authorities and providers, and was last reviewed in September 2026. Rules, fees, platform features and deadlines change, and city offices and branches apply them differently. Confirm the current position with the National Immigration Administration (12367 hotline, s.nia.gov.cn) or China Customs (customs.gov.cn) before you rely on any figure below.

At a glance

  • Before landing: save your passport, admission notice, JW form, accommodation address and a university contact offline; install translation and map apps.
  • Immigration: foreign-passport queue — passport with visa, arrival card (now normally completed online before you fly), admission notice. You receive an entry stamp.
  • Customs: red channel (goods to declare) / green channel (nothing to declare) — when in doubt, use red.
  • Into the city: airport shuttle, metro, or taxi/Didi — keep your address saved as a Chinese-character screenshot and avoid unlicensed touts.
  • First hours: get a SIM card, set up WeChat Pay and Alipay, and exchange a small amount of cash.
  • First night: reach your accommodation and complete police registration.

Quick answer

Have your passport, visa, arrival card and accommodation address ready before you land, and keep that address saved as a Chinese-character screenshot — you will need it for immigration, the taxi queue and hotel check-in. After baggage and customs, buy a SIM card, set up WeChat Pay or Alipay and exchange a small amount of cash at the airport. Use the official taxi queue or a ride-hailing app, never the touts inside the terminal.

Last reviewed: September 2026 · Part of our Guides guide series.

China airport arrival - international student arriving at a Chinese airport arrival hall
Student at an immigration counter in a Chinese airport

Before Your China Airport Arrival

  • Save your passport, admission notice, JW form, accommodation address, and a university contact offline (screenshots).
  • Install a translation app and maps before you lose airport Wi-Fi — see our essential apps guide.
  • Carry some RMB cash and a bank card for taxis and snacks.

Immigration & Passport Control

  • Join the queue for foreign passport holders.
  • Show your passport with visa and your admission notice. Since 20 November 2025 the foreigners’ arrival card is normally completed online before you fly: you can submit it through the NIA website or the ‘Immigration 12367’ app and WeChat/Alipay mini-programs, scan a QR code at the checkpoint, or use a paper form if needed. Seven categories are exempt, including holders of a foreign permanent residence ID card, group-visa travellers and 24-hour direct transit passengers.
  • Officers may ask your purpose and university — answer calmly and briefly.
  • You get an entry stamp — keep your passport safe.

Baggage Claim & Customs

Collect bags by your flight number on the screens. There is a red channel (goods to declare) and a green channel (nothing to declare). You must use red if, among other things, you carry more than RMB 20,000 in cash or foreign cash worth more than USD 5,000, or (as a non-resident) goods you intend to leave in China worth more than RMB 2,000. When in doubt, use red. Keep your checked-baggage receipts.

Getting Into the City

  • Airport shuttle bus, metro (in major cities), or a taxi / Didi ride-hail.
  • Have your accommodation address written in Chinese characters as a screenshot.
  • Avoid unlicensed taxi touts — use the official queue or an app.

Plan the route with our transportation guide.

SIM, Apps & Money in the First Hours

  • Get a SIM card at an airport kiosk, or do it in the city later.
  • Set up WeChat Pay and Alipay — our Alipay guide explains both.
  • Exchange a little cash at the airport counter if you skipped it at home.

Your First Night

Reach your accommodation and complete police registration. Drink water, rest, and reset your clock. The next day: campus check-in, open a bank account, and get your SIM. Our first-month checklist lays out the full sequence.

Common First-Hour Problems and Quick Fixes

Even a smooth China airport arrival comes with small surprises. Here are the ones new students run into most often, and how to solve them on the spot.

  • Your phone has no signal. Free airport Wi-Fi usually requires a Chinese phone number to receive a verification code. If you cannot get online, look for a carrier counter or SIM vending machine in the arrivals hall — China Unicom and China Telecom desks exist at most international terminals and can activate a prepaid SIM in minutes with your passport.
  • You cannot find your driver or pickup. Airports have multiple exit gates. Agree on a specific gate number or landmark in advance, and share your live location over WeChat once you have data. Airport information desks can usually call a driver for you if needed.
  • Immigration asks extra questions. Have your Admission Notice, JW201/JW202 form and accommodation address printed and within reach. Answering simply and showing the documents resolves almost every question — the whole check normally takes under ten minutes.
  • No cash in yuan. Exchange counters accept major currencies, but rates at airports are poor. Change a small amount (¥300-500) for the taxi or metro, then withdraw the rest from an ATM after you settle in.

What to Do If Your Luggage Is Delayed

If your bags do not appear, go to the lost-luggage desk inside the baggage claim area before you leave the airport. Staff will open a report and give you a tracking reference; airlines typically deliver delayed bags within 24–48 hours on direct flights — this is a service standard rather than a legal right, so ask the desk to confirm what your airline will cover before you leave. Photograph your suitcase before flying and keep essentials (documents, chargers, one change of clothes) in your carry-on — it turns a stressful night into a minor delay.

Free resource

China Arrival Checklist

Land, register and settle in without forgetting the one form that matters. A one-page checklist covering airport arrival, police registration, SIM card, bank account and housing paperwork, in the order you actually need to do them.

Download the free China arrival checklist

Related guides

Next step

The first 24 hours are done — here is the full sequence for the weeks that follow.

Open the first-month checklist

Sources

Disclaimer: Rules and requirements in China may change and can vary by location, institution, or individual circumstances. Always confirm with the relevant authority before making arrangements.