The China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC): A 2026 Practical Guide

After navigating digital entries for Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, I finally put the China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC) to the test. Launched in late 2025, this system is a game-changer for group travelers—provided you know which buttons to click.

💡 Essential Tip: The CDAC is free. To avoid scams or third-party fees, always ensure you are using the official National Immigration Administration (NIA) website.

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Submission Timeline & Group Features

• The “Planner” Window: Unlike many other systems that require filing within a strict 72-hour window, you can submit the CDAC up to 3 months before your travel date. I submitted ours 4 days before arrival without any issues.
• Group Submissions: The system allows a “Main Applicant” to submit for an entire group. This is a massive time-saver for those traveling together, though you will need to have the mobile phone number for every person in the party ready.

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The “Photographing” Feature: Smart but Sensitive

The system features a clever auto-fill function via passport data page upload. Here’s what I learned:

• No “Perfect” Scan Needed: The OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is surprisingly flexible. I uploaded the full data page—including the facing page—instead of just the requested data strip, and it was accepted immediately.
• Naming Quirks: For passports that don’t clearly segregate First and Last names (such as Malaysian passports), the system defaults the entire name into the “Last Name” field.
• The Warning: If you try to manually edit auto-filled data, the system will trigger a prompt: “System obtains this information through photographing; please modify with caution.” If the auto-fill is correct, it’s best to leave it as is.

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Key Troubleshooting & “Teething Pains”

1. The Flight Number Glitch

While keying in your flight number usually auto-detects your entry city, I noticed the return leg defaults to the incorrect city. This is likely due to flight numbers being recycled for different routes. Always manually verify and correct your entry/departure city.

2. Address Character Limits

The “Address in China” field is notoriously short.

• The Fix: Omit the specific Hotel Name and prioritize the street address and district to ensure the information fits within the character limit.

3. The “Missing QR Code” Trap (Vital for Groups!)

There is a lot of conflicting info online about “Group QR codes” being rejected at Chinese immigration. To ensure every traveler is safe:

• The Pop-up: After the main applicant’s info is entered, a window asks if you need to help a companion. If you close this accidentally and submit, you cannot go back to edit. You would need to resubmit.
• The “Ticking” Requirement: Under the Accompanying Person tab, you must manually tick the box for every passenger before hitting submit.
• The Result: Done correctly, you will receive individual QR codes for every person. This is what immigration officers expect to see. A “group QR code” often just means you’ve successfully submitted the main applicant, leaving the rest of the group in limbo!

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Final Checklist Before You Land

• Backups: Use the “Download to Local” feature AND the “Send to Email” option.
• The Junk Mail Filter: Note for Group Leaders: Since I used only my email address (optional for Accompanying Person), all 5 receipts and individual QR codes were sent to me. Check your junk mailbox! Mine went there promptly, making it look like the emails hadn’t arrived.
• To Print or Not? While the system is digitally synced, I highly recommend printing the QR codes for group travel. It avoids the messiness of fumbling with phones, dead batteries, or roaming data issues at the immigration counter.
• Manual Cards: If technology fails, paper arrival cards are currently still available at most Chinese airports as a reliable fallback.

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How to Access the CDAC

Travelers can choose to fill it out through one of the following official channels:

1. Official NIA Website: s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/ (Desktop or Mobile)
2. Mini Programs: Search for “Arrival Card” within the WeChat or Alipay apps.
3. “NIA 12367” App: The official Chinese immigration mobile application.
4. On-site QR/Kiosk: Scan the QR codes provided at the airport or seaport upon arrival. (Pre-filling is still recommended to skip the arrival queues!)