Notice on the Further Expansion of the Period and Scope of Exemption from Fingerprint Collection for Chinese Visa Applications

China Visa Center Announcement. To further facilitate Chinese visa applications, from 18 December 2025 to 31 December 2026, fingerprint collection is exempted for all short-term visa applicants (staying for no longer than 180 days) at the Chinese visa centers.

Fingerprint collection will still be required, in accordance with relevant regulations, for applicants of D, J1, Q1, S1, X1, and Z visas, who are required to apply for residence permits after entering China.

Notice on Online Submission of Arrival Card:

To facilitate entry information declaration for foreign nationals visiting China and enable expedited customs clearance through advance online submission, since November 20th, 2025, foreign nationals may visit the official website of the National Immigration Administration of China, its government service platform, the “China National Immigration Administration 12367” mobile app, WeChat or Alipay mini apps, or scan the QR code on your mobile device to fill in the arrival card.

Foreign nationals who do not have the means to fill in the online arrival card in advance may, upon arrival at a Chinese port of entry, either scan a QR code with their mobile phone or use on-site smart devices to submit their entry information online or fill out a paper arrival card at the immigration inspection counter.

The following persons are exempt from filling in:

1. Foreigners with a valid Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card of the People’s Republic of China.
2. Foreigners with a valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (Non-Chinese).
3. Members of foreign tourist groups who are visa-free or holding a group visa.
4. Foreigners transiting directly within 24 hours without leaving the restricted area of the port.
5. Foreigners who enter by cruise ship and return on the original cruise.
6. Foreigners who enter through the E-channel.
7. Foreign crew members, drivers, and other employees of transport vehicles.

For more information, please visit:

https://www.nia.gov.cn/n897453/c1751138/content.html (Chinese)

https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147468/c187308/content.html (English)

Attachment: I. Online Arrival Card Filling Website

1. QR Code for Arrival Card Filling
2. Online Arrival Card Filling Website: https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/
3. QR Code for Arrival Card Filling

Reminder:

For visa submission to China, documents such as a police character certificate, a bank statement, kinship proofs, and other documents MUST BE apostilled by the MOFA of Pakistan.

Please check the picture below.

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Reminder:

For applicants applying for a tour group visa, the offline submission of your application documents should be at least 6 working days before the entry time indicated on the invitation letter. Otherwise, it may delay your travel itinerary.

For tourist group visa applicants who are minors, if their parents are traveling together, they must provide a “Family Relationship Certificate” (Apostille by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). If their parents are not traveling together, their parents must provide a “Travel Consent Form” and a “Family Relationship Certificate” (Apostille by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).