After landing in China, follow signs for international arrivals, immigration, or border inspection.
Keep your passport, visa or visa-free documents, arrival card, and hotel information ready.
Fingerprint collection may be required for some travelers.
Use the self-service fingerprint machines if directed, keep the receipt if one is printed, and continue to the immigration queue.
Arrival card: fill in your name, passport number, flight number, address in China, phone or email if requested, and travel purpose.
Use your hotel address for the first night if you are traveling between cities.
Border questions are usually practical: why are you visiting, how long will you stay, where will you stay, and where are you going next.
For 240-hour transit, expect questions about the onward ticket and final destination.
Baggage claim comes after immigration.
Check the carousel number and keep baggage tags until you leave the airport.
If baggage is missing, report it before exiting the secure area.
Customs declaration: use the green channel if you have nothing to declare and the red channel if you carry items that must be declared.
Rules can apply to cash, valuable goods, food, animals, plants, medicine, and commercial samples.
Airport money exchange is convenient but may not offer the best rate.
It is still useful to get a small amount of RMB for backup, especially for taxis, small shops, or payment app problems.
SIM cards and eSIM: major airports may have telecom counters, but opening hours and passport registration rules vary.
If you prepared an eSIM or roaming, activate it after landing and test maps, translation, and payment apps.
Transport to the city: choose airport express, metro, official taxi, ride-hailing, hotel pickup, or intercity rail depending on the city.
Keep your hotel address in Chinese for taxi drivers.
First-hour checklist: connect to data, confirm payment app works, message your hotel, check transport route, keep passport secure, and avoid unlicensed taxi offers.