China Train Tickets for Foreigners: How to Book on 12306

Prepare the passenger and both stations first.

Have the passport details, account access, any companion details, a payment backup, and the exact departure and arrival stations ready before starting an order.

• Compare station names with the accommodation and onward connection, rather than choosing a city label alone.
• Check that each traveler’s name and passport details match the document that will be carried to the station.
• Keep a payment alternative available if the first route cannot be completed.

Prepare the account before you need a particular ticket.

Use the official English 12306 site or Railway 12306 app, enter the passport exactly, activate the account and leave time for identity verification.

A foreign-passport user can register with an email address; a mainland Chinese phone number is not required for the email route. Activate the account through the message sent by 12306 before trying to buy.

12306 attempts automatic identity verification. The official guides describe correcting fields, following a requested photo-verification flow, or taking the original passport to a staffed counter if needed. Start before relying on a train: the current account prompt determines the required next step, and this guide promises no processing time.

1. 01

   Create the account

   Choose foreign passport, use an email you can open immediately and complete the activation link.

2. 02

   Match the passport

   Match the passport to the requested fields and consult 12306's current passport-entry instructions. Resolve an unclear field before submitting instead of guessing a name order or number format.

3. 03

   Verify every traveler

   Add companions under My Passengers and complete identity verification for each person before building the order.

4. 04

   Resolve a failed check early

   Correct the fields first. If manual review is requested, upload clear passport images and allow the stated review time.

Choose the station—not just the city name.

Use the release date and time displayed by 12306 for the exact departure station and intended travel date. Confirm the full names of both stations before paying.

Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and many other cities have several stations far apart. Compare the station against the hotel and the next transfer, then select the verified passenger and check the date, train number, seat class, name and passport number before payment.

A July 2026 announcement describes a limited advance-request pilot for selected Beijing–Shanghai services. A request becomes a ticket only after fulfillment and successful payment. Check current service and passenger eligibility in 12306; do not treat the announcement as a nationwide sale window or assume the feature is available in every interface.

1. 01

   Check the release time

   Open the travel date in 12306 and note the sale time shown for the departure station.

2. 02

   Compare the whole journey

   Check station location, departure time, journey time and seat class—not only the fastest train.

3. 03

   Select verified passengers

   Review every traveler’s name and passport number before submitting the order.

4. 04

   Review the order, then complete payment

   The official guidance lists Chinese and international bank cards plus supported mobile payments. Keep a second payment method in case an issuer declines the transaction.

5. 05

   Use official Standby if sold out

   12306 Standby is the railway’s free waitlist. Wider acceptable dates, trains and seat classes can improve the chance of fulfillment, but a request is not a confirmed ticket.

The passport is the key to the e-ticket.

Go to the exact station in the order and carry the same original valid passport used for booking. Use a staffed manual channel if an automatic gate cannot read it.

1. 01

   Arrive at the booked station

   Go to the exact departure station in the order. Allow time for station procedures and follow the local admission and gate displays.

2. 02

   Pass identity and security checks

   Keep the original booking passport ready and follow station staff and the posted identity and security instructions.

3. 03

   Find the waiting hall and gate

   Check the 12306 order and current station screens for the waiting area, gate and boarding instructions.

4. 04

   Use the passport again

   Try the passport gate where available; otherwise follow signs or staff to the manual identity-check lane. Keep the passport accessible for boarding, onboard checks and the exit gate.

• Carry the same original valid identity document used to buy the ticket; keep the order details available to find the service and gate.
• If the automatic gate cannot read the document, ask station staff for the manual identity-check channel.
• Keep that document accessible for checks during the journey and at the destination.

The closer the train, the less flexible the refund.

A normal ticket may be changed once when seats are available. Refund fees increase as departure approaches, and a ticket changed after the original train departs cannot later be refunded.

Online refunds normally return to the original payment method. Rules have exceptions and special-product exclusions, so open the current 12306 order rules before changing a non-refundable hotel or flight around the train.

The 2026 advance-request pilot has a special rule: after a requested ticket is fulfilled and paid, canceling it 8–20 days before departure carries a 5% refund fee. Do not apply the standard eight-day fee-free row below to that pilot product.

Five checks before you tap Pay.

Most booking mistakes are visible on the confirmation screen. Stop for one minute and compare the order with the passport and the actual route.

• Passenger name and passport number match the document that will be carried to the station.
• Departure and arrival stations—not only city names—match the hotel and onward plan.
• The date, train number and departure time are in China local time.
• Every companion is verified and assigned to the intended seat class.
• The train arrives early enough for the next activity, with a realistic station-to-hotel transfer.

Separate the ticketed ride from the full journey.

The published train time covers the named departure and arrival stations. Plan the approach, station procedures, waiting and last-mile transfer as separate parts of the journey.

1. 01

   Identity does not pass

   Recheck passport fields and follow the current 12306 verification path before attempting to book again.

2. 02

   No suitable train appears

   Return to the current official search results and reassess the exact stations and travel requirement; do not treat an earlier result as a promise of availability.

3. 03

   Payment does not complete

   Check the order status before retrying, then use the prepared backup or follow the current 12306 instruction.