How to Book China Train Tickets on 12306 with a Foreign Passport

Use China Railway 12306 to book a mainland train with a foreign passport. Set up your account and verify each passport before tickets go on sale. Then choose the exact station pair, pay, and check that the order shows a confirmed train and seat. Carry the passport used in the booking for station checks and boarding.

Start on the official 12306 English registration page · Fix passport verification · Check the ticket before traveling

1. Create an account before the booking window opens

Start on the English website for a passport-first form. The official registration page asks for nationality, name, passport number, expiration date and date of birth, plus your login and email details. Use an email address you can open while traveling. Follow any account prompts the website displays.

1. Keep your passport open to its personal-details page. Select the country or nationality on the passport and enter your name following the form’s own passport formatting help. Check the passport number character by character and verify the date fields before submitting.
2. Complete registration using the on-screen instructions, then sign back in. To book for other travelers, find Personal Center → My passengers and complete each passenger record with their own document details.
3. Keep access to the email and contact information linked to the account. Avoid having copies of passport details spread across unofficial booking links or messages.

2. Get each passport verified before you pick the train

China Railway uses real-name ticketing. The government guide for foreign travelers describes three legitimate verification routes. Start with the automatic check through the official English site or 12306 app. If you are prompted for manual review online, upload a clear photo of the passport information page through the official interface. If online verification is still blocked, take the original passport to a staffed rail station ticket counter.

• Verification remains pending: open My passengers again and check the record before retrying. Verify the name fields, document number and expiration date. A saved record still has to pass verification to book.
• The original document has changed: update the passenger record or ask 12306 what to do if you already paid. The passenger should carry the same valid document associated with the ticket.
• You are already in China: show this at a staffed counter: 我用外国护照买火车票，需要核验身份。 It means “I need to verify my identity to buy a train ticket with a foreign passport.”

3. Choose the exact stations, date and train

Most regular domestic tickets open about 15 days in advance, with release times varying by station. For a popular journey, use the official app’s Me → On-Sale Time Inquiry (我的 → 起售时间查询) for the departure station. A separate early-reservation pilot runs on some Beijing–Shanghai services. It accepts a request earlier than ordinary ticket sales and has its own terms. See the Beijing government’s pilot notice if that is the option shown.

1. In the 12306 train search, enter your departure, arrival and travel date. Check the station names in the results. Beijing South (北京南) and Beijing (北京) are different stations, as are Shanghai Hongqiao (上海虹桥) and Shanghai (上海).
2. Select a service and class with seats available. Compare arrival time and station with your accommodation or next connection before committing. For trips after midnight, check the actual calendar date.
3. Open the booking, select the verified passenger records and review the price and travel details. If the train is sold out, try a different time or equivalent station that you can actually reach. Use the official waitlist where your account and service offer it. Treat a waitlist as a request until it turns into a confirmed ticket.

4. Pay and check that the train is confirmed

Follow the payment methods displayed in your selected channel and finish before the order timer expires. An unpaid 12306 order can expire. If a bank notification, stalled page or error leaves the result unclear, reopen Personal Center → Ticket orders and check Uncompleted orders and Upcoming trips before trying again.

A usable confirmation shows the date, train number, departure station and a confirmed journey. For a reserved seat, save the carriage and seat too. Check every traveler, especially if the order contains multiple passports. Save the details for offline reference. The railway’s e-ticket guidance says you need the valid ID associated with the ticket. A printed or saved itinerary is useful for directions but does not replace the passport at the gate.

For an already-paid ticket you no longer need, see how to request a 12306 refund.

5. Find your check-in gate and use the original passport

1. Reach the station printed in the order early enough for security, document checks and the walk to the correct waiting area. Keep the train number and station name open before joining the queue.
2. Use your original passport at station entry and when boarding. If a reader cannot scan it or the station directs passport holders to a staffed lane, show your passport and confirmed order to staff. Look for 人工通道 (staffed lane) and 检票口 (ticket check or boarding gate).
3. Match your train number to the gate on the board. After the boarding check, find the carriage and seat shown in the order. Keep the passport until you clear the arrival station.

Ready to travel: every traveler is verified, the journey is confirmed rather than awaiting payment or waitlist fulfillment, and the original passports are packed. For the next leg, see the station-to-station details for Beijing to Shanghai or Shanghai to Hangzhou.

Booking and identity-verification sources checked November 15, 2026. Check your own route’s release time and station notices.