Foreign-passport holders can use China Railway’s official English 12306 website or app to register, complete identity verification and buy real-name e-tickets. The passport used for the booking is part of the travel credential: carry the original document and enter its details exactly.
An itinerary sheet or reimbursement receipt is not the boarding ticket. China Railway’s current English FAQ says passengers use the valid identity document linked to the e-ticket.
Use the official channel
The English service is at 12306.cn. China Railway says it is the official customer-service website and does not handle ticketing problems caused by other websites.
Third-party booking services can be useful, especially for language support, but they are separate sellers with their own fees and customer-service path. This guide covers the official route.
Success signal: the address is on the 12306.cn domain or you installed the app from an official store listing.
Register with the passport you will carry
The current English registration page accepts eligible foreign passports. Enter:
- nationality;
- name in the required passport order and spelling;
- passport number;
- expiry date;
- date of birth;
- an email and phone route you can access.
Do not translate, shorten or add punctuation to the name unless the form explicitly instructs it. Save a screenshot of the completed passenger record without exposing it publicly.
Success signal: the account opens and the passenger status is shown as verified or ready for the next verification step.
Complete identity verification before a time-critical purchase
The 2025 government guide says foreign travellers can fill in identity details for automatic verification, upload the passport information page for manual verification, or use a station ticket office.
Complete this before tickets for an important date are released. Manual review may not match your booking deadline.
If online verification fails: check the name, nationality, number and expiry date against the passport. Follow the official upload route or bring the original passport to a staffed railway ticket office. Do not send a passport image to an unofficial support account.
Search the exact stations
Many cities have several stations. “Shanghai” might mean Shanghai, Shanghai South, Shanghai Hongqiao or another listed station. The fastest train may use a station far from your actual destination.
Before choosing a service, compare:
- full station name in English and Chinese;
- departure and arrival time;
- travel time to and from each station;
- train number and date;
- seat class;
- change and refund conditions.
Success signal: the final order displays the intended city, exact station, date, passenger and passport-linked identity.
Pay and read the order state
The national guide says official online channels support Chinese or foreign bank cards and mobile payment apps. Availability still depends on the card and transaction.
Complete payment within the displayed time. Do not interpret a reserved seat or payment-processing screen as a confirmed ticket.
Success signal: the order centre shows a confirmed ticket with train, date, stations, passenger and seat information.
If payment fails: allow the order state to resolve before placing another order. Check whether the seat was released. Use another supported method or a staffed ticket office.
On travel day, bring the original document
Carry the passport used in the booking. Arrive early enough for station navigation, baggage security and possible manual identity handling.
China Railway states that passengers and baggage undergo security checks and that ticket checking stops before departure according to station announcements. Large stations can require substantial walking between entrance, security, waiting area and gate.
At the gate, use the passport reader if directed. If it does not read, show the booking and passport to staff rather than attempting a different gate repeatedly.
Success signal: staff or the gate verifies the passenger and you reach the correct platform for the displayed train number.
The paper you can print is not the ticket
China Railway allows an e-ticket itinerary sheet to be downloaded or printed, and reimbursement documents may be available. Its FAQ explicitly says neither document can be used as the ticket.
Carry a screenshot for reference, but protect the order number and passport details. Boarding still depends on the linked identity record and original document.
Changes, refunds and missed trains
Rules depend on timing and ticket state. Use the live order’s official change or refund controls and read the fee shown before confirming. China Railway’s FAQ includes time-based refund fees and specific limits on changing destination or endorsing a ticket.
If the online option is unavailable, go to a staffed ticket office with the passport and order details. Do not assume a change is complete until the order centre shows the new train or refund state.
For a missed train, follow station staff and the current 12306 rule. This guide does not promise that every ticket can be moved to a later service.
If the passport is lost
China Railway describes procedures involving identity certificates issued by a competent authority. This is not an ordinary account-recovery problem.
Report the loss to the appropriate police and consular authority, then take the issued document to railway staff. Do not edit the passenger record to a different document merely to force a new booking.
Sources and scope
- 12306 China Railway English FAQ — official real-name ticketing, accepted English-site identity document, e-ticket, security, boarding, change and refund information.
- Guide to Working and Living in China 2025 — foreign-passport verification routes, purchase channels and payment methods.
- World Bank: China’s High-Speed Rail Development — dated network and service context, not current ticket rules.
This guide was not field-tested and covers the official English 12306 path for eligible foreign passports. Other foreign identity documents, Hong Kong routes and international trains can use different rules. Always follow the live order and station announcement.