China high-speed trains with a foreign passport

Book using the passenger's passport

China Railway uses real-name tickets. Foreign visitors can book with a valid passport, and the original document used for the booking should travel with them. Enter the name and document details in the format requested by the booking system. If the passport changes after booking, contact the seller before travelling. China Railway 12306 — English FAQ

The official booking service is 12306, available as a website and Railway 12306 app. Its English website supports foreign passports. A station ticket counter is another option. If you use a booking intermediary, distinguish its service fees and confirmation process from the railway's ticket conditions.

Register and follow the identity-verification prompts early. If the account requires further checking, use the official instructions or ask at a staffed station counter with your passport. Do not assume a pending request is a confirmed seat.

Plan before the sale window opens

Tickets generally become available around two weeks before departure; the official January 2026 rail report describes a 15-day advance-sale window. That is a booking window, not a reason to leave the route undecided until then. Use the live 12306 calendar and release information to establish the exact sale date for your service.

Prepare preferred departures and one or two alternatives. For busy dates, decide which matters most: the departure time, sitting together or the seat class. Confirm the actual booking status and payment deadline in the order rather than relying on a search result or a pre-sale request.

Check the complete station name

When choosing between rail and a domestic flight, compare the full transfer from one hotel to the next, the departure time and how the day will feel after arrival. Avoid treating every station as central or every rail connection as preferable simply because it is a train.

For the services you are considering, compare the seat classes actually offered, their price and the space you need to rest. Decide your acceptable alternative if the preferred class is unavailable. Ask for confirmation of the train and class rather than treating a requested upgrade as an issued ticket.

Large cities can have several stations. For example, Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai Hongqiao are different destinations. Save the Chinese name on the confirmed booking and send that station name to your driver or use it in your map.

Read the destination station just as carefully. A faster train to a station farther from the hotel may save less time than expected once the final transfer is included.

Save the exact station in your map using the China travel apps guide.

Allow time for station checks

As a planning recommendation, aim to reach an unfamiliar large station around an hour before departure, with extra time for holidays, mobility needs or unresolved verification. This is a suggested buffer, not a national check-in deadline. Ticket gates close before the train leaves; follow the displayed cutoff for your service.

Expect document checks and baggage screening. For an e-ticket, use the booked passport at a compatible automatic gate or show it at the staffed gate. An itinerary printout or screenshot is useful for finding the train, but is not a replacement for the required identity document. International Services Shanghai — train tickets and passports

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Keep the passport accessible until you have left the destination station. If an automatic gate cannot process it, ask staff for the manual route rather than repeatedly trying a different document.

If stairs, lifting luggage or walking long distances would be difficult, ask about the specific station's assistance before the travel day. Confirm what is available and where to meet; do not build the connection around an assumed porter service. Save the booking and important files offline rather than relying on train Wi-Fi or continuous mobile reception.

Find your seat and stow your bags

Check the carriage (car) number, row and seat letter on your booking. Match the carriage number on the train, then find your seat before putting your bags away.

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You will be moving your bags through the station and onto the train. Choose luggage you can handle without relying on a porter, and keep medicine, documents and valuables in a small bag you can reach.

Railway restrictions are different from aviation rules. The published rail list permits clearly marked power banks and lithium batteries up to 100 Wh per unit and separately restricts flammable toiletries and sprays. Check the list for your actual items instead of copying an airline packing rule. China Railway 12306 — restricted items

Check your bags and charging equipment against the China packing and power bank guide.

Know what you will do if plans change

Save the order number and know whether changes must be handled through 12306 or the seller you used. Refund and change charges depend on timing and ticket conditions; read the current terms before confirming a change.

After boarding, check the carriage and seat, put your larger bag in an appropriate luggage area and keep the arrival station visible in your notes. The journey can then become part of the visit: time to rest, look out of the window and arrive with some attention left for the next place.