Do I need to carry my passport everywhere in China?
By the MyChinaTrip team · checked 12 oct 2026Yes. In mainland China, foreigners aged 16 or over must carry their passport, another international travel document, or a foreigner stay/residence document for police inspection. For a passport-based visit, carry your original passport when you go out, including on days without a train or booked sight.
您好，这是我的护照原件和预订确认。请帮我核对预订信息，谢谢！
Meaning: Here are my original passport and booking confirmation. Please help me match the booking details.
Where you will need it
- Trains: bring the original passport recorded on the issued ticket for station entry and boarding.
- Hotel check-in: present your original passport and booking reference, then keep your passport after registration.
- Forbidden City: bring the original booking passport and successful reservation to the Meridian Gate passport-check route.
- Tiananmen Square: carry the matching original passport or accepted identity document with the valid reservation for the checkpoint.
- Terracotta Warriors: bring the original valid passport used to reserve admission; keep the reservation handy to locate the order.
Keep it practical
Keep the passport secure but accessible, and save a copy separately. A passport photo or booking screenshot does not replace the original document for the train, hotel and sight checks above.
If your passport is lost or stolen, report it to local police and contact your country's embassy or consulate for a replacement travel document. Keep the loss report and Chinese entry record together, and confirm the replacement document and departure arrangements with the relevant authorities before rebooking.