Do I need a paper ticket or QR code to board a China train?

At a glance

• China Railway ties real-name tickets to the passenger’s identity document; foreign passengers can use a valid passport. [1]
• For railway e-tickets, the original document used for purchase is checked at entry and boarding. [1]
• An itinerary sheet and a reimbursement receipt cannot be used as a ticket to board. [1]
• MTR’s 12306 walkthrough shows Order and Check order details for reviewing the purchase; ticket prices are in RMB. [2]

What to do next

1. Open the issued order before leaving the hotel. Match the name and passport number to the document you are carrying, and confirm the actual date and train. A pending reservation needs to be resolved before you head to the station.
2. Save the departure station, departure time, train number, carriage and seat in an offline note or screenshot. Include the station’s Chinese name so your driver goes to the right building. Keep the original passport somewhere you can reach without unpacking the suitcase.
3. At the station entrance, present the booking passport for the identity and ticket check. If an automated lane does not process it, show the passport and train details to staff and ask for the manual channel.
4. Pass through the station’s security inspection and find the waiting area for your train. Read the station display for the gate and boarding status. Use the train number and departure time together rather than relying only on the destination.
5. When boarding opens, keep the passport ready again and follow the assigned gate. Show the carriage and seat information to staff if you are unsure where to wait on the platform.
6. Keep the original passport accessible until you have left the arrival station. Put it away safely afterwards, together with the saved journey details if you will need them for a later ticket query.

If your situation is different

You booked through Trip.com or another service: use its final issued-ticket details to locate the train, and carry the same original passport recorded in the order. The booking channel does not replace the railway’s identity check.

You only have an email saying the reservation was submitted: check issuance before travelling. Look for the final train and passenger ticket record. A missing QR and an unissued ticket are different problems, and only the latter needs a new booking decision.

The passport number in the order is wrong: contact the issuing channel or a railway counter before boarding time. Bring the original passport and show the exact discrepancy. Do not rely on a screenshot with the correct number if the ticket itself has different identity data.

The original passport is lost or replaced: go to a staffed railway counter with the documents and booking information you have and ask what identity procedure applies. Build extra time into that journey; do not arrive at an automated gate with only a photograph and expect normal processing.

Common mistakes

• Printing an itinerary sheet and leaving the passport at the hotel: the original booking document is the important item to carry.
• Looking for a universal boarding QR in the booking email: establish ticket issuance and passenger identity instead.
• Joining an automated lane repeatedly after it rejects the passport: ask staff for manual checking while there is still time.
• Following somebody travelling to the same city: compare your own train number, time and gate on the display.

Quick questions