Foreign visitors can buy China high-speed train tickets with a valid passport through the official 12306 English website, the Railway 12306 app or a staffed station ticket counter. Bring the same original passport when you travel: a booking screenshot is useful for finding your train, but does not replace your travel document.
Last policy check: September 7, 2026. By Ning (宁), Tocntravel. This guide covers ordinary high-speed train journeys within mainland China. Hong Kong cross-border services have additional rules.
On this page
- Passport details and verification
- When tickets go on sale
- How to book on 12306
- Station counters and booking services
- Children’s tickets
- What to do at the station
- Refunds and changes
- Itineraries and expense invoices
- Common questions
- Sources and update notes
Prepare your passport and complete verification
Set up your account before the day you want to buy tickets. Keep your passport beside you and check your name, nationality, passport number and expiry date. Enter names using the format requested by 12306; do not replace your passport name with a nickname.
Complete the identity checks shown in your account. If automatic verification does not work, foreign passport holders can submit passport photos for review or take the original passport to a staffed station ticket counter. See 12306’s passport verification guide and the government transport guide for foreign visitors.
A pending or failed check needs attention before you rely on the account for booking. Verified identity fields cannot simply be edited online; unusually long names or special characters may need station assistance. The current 12306 identity verification notice (Chinese) explains these cases. Allow time to resolve them before your preferred train goes on sale.
This walkthrough uses a foreign passport. If you travel with another accepted identity document, check which booking channel supports it; station counters accept a wider range of documents than some online services.
How far ahead can you buy China train tickets?
The normal booking window is 15 calendar days, including today. That means today plus the next 14 days, rather than 15 full days ahead. Check the live 12306 ticket presale calendar for the latest bookable date and use its “Starting Sales Time” link to check your station’s release time.
Prepare one or two alternative departures if your itinerary is flexible. Compare the arrival time with hotel check-in and any onward connection, and avoid planning a tight transfer on your first rail journey. A commercial platform accepting an early reservation request does not mean the railway has issued a ticket.
How to book on the 12306 website or app
1. Search the exact stations and travel date
Open 12306 in English or choose English in the Railway 12306 app. Enter your departure, destination and date; the website has a “High-speed trains only” option. Read the full station names in the results. A city can have several stations, so check where you will actually board and arrive before choosing a train.
2. Compare trains, seats and the total price
Look at journey time, departure time, available seat classes and price together. For a straightforward first trip, start by comparing second class, then decide whether the available first or business class option is worth the extra cost to you. Seat classes and layouts vary by service; use the details shown for that train.
3. Select each passenger and check the details
Add every traveler using their own valid identity document, including children who need a ticket. Check the passenger list, date, train, station names and seat class before paying. If you are traveling with a child who qualifies for free travel, declare the child as part of the booking rather than leaving them out.
4. Pay and confirm that the ticket was issued
Choose a payment method offered at checkout and finish within the displayed time limit. The official guide for foreign visitors lists Chinese and foreign bank cards and mobile payment apps among the payment options. Acceptance depends on the channel and your card or account; check any issuer charges separately.
Open your completed order and check its status. Save the train number, departure time, station names, carriage and seat details for easy reference. A payment attempt, booking request or waitlist request alone is not a confirmed ticket.
Buying at a station or through a booking service
At a staffed station ticket counter, bring your original passport and show the route, date and preferred departure in writing. If you need help with identity verification, say so before asking for tickets. Allow extra time for the queue and any checks.
The government transport guide lists RMB cash, bank cards and mobile payments for counter purchases, subject to the payment methods available there. Check the ticket details before leaving the window.
A travel company or commercial booking platform can provide assistance, but its service is separate from buying directly from 12306. Read its service charges, ticket-issuance status and refund process before paying. If it buys on your behalf, ask how you will receive the confirmed booking and request changes later.
Train tickets for children: use age on the travel date
For real-name domestic bookings, the current 12306 children’s ticket rules use age, not height:
- Aged 6 to 13: buy a child discount ticket. The rule applies from the sixth birthday until the day before the fourteenth birthday.
- Aged 14 or older: buy a full-fare ticket.
- Under 6 without a separate seat: each adult holding a ticket may bring one child free. Any additional child, or a child who needs their own seat, needs a child discount ticket.
Use the child’s age on the day of travel. Buy a child ticket with the child’s own valid identity document. For a free child, declare them when booking and bring the child’s original valid document used for that declaration. A child discount ticket must match the accompanying adult’s travel date, train and seat class, with a destination no farther away.
At the station: passport, security and boarding
Tocntravel planning tip: for your first visit to a large station, aim to arrive 45–60 minutes before departure, with more time for holidays or unresolved passport verification. This is a planning allowance, not a railway check-in deadline.
- Check the station before setting off. Match its full name to your confirmed booking, then find the departure entrance.
- Keep original passports ready. Use the document linked to each ticket. If an automatic reader cannot process your passport, ask for the staffed check channel.
- Allow time for security and walking. Find your train number and boarding gate on the departure board.
- Follow the displayed boarding cutoff. Gates close before departure; there is no single five-minute rule to use for every station.
- Board your booked train and seat. Keep your passport accessible for checks on board and when leaving the arrival station.
The 12306 English FAQ on boarding explains document checks and advance gate closure. Follow the cutoff announced at your station. Store bags securely and keep aisles clear; consult the current railway rules before bringing oversized luggage or restricted items.
If you are moving to another city, our China accommodation registration guide explains what to do at your next hotel or private address.
Changing or refunding a train ticket
If your plans change, act promptly through 12306 or your booking provider. Ordinary voluntary refunds must be requested before the booked train departs. Fees and change options depend on timing, ticket history and availability; check the amount displayed before confirming. See the current refund and rebooking rules (Chinese).
Bought the wrong ticket? Check the 2026 free-refund option
For eligible 12306 bookings, a mistaken purchase can be refunded without a fee within 30 minutes of successful payment, provided departure is at least four hours away. The allowance is one order per purchaser per calendar day. It covers qualifying electronic or points payments, with conditions and exclusions.
Rebooked tickets, preorders, waitlist orders and several special products are excluded; do not assume every order qualifies. Check question 17 of the 12306 English FAQ and the China Railway announcement reproduced on the official Chongqing Party-building website (Chinese). The service applies to eligible journeys from February 2, 2026 onward.
Do you need a paper ticket or an expense invoice?
For the passport-based e-ticket journey described here, you do not need to collect a paper ticket to board. Keep these separate: your e-ticket is the booking, an itinerary sheet shows journey details, and an invoice is for expenses. Neither a screenshot nor an itinerary sheet replaces your original passport.
Regular railway passenger reimbursement switched fully to electronic invoices from October 1, 2025. An itinerary sheet can still be printed, but is not an invoice or boarding document. See the official government notice on the end of paper reimbursement tickets.
If you need an expense invoice, request it within 180 days after the journey ends; the same period runs from the transaction date for refund or rebooking fees. The State Taxation Administration’s railway invoice guidance explains the process. Use the available 12306 invoice service or ask a staffed counter for help; special ticket products can follow different arrangements.
China train tickets: common questions
Do I need a Chinese phone number?
12306 allows foreign passengers to provide a verified email address as their contact. Follow the English registration and verification prompts rather than assuming a mainland mobile number is your only option. Keep that email accessible for booking notices.
Can I book tickets for family members in my account?
Yes. Add them to your passenger list and complete the required identity checks for each traveler. Use each person’s own passport details, and make sure everyone carries the original document used for their ticket or free-child declaration.
Is a waitlist request a confirmed ticket?
No. A waitlist request asks the system to allocate a ticket if suitable availability appears before your selected deadline. Check whether it has actually been fulfilled, and keep a backup plan until you have a confirmed booking.
What if my passport name or number is wrong?
Correct errors before paying. If verification has locked the details or a ticket has already been issued, contact 12306 or a staffed station counter promptly. Do not assume that changing your account profile also corrects an existing ticket; a refund and new booking may be needed.
What if I miss my train?
Ask 12306 or station staff about rebooking immediately. Under the current domestic rules, eligible tickets can be changed before midnight on the original travel date, subject to availability and any applicable fees. An ordinary voluntary refund is no longer available after departure.
Does this guide cover trains to Hong Kong?
The passport preparation tips can help, but Hong Kong West Kowloon cross-border tickets have separate carriage rules and border procedures. Check the cross-border section of the current 12306 rules and your entry requirements before booking. A rail ticket does not establish visa or visa-free eligibility.
For these questions, see 12306’s verified-email contact rule, the Beijing government’s explanation of waitlist booking and the current domestic and cross-border carriage rules. For entry planning, start with our China visa-free entry guide.
Official sources and update notes
About the author: Ning (宁) is Tocntravel’s founder and route planning lead. Meet Ning and the team. This guide combines practical travel planning advice with railway rules; 12306 and station staff handle individual booking and travel-document decisions.
Checked September 7, 2026: updated children’s age limits, electronic invoices, the booking window and the 2026 mistaken-purchase refund option. Removed unsupported verification-time promises. Where older English FAQ passages conflict with current notices, this guide follows the current Chinese rules.
- 12306: current railway rules and identity verification notice (Chinese)
- 12306: children’s tickets and identity documents (Chinese)
- 12306: live presale calendar and release times
- Jinan government: transport guide for foreign visitors (English and Chinese)
- China Railway: mistaken-purchase refund announcement (Chinese)
- State Taxation Administration: railway electronic invoices (Chinese)
Found an error or a newer official notice? Contact Tocntravel about this guide. Recheck the live booking screen and current 12306 notices before paying, especially if your ticket is a special product or cross-border service.
