Indonesia Arrival Card for Chinese Citizens

It's separate from Indonesia's visa requirements, which still apply to Chinese passport holders despite talk of a future visa-free arrangement. This guide covers what the Arrival Card asks for, how it fits alongside your visa, and the mistakes that trip up first-time filers.

Did you know? Indonesia has floated adding China to its visa-free list as early as 2026, but as of now that's still a proposal under evaluation — Chinese Citizens currently still need a visa on arrival or e-VOA, just like Australian and South Korean travelers. — Visa policy of Indonesia — Wikipedia

This is an independent guide, not an official government website. Below, you'll find everything Chinese citizens need to know about the Digital Arrival Card, plus how we can help you get it right.

What Is the Indonesia Arrival Card?

The Indonesia Arrival Card — officially called "All Indonesia" — is a mandatory digital form for every traveler entering the country, regardless of nationality or visa type. Mandatory use began on October 1, 2025, replacing a patchwork of separate paper and online forms and consolidating your immigration details, customs declaration, and health information into a single system.

For Chinese Citizens, this means one online form does the job that used to require multiple check-ins at the airport. It's free to complete, takes about 2 to 5 minutes, and is submitted through the official portal at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id or the "All Indonesia" mobile app. It is not a visa — you'll still need whatever visa or visa-exemption applies to Chinese passport holders, and the arrival card is filed in addition to that.

Do Chinese Citizens Need a Visa to Enter Indonesia?

Chinese Citizens need a visa to enter Indonesia — China isn't on the visa-free list, despite periodic proposals to add it. The good news is that Chinese Citizens qualify for the visa on arrival (VOA), which can be bought at the airport or arranged in advance online as an e-VOA at evisa.imigrasi.go.id. It costs around IDR 500,000 (roughly USD 30–35), covers a 30-day stay, and can be extended exactly once for another 30 days, for a maximum total of 60 days.

Indonesia's tourism ministry has discussed adding China to the visa-free list, with 2026 mentioned as a possible target — but nothing has been finalized, so it's worth confirming the latest rules close to your travel date rather than assuming a change has already taken effect. Getting a visa doesn't change anything about the Arrival Card, though — Chinese Citizens still need to submit it separately, and if you arranged your e-VOA online in advance, you're also eligible to register for the automated e-Gates at evisa.imigrasi.go.id before you fly.

Indonesia Arrival Card vs. the Customs Declaration (e-CD) — Don't Confuse the Two

Here's where Chinese Citizens often get tripped up. While the arrival card now houses your customs declaration within the same submission, it's still a distinct section with its own set of questions — separate from your basic immigration and travel details.

Think of the All Indonesia form as having two halves:

• The arrival registration half covers who you are, where you're staying, and how you're arriving.
• The customs declaration half covers what you're bringing into the country — goods and cash above certain thresholds.

Older guides still reference a standalone "e-CD" system run separately by Indonesian customs authorities. That standalone system has since been folded into the unified All Indonesia form, but the customs questions themselves haven't gone away — they've simply moved into a section of the same form. Understanding this distinction matters, because skipping or rushing through the customs portion is one of the most common reasons Chinese Citizens get flagged for extra questions on arrival.

Who Needs to Complete It

Every foreign visitor entering Indonesia must file an arrival card, including Chinese Citizens traveling for tourism, business, or study. This applies regardless of whether you're arriving with a visa exemption, a visa on arrival, or an existing visa.

Every individual traveler — including children and infants — needs their own card and QR code. If you're traveling with family, one person can add everyone else's details within a single session, so you don't need to fill out separate forms from scratch for each person.

The only travelers exempt from this requirement are those already inside Indonesia taking a purely domestic flight between islands.

When to Register: the 72-Hour Window

Chinese Citizens should submit their arrival card within 72 hours (3 days) before their scheduled arrival in Indonesia — or, if that window is missed, on arrival itself at the airport or seaport. Submitting too early may cause the system to adjust your dates automatically, so it's worth aiming for one to two days before you fly rather than a week in advance.

Since the form only takes a few minutes, there's little benefit to rushing it the moment the window opens. Give yourself a buffer in case you need to double-check flight details, accommodation addresses, or passport information before submitting.

Information Chinese passport holders Need to Have Ready

Before you start the form, gather the following:

• Passport details: full name, date of birth, passport number, and expiry date
• Contact information: phone number and email address (your QR code confirmation will be sent here)
• Travel details: arrival and departure dates, plus your visa number if you already hold one
• Transport information: your flight or ship number and arrival airport or port
• Accommodation details: the name and address of where you're staying
• Customs information: number of luggage pieces, and any goods or cash you need to declare
• Health details: countries you've visited recently, and answers to a short symptom questionnaire

Having all of this on hand before you open the form will make the process faster and reduce the chance of errors.

How to Fill Out the Arrival Card — Step by Step

On a Desktop

1. Go to allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id and select English as your language.
2. Choose "Foreign Visitor."
3. Enter your passport and personal details manually.
4. Fill in your travel and visa information.
5. Add your transport and accommodation details.
6. Complete the customs and health declaration sections.
7. Add any family or group members traveling with you.
8. Submit the form and save your QR code confirmation.

On a Mobile Device

1. Download the official "All Indonesia" app for Android or iOS.
2. Open the app and select "Foreign Visitor."
3. Use your camera to scan your passport's MRZ code, or enter your details manually.
4. Complete your travel, transport, and accommodation information.
5. Fill in the customs and health declaration sections.
6. Submit the form and screenshot your QR code for offline access.

Completing the Customs Declaration (e-CD)

What You Must Declare

Within the customs section of the form, Chinese Citizens need to declare:

• Alcohol, tobacco, and electronics brought into the country, if they exceed Indonesia's duty-free allowances
• Cash or equivalent value exceeding IDR 100,000,000 (roughly USD 6,500)

One thing worth clarifying, since it's a common point of confusion online: IMEI registration for a phone used with a local SIM is not something most visitors covered in this guide need to worry about. It only applies to travelers staying in Indonesia longer than 90 days — well beyond the 30-to-60-day stays typical of visa-free entry or a visa on arrival. For a standard trip, a tourist SIM bought locally works without any separate IMEI registration step.

Getting Your QR Code

Once you've completed both the arrival registration and customs sections, you'll receive a single QR code that covers your entire submission. This is sent to your email and also displayed on-screen. Save it before you travel — a screenshot works fine — since you'll need to present it at the customs checkpoint near baggage claim, alongside your passport.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Submitting the form more than 72 hours before arrival, which may cause your dates to shift unexpectedly
• Skipping the customs section because it feels like a duplicate of the arrival registration
• Assuming IMEI registration applies to a short tourist trip — it only applies to stays beyond 90 days
• Assuming a completed arrival card guarantees access to the automated e-Gates — e-Gate access needs a separate registration, covered below
• Not saving your QR code before you lose signal on arrival
• Assuming a visa-free announcement for China has already taken effect. As of now it hasn't — it remains a proposal under evaluation. Chinese Citizens should plan on the visa on arrival / e-VOA process until an official change is confirmed.

What Happens at Immigration and Customs on Arrival

Once you land, you'll present your passport and your Arrival Card QR code at the checkpoint. The automated e-Gates are available to both ASEAN visa-free travelers and visa-on-arrival/e-visa holders — but only if you completed a separate e-Gate pre-registration at evisa.imigrasi.go.id before your trip. The Arrival Card itself doesn't enroll you in e-Gates automatically, so if you skipped that extra step, you'll go through the regular manned counter instead, which is perfectly normal and not a problem. At the customs checkpoint near baggage claim, an officer may scan your QR code and, if needed, ask about anything you declared.

If you arrive without having completed the Arrival Card in advance, you won't be denied entry — but you will need to complete the form on the spot using airport Wi-Fi or a kiosk, which can mean a longer wait during busy arrival periods.

How TravelDeclaration.com Can Help Chinese Citizens

You're always welcome to complete the Digital Arrival Card yourself directly through the official channel. Where we come in is everything around the process: reviewing your entries for the mistakes covered above, coordinating multiple passports and travelers in one household, and making sure nothing gets missed before you're standing at the gate.

We know there are other assisted-filing services out there — what we're focused on is being the most accurate and transparent one, not the only one.

More Indonesia Arrival Card Guides by Nationality

• Indonesia Arrival Card for Australian Citizens
• Indonesia Arrival Card for Malaysian Citizens
• Indonesia Arrival Card for Singaporean Citizens
• Indonesia Arrival Card for South Korean Citizens

FAQ for Chinese Citizens

Sources & Further Reading

• Visa policy of Indonesia — Wikipedia