Travel Essentials
How to Use 12306 as a Foreigner
Learn how foreign travelers can register for China Railway 12306, verify a passport, book train tickets, use waitlists, change tickets and request refunds.
If you plan to travel around China by train, 12306 is the official booking system worth knowing.
It is operated by China Railway and can be used to:
- Search train schedules
- Buy tickets
- Manage bookings
- Change tickets
- Request refunds
- Use the official waitlist system when eligible trains are sold out
Foreign travelers can use their passports to register, complete identity verification and buy real-name train tickets.
The setup can feel less intuitive than using an international booking platform, but once your account and passport are verified, 12306 is extremely useful — especially if you plan to take several trains.
The Short Version
Before your trip:
- Create a 12306 account
- Add your foreign passport information
- Complete identity verification
- Search your route
- Choose a train and seat class
- Add the passenger
- Pay for the ticket
- Save your train number, station, carriage and seat
- Bring the original passport used to book the ticket
If online passport verification fails, do not wait until the last minute.
Manual verification may take several working days.
What Is 12306?
12306 is China Railway's official railway ticketing platform.
You can access it through:
- The 12306 website
- The English-language 12306 website
- The Railway 12306 mobile app
- Railway station ticket offices
For international travelers, it is the official source for Chinese railway tickets and schedules.
Do Foreigners Really Need 12306?
Not necessarily.
You can also book Chinese trains through platforms such as Trip.com.
For one or two simple train journeys, an international booking platform may be easier.
But 12306 becomes particularly useful if you:
- Take several train journeys
- Travel during busy periods
- Want direct access to railway inventory
- Need to change tickets
- Need to refund tickets
- Want to use China's official waitlist system
- Prefer booking directly from China Railway
You do not have to choose only one platform.
12306 vs Trip.com
12306
Best if you want:
- Direct China Railway booking
- Official inventory
- Official waitlist functions
- Direct ticket management
- No third-party booking layer
Trip.com
Best if you want:
- A more familiar international interface
- Hotels, trains and flights in one app
- Less setup for a short trip
For a first-time visitor with many train journeys, our recommendation is:
set up 12306 before departure even if you also use Trip.com.
Step 1: Use the Official 12306 Platform
The official English website is:
12306.cn
Be careful with websites using similar names.
Train tickets are a common travel purchase, so search results may include agents, booking platforms and advertisements.
Third-party platforms are not necessarily bad, but they are not the same thing as China Railway's official system.
Step 2: Create an Account
On the English 12306 website, choose the registration option.
Foreign travelers registering through the English site currently use a foreign passport as their identity document.
You may be asked for information such as:
- Full name
- Passport number
- Passport expiration date
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Username
- Password
- Email address
Enter your details carefully.
Use your passport name
Your name should match the passport you will actually use to travel.
Do not casually replace it with:
- A nickname
- Informal English name
- Social-media name
Real-name ticketing depends on your identity information matching your travel document.
Step 3: Complete Passport Identity Verification
China Railway uses a real-name ticketing system.
Foreign travelers must complete identity verification before buying tickets through 12306.
There are several possible routes.
Automatic verification
Enter the requested:
- Name
- Nationality
- Passport number
- Other identity information
If the system can verify the information automatically, your account can proceed to ticket purchase.
Manual online verification
If automatic verification does not work, you may be asked to upload passport information for manual review.
Current 12306 passport-verification guidance may require clear passport images, and the system can request:
- Passport information-page photo
- Photo showing you holding the passport information page
Follow the current instructions shown in the system.
Railway station verification
You can also take your valid passport to a railway station ticket office and complete identity verification there.
Do Passport Verification Before You Need a Ticket
This is important.
Current 12306 guidance states that manual document review can take approximately 3–5 working days.
That means this is a bad plan:
Register for 12306 tonight because you need tomorrow morning's train.
Set up the account before your trip if possible.
Even if you ultimately book through another platform, having a verified 12306 account gives you another option.
What If Passport Verification Fails?
Check the basics first.
1. Name
Make sure the name matches your passport.
2. Passport number
Check every character carefully.
3. Nationality
Make sure the selected nationality is correct.
4. Passport expiry date
Check the date format.
5. Uploaded images
Make sure the passport page is:
- Clear
- Fully visible
- Not blurred
- Not covered by glare
- Not cropped
- Free from objects covering important information
6. Try manual verification
If automatic verification repeatedly fails, follow the current manual-verification process.
7. Go to a railway station
If necessary, take the original passport to a ticket office for verification.
Step 4: Add Passengers
Once your account is verified, you can manage passenger information.
If you are booking only for yourself, make sure your own verified identity appears correctly.
If you are booking for other travelers, add their passenger information according to the current 12306 requirements.
Each traveler needs the appropriate real-name identity information.
For foreign visitors, this will normally include passport details.
Can One Person Book for Several Travelers?
Yes, subject to the current passenger-management and booking rules.
You do not necessarily need every member of your travel group to make a completely separate ticket purchase.
But each passenger's real identity information needs to be entered correctly.
Double-check:
- Name
- Passport number
- Nationality
before payment.
A typo is much more annoying to deal with after the ticket has been issued.
Step 5: Search for a Train
Enter:
- Departure station
- Destination station
- Travel date
Then search.
You will see available trains and seat classes.
Pay very close attention to the station names.
City Name Is Not the Same as Station Name
This is one of the easiest mistakes to make.
Large Chinese cities can have several major railway stations.
For example:
Beijing
- Beijing
- Beijing South
- Beijing West
- Beijing North
- Beijing Chaoyang
Shanghai
- Shanghai
- Shanghai Hongqiao
- Shanghai South
Do not choose based only on the city.
Check where the station actually is before booking.
Read next: How to Take China's High-Speed Trains as a Foreigner
Step 6: Understand the Train Results
You will normally see:
- Train number
- Departure time
- Arrival time
- Journey duration
- Departure station
- Arrival station
- Available seat classes
- Ticket availability
- Price
Common high-speed train categories include:
- G
- D
- C
For most travelers, the exact technical category matters less than:
time + station + journey duration + seat availability.
Step 7: Choose a Seat Class
Common high-speed rail seat classes include:
Second Class
The standard choice for most travelers.
Good balance of:
- Comfort
- Price
- Availability
First Class
Offers more space and fewer seats per row.
Business Class
Available on some trains and much more expensive.
For most ordinary trips:
Second Class is completely adequate.
Step 8: Confirm the Passenger
Select the passenger or passengers traveling on the ticket.
Before continuing, check:
- Passenger name
- Passport number
- Travel date
- Train number
- Departure station
- Arrival station
This is the point where spending ten seconds checking can prevent a much bigger problem later.
Step 9: Pay for the Ticket
Foreign travelers can buy tickets online through 12306 after completing identity verification.
Current official guidance states that online payment can support payment methods including:
- Chinese bank cards
- Foreign bank cards
- Mobile payment services
The exact options shown may depend on the current platform and payment environment.
Choose the method available to you and complete payment within the time shown on the booking screen.
What Happens If You Don't Pay in Time?
When 12306 temporarily reserves a seat for your order, you need to complete payment before the countdown expires.
If you do not:
the order is automatically cancelled and the seat is released.
Do not start another booking and forget that an unfinished order is still waiting for payment.
Step 10: Check Your Booking
After successful payment, confirm that the ticket appears in your order list.
Save:
- Train number
- Date
- Departure time
- Departure station
- Arrival station
- Carriage
- Seat
A screenshot is useful as a backup.
But remember:
your screenshot is not your travel identity document.
You still need the original passport linked to the booking.
Do You Need to Collect a Paper Ticket?
Usually, no.
China Railway uses electronic tickets.
Foreign travelers normally use the original passport connected to the booking for station and boarding checks.
An itinerary sheet or booking confirmation can be useful for reference, but it is not the actual boarding credential.
When Do Tickets Go on Sale?
China Railway uses an advance-sale period.
As of September 2026, normal railway tickets are generally available 15 days in advance, including the travel date.
For example, on September 26, tickets were being sold through October 10.
However, the exact time of day that tickets begin selling varies by departure station.
That means two stations may release tickets for the same travel date at different times.
For high-demand journeys, check the current on-sale time for your departure station.
Popular Tickets Can Sell Out Quickly
This is especially true around:
- Spring Festival
- Labour Day holiday
- National Day holiday
- Summer travel season
- Popular weekends
- Major events
If you are traveling during a major Chinese holiday, do not assume you can buy a ticket at the station on the day.
Plan around the current sale period.
What Is 12306 Waitlisting?
If a train or seat class is sold out, 12306 may offer a waitlist option, commonly called 候补 (hòubǔ).
Instead of repeatedly refreshing the app, you can submit a waitlist request.
If qualifying tickets become available, the system can attempt to obtain them for you automatically.
How Does Waitlisting Work?
Current 12306 rules allow verified registered users to submit waitlist requests.
The system can let you specify:
- Travel dates
- Trains
- Seat classes
- A waitlist deadline
You prepay based on the relevant ticket price.
If the system successfully gets a ticket:
- A confirmed paid ticket is created
- Any excess prepaid amount is refunded
If the system cannot obtain a ticket:
- The waitlist eventually closes
- The prepaid amount is returned
Is a Waitlist Guaranteed?
No.
A waitlist is not a confirmed ticket.
The system may show an estimated chance of success, but this is not a guarantee.
Keep checking your order status.
If you absolutely must travel at a particular time, consider backup trains or routes.
Current Waitlist Flexibility
The current 12306 waitlist system is more flexible than many older guides describe.
At present, the official rules allow users to maintain multiple pending waitlist orders and add multiple train/date combinations within an order.
Because these rules have changed over time, we do not recommend memorizing a fixed number from an old blog post.
Use the limits displayed by the current 12306 interface when you submit your request.
A Useful Waitlist Strategy
Instead of waitlisting only:
one exact train + one exact seat
consider adding acceptable alternatives.
For example:
- Several trains within a two-hour window
- Second Class and First Class
- Nearby stations where practical
The more realistic alternatives you accept, the more opportunities the system has to match a ticket.
Only choose options you would genuinely be willing to take.
What If the Train You Want Is Sold Out?
Try this order:
- Check nearby departure times
- Check other seat classes
- Use 12306 waitlisting
- Check other stations in the same city
- Consider a transfer itinerary
- Check whether additional trains are later released
Do not assume “sold out” today means there is zero chance of traveling.
Tickets can return to inventory after cancellations and schedule adjustments.
How to Change a Ticket
12306 refers to ticket changes using terms such as endorsement or rescheduling.
Foreign travelers can change eligible tickets through:
- 12306 website
- 12306 app
- Railway station ticket office
Whether a ticket can be changed depends on:
- Timing
- Ticket status
- Availability
- Current railway rules
A fare difference or service charge may apply depending on the new journey.
How Late Can You Change a Ticket?
Current 12306 English-site rules allow ticket endorsement within the applicable railway rules and no later than the limits shown for the ticket.
The system currently also allows certain changes later on the original travel date.
Because China Railway has adjusted change rules over time, the safest approach is:
open the booking in 12306 and check the options shown for that specific ticket.
Do not rely on an old screenshot or travel blog for a deadline-sensitive change.
What Is “Change of Destination”?
12306 also has a change of destination function under certain conditions.
This is different from simply changing the departure time.
Current English-site rules require the destination-change request to be made sufficiently before departure, and restrictions apply after a ticket has already been changed.
For most ordinary tourists, standard rescheduling is more common.
Use the function only if it matches your actual change.
How to Refund a Ticket
Eligible tickets can be refunded through:
- 12306 website
- 12306 app
- Railway station ticket office
Online refunds generally need to be processed before the train's departure under current rules.
Refund fees can depend on how close the cancellation is to departure.
Current Refund Fee Structure
Under current China Railway rules, normal refund fees generally increase as departure approaches.
A commonly applicable structure is:
- 8 days or more before departure: no refund fee
- More than 48 hours before departure: 5%
- 24–48 hours before departure: 10%
- Less than 24 hours before departure: 20%
Special periods and changed tickets can be subject to additional rules.
Always check the fee shown by 12306 before confirming a refund.
Where Does the Refund Go?
For online bookings, refunds are generally returned to the original payment method according to the relevant payment-channel rules.
The money may not appear instantly.
Check the original:
- Bank card
- Mobile-payment account
- Payment method
used for the purchase.
What If Your Trip Is Cancelled by the Railway?
Railway disruptions can happen because of:
- Weather
- Operational changes
- Natural disasters
- Other exceptional circumstances
If China Railway cancels or changes a service, follow the options shown in 12306 or instructions provided by station staff.
Do not assume the normal voluntary-refund rules apply in exactly the same way to a railway-caused cancellation.
Can You Buy a Ticket at the Railway Station Instead?
Yes.
Foreign travelers can buy tickets at railway station ticket offices using valid identity documents.
Official guidance states that station ticket offices can support payment methods including:
- Chinese bank cards
- Foreign bank cards
- RMB cash
- Mobile payments
depending on the counter and available payment facilities.
Buying at the station is useful if:
- Online verification failed
- Your itinerary changed suddenly
- You need staff assistance
- You do not want to use the app
But popular trains may already be sold out.
Can Foreigners Use Ticket Machines?
Do not assume every self-service ticket machine supports a foreign passport.
Machine capability varies.
Foreign Permanent Resident ID Cards have broader self-service support.
For ordinary foreign passport holders, the staffed ticket office is the more reliable fallback if the online system is not working.
English Website or App?
The English 12306 website is useful for:
- Registration
- Searching trains
- Buying tickets
- Viewing bookings
- Changes
- Refunds
The mobile app may offer additional functions and can be more convenient while traveling.
Some newer or more advanced functions may appear more clearly in the app than on the English website.
If you plan to travel extensively by train, it is worth having the app installed even if you initially register through the English website.
What Are the 12306 Service Hours?
12306 does not handle every online function at every minute of the day.
The English website currently provides:
- Information queries and ticket refunds around the clock
- Ticket sales and ticket-change services during defined daily service hours
Current published English-site hours list ticket sales and endorsement from roughly 05:00 until 01:00 the following day, with shorter hours on Tuesday.
If a purchase function appears unavailable late at night, this may be why.
What If You Forgot Your Password?
Use the official account-recovery process rather than creating duplicate accounts unnecessarily.
Your 12306 identity is connected to real-name passenger information.
Keep your:
- Username
- Registered email
- Mobile number where applicable
accessible.
Common Problem 1: “My Passport Won't Verify”
Try:
- Rechecking the name
- Rechecking passport number
- Checking nationality
- Uploading clearer images
- Manual passport verification
- Railway station verification
Do not wait until your travel day to start this process.
Common Problem 2: “My Name Is Too Long”
Foreign names do not always fit neatly into systems designed primarily around Chinese identity formats.
Follow 12306's current passport-name instructions exactly.
Do not invent abbreviations unless the platform explicitly tells you to.
If the account cannot be verified, use the manual-review option or railway ticket office.
Common Problem 3: “I Found the City but the Station Looks Wrong”
Check the complete station name.
For example:
Shanghai
and
Shanghai Hongqiao
are different stations.
Use a map before paying.
Common Problem 4: “Payment Failed”
Check:
- Internet connection
- Card details
- Overseas transactions
- Bank security alert
- Mobile-payment account
- Payment deadline
If one payment method fails, try another supported option.
Read next: How to Pay in China as a Foreigner
Common Problem 5: “My Ticket Disappeared”
Check:
- Ticket Orders
- Travel date
- Booking date
- Passenger name
- Whether payment actually completed
12306's online order history is retained for a limited period.
Keep your own travel itinerary as well.
Common Problem 6: “There Are No Tickets”
Check:
- Another departure time
- Another seat class
- Another station
- Waitlist
- Transfer routes
Popular routes may have many services each day.
One sold-out train does not necessarily mean the whole route is sold out.
Common Problem 7: “The App Is More Chinese Than I Expected”
Some parts of the 12306 ecosystem can still feel less internationalized than mainstream global travel apps.
Keep a translation app available.
You can also use:
- English 12306 website
- Trip.com
- Railway station staff
as backups.
You do not need to solve every function inside the app yourself.
Booking for a Major Chinese Holiday
If your trip overlaps with:
- Spring Festival
- National Day
- Labour Day
- Another major public holiday
rail travel can become extremely busy.
Before the sale date:
- Verify your account
- Add your passengers
- Decide acceptable trains
- Decide acceptable seat classes
- Check when tickets for your departure station go on sale
Do not begin identity verification at the exact moment popular tickets are released.
12306 Setup Checklist
Account
- [ ] Official 12306 platform located
- [ ] Account created
- [ ] Email accessible
- [ ] Login details saved securely
Passport
- [ ] Passport details entered correctly
- [ ] Identity verification completed
- [ ] Manual review completed if necessary
- [ ] Original passport available for travel
Passenger
- [ ] Passenger name matches passport
- [ ] Passport number correct
- [ ] Nationality correct
Booking
- [ ] Correct city selected
- [ ] Correct railway station selected
- [ ] Train number checked
- [ ] Departure date checked
- [ ] Seat class checked
Payment
- [ ] Payment method working
- [ ] Order confirmed
- [ ] Booking appears in order list
Travel
- [ ] Train number saved
- [ ] Station saved in map app
- [ ] Departure time saved
- [ ] Carriage and seat saved
- [ ] Original passport packed
The Setup We Recommend
If you know you will take Chinese trains, do this before flying to China:
- Create a 12306 account
- Complete passport verification
- Install the app
- Learn where your ticket orders appear
- Check the stations on your planned route
Then you can decide whether you actually book through:
12306
or
Trip.com
You do not have to become a 12306 expert.
The important thing is to remove the biggest potential obstacle — identity verification — before you urgently need a ticket.
Once that is done, booking Chinese trains becomes much easier.
Official Sources
This guide was checked against information published by:
- China Railway 12306
- Official 12306 foreign-passport identity-verification guidance
- The State Council of the People's Republic of China
- Official guidance for foreign travelers using China's railway system
Ticket-sale periods, verification procedures, waitlist rules, change conditions and refund fees can change. Always check the current information displayed by China Railway 12306 before confirming a booking.