Railway 12306 铁路12306

China Railway’s official ticket app and website, in English and with no booking fee. Register with your passport; your passport is then your ticket.

UsefulSet up before you flyWorks with your own phone numberTakes foreign cards

App Store Android Website

Set it up at home

1
Install the official app or use the website
Install Railway 12306 (铁路12306), published by the China Academy of Railway Sciences, or use 12306.cn/en in a browser. Both have an English version for foreign passport holders. Look-alike apps charge extra fees, so check the developer name.
2
Register with your passport
Choose passport as your ID type. Scanning the passport fills in the details and avoids typos. Otherwise type your name as in the passport: surname first, then all given names, up to 30 characters. Add your email and your own phone number with its country code, then click the link in the activation email.
3
Wait for passport verification
You cannot buy tickets until your passport is verified. It often takes minutes but can take up to 24 hours, so register at least a day before you want to book. If it fails, upload a clear photo of the passport page and a photo of yourself holding the passport, or verify in person at a station ticket office.
4
Add your fellow travellers
Add each person in your passenger list with their name and passport number exactly as in their passport. Each passenger must pass verification before you can buy a ticket for them, so do this at the same time as your own registration.
5
Know how you will pay
At checkout, the international card option takes Visa and Mastercard among others; American Express does not work. You can also pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay if you have them set up. Pay within the time shown on the payment page, or the order is cancelled.
6
Mark the day tickets go on sale
Tickets normally go on sale 15 days before departure. Popular trains, weekends and Chinese holidays sell out early, so set a reminder and book as soon as your dates are fixed.

Using it in China

Your passport is your ticket

There is nothing to print or collect. Scan your passport at the station entrance, go through security, then scan it again at the boarding gate. If the automatic gate does not read it, use the staffed lane. Carry the same passport you booked with.

Choosing seats

On high-speed trains, second-class seats are lettered A, B, C, D and F: A and F are by the window, C and D on the aisle. When the app offers seat choice, pick your letter; if not enough seats match, the system assigns seats and a group may be split across coaches.

Changes and refunds

You can change or refund in the app under your orders. Each ticket can be changed once. Refunds are free 8 days or more before departure; after that the fee rises from 5% to 20% the closer you get to departure. Check the conditions shown before you confirm.

Check the station and arrive early

Many cities have several big stations far apart, so check the station name on your booking. Aim to arrive 45 to 60 minutes before departure. Gates usually close 3 to 5 minutes before the train leaves.

Problems and fixes

Verification has been pending for hours

It can take up to 24 hours. Make sure you clicked the link in the activation email and confirmed your phone number. Do not register a second account with the same passport. If it is still pending after a day, re-upload the photos or ask at a station ticket office; for an urgent trip, book on Trip.com instead.

Passport verification failed

Check the name, passport number and expiry date against your passport; letters O and I are easily mixed up with 0 and 1. Then choose to re-upload and send a sharp, glare-free photo of the passport page plus a photo of yourself holding the passport. If it still fails, verify at a station ticket office with your passport, or buy through Trip.com.

My name is rejected or too long

Enter the surname first, then all given names, as printed in the two code lines at the bottom of the passport page, without accents. The limit is 30 characters. Scanning the passport instead of typing usually gets the format right. If your name is longer than the limit, ask 12306 customer service or a station ticket office.

Payment failed

Approve the payment in your banking app if your bank blocked it, then pay again from the unpaid order before its time runs out. Try another card (Amex does not work) or Alipay or WeChat Pay. Avoid cancelling and re-booking: after more than three cancelled orders in one day you cannot buy online until the next day. If nothing works, book on Trip.com.

The train I want is sold out

If the app offers a waitlist (候补), you can join it: you prepay, and if a seat frees up the ticket is issued automatically; if not, the prepayment is refunded in full. It is not guaranteed. Also try other trains, another seat class, other stations in the same city, or check again later, as returned tickets come back on sale.

The gate will not read my passport

This is common with foreign passports. Go to the staffed lane and show your passport; staff can see your ticket on it. Make sure you carry the passport you booked with: a renewed passport has a different number and will not match the ticket.

The phone or email code does not arrive

Check your spam folder for the email. For texts, check the country code, leave out any leading 0, and make sure your home SIM can receive texts while roaming. Wait a minute before asking for a new code.