The official way to book a China Railway ticket with a foreign passport is the 12306 English website, www.12306.cn/en/. You register with your passport details, complete identity verification, search for a train, and pay with a method the site accepts — typically a card that 12306 lists at the time, which has included international cards and UnionPay. You board with the original passport you booked under; the ticket is tied to that document. Third-party agencies exist; we would rather you try the official site first. This page complements our high-speed rail guide and does not replace 12306’s own instructions, which can change.
最終確認日 · 初出 · 出典 2 件
重要な事実
| Official English site | https://www.12306.cn/en/ — China Railway’s English booking page |
|---|---|
| Document | Register with the same passport you will carry to the station. The name must match |
| Payment | Use a payment method 12306 lists when you book. International cards have been accepted; confirm at checkout |
| Boarding | Bring the original passport. A photo of it is not a substitute at the gate |
| Station names | ‘Shenzhen’ is not one station. Futian, Shenzhen North, Shenzhen, Shenzhen East and Shenzhen Airport are different places |
Use the official English site first
China Railway’s English booking site is www.12306.cn/en/. That is the address we recommend you type yourself, rather than following a random search ad. The Chinese 12306 site and app are more complete; the English site is the official path that is designed for a passport holder who does not read Chinese.
This page sits next to our longer high-speed rail guide, which covers station habits, classes of seat, and how early to arrive. Here we stay on the booking and identity steps.
Register, then verify
Create an account with your passport — the same one you will carry to the station. The name, number and expiry should match the document exactly. 12306 asks for identity verification; complete whatever the English site currently requires. This can take a little time. Do it before you are standing in a hotel lobby trying to catch a train in two hours.
When you search, use the exact station names. In Shenzhen, Futian (福田), Shenzhen North (深圳北), Shenzhen (深圳), Shenzhen East (深圳东) and Shenzhen Airport (深圳机场) are different stations, and a ticket for one will not let you board at another. Guangzhou has the same problem: Guangzhou South is not Guangzhou Station. Our Shenzhen to Guangzhou page is a worked example.
Pay, then keep the booking
At checkout, 12306 lists the payment methods it accepts at that moment. International cards have been among them, as has UnionPay; we will not freeze a list that the railway can change. If a card is declined, try another accepted method, or buy at a staffed window with your passport. A screenshot or a booking reference in the 12306 account is worth keeping, together with a screenshot of the train number, the carriage and the seat.
Agencies and overseas resellers exist and often add a fee. We are not running a campaign against them. We are saying the official site is the first place to try, and the one whose rules we can describe with a straight face.
At the station
Arrive earlier than you would for a metro ride — 15 minutes is a tight minimum at a quiet mid-sized station; 30–40 minutes is more comfortable at Shenzhen North or Guangzhou South. Bring the original passport. Gates and staff check the document, not a phone photo. Follow the signs for your ticket type; if you are unsure whether you need to collect a paper ticket, ask at a window. Security screening (bags, a walk-through) sits before the waiting hall in the usual Chinese-station pattern.
If you miss the train, 12306’s own change and refund rules apply; they depend on how close you are to departure. We will not paraphrase a penalty table that is better read on the site or at the window on the day.
よくある質問
Can I book a China train ticket with a passport only?
Yes. On the 12306 English site you register as a passport holder, complete the identity steps the site asks for, and book in your own name. You must take that passport to the station.
Is there an official English app?
The English website is the official path we can point to. China Railway’s main 12306 app is Chinese-first. Third-party apps exist; we are not recommending one, and we are not warning you off them with unsourced claims. Start with www.12306.cn/en/.
What if payment fails?
Try a different accepted card, or a UnionPay card if you have one. If the official site still declines, a staffed ticket window at a large station can often sell you a ticket with your passport — earlier in the day is better, and popular trains do sell out.
Do I need to collect a paper ticket?
Practice has moved toward passport-as-ticket at the gate for many services. Follow the instruction 12306 gives you for that booking. If in doubt, a staffed window at the station can advise, with your passport in hand.