Is there a way to check your China entry and exit record online? The NIA government-service platform lists an entry-exit record query in its citizen document-information area, but it publishes no equivalent self-service query for foreign nationals: its foreigner-service area lists different functions, and an older official FAQ expressly says foreigners could not directly use the border-inspection record-query route. Identify the exact record and purpose, then ask the competent exit-entry or border-inspection authority for the current foreign-national procedure.［1］［2］

Key Takeaways

First decide whether you need a formal official record or only to reconstruct travel dates.

Do not register in a Chinese-citizen service with inaccurate identity information.

Ask which authority owns the period, port, and purpose of your request.

Treat older port self-service or embassy-assisted guidance as a lead to confirm, not a current guarantee.

Use passport stamps, tickets, and accommodation records only as supporting evidence.

Minimize passport and movement data when contacting an authority or third party.

The China travel pillar covers general preparation. This guide focuses on obtaining or reconstructing your own movement history; it does not determine tax residence, immigration status, visa eligibility, or another person’s travel record.

What kind of China entry and exit record do you need?

“Entry record” can describe several different things. Ask the requesting organization what it will accept before collecting documents.

Need	Possible evidence	Key limitation
Confirm one recent movement	Passport stamp, boarding record, ticket, or port printout where currently offered	May omit other movements or lack formal certification
Obtain an official movement history	Record issued through the competent government procedure	Availability, period, identity check, format, and requester eligibility vary
Support a visa or residence application	Official record plus passport and application documents	The receiving authority decides what evidence is sufficient
Correct an apparent error	Official query result and source documents	Personal notes cannot amend the government record
Reconstruct dates for personal use	Passport, airline, railway, accommodation, calendar, and payment records	It is not an official immigration record
Support a tax or legal analysis	Official movement evidence reviewed with the applicable rules	Days present alone may not determine status

If a bank, employer, school, court, tax adviser, embassy, or immigration office requested the record, obtain its written requirement. Record period, issuing authority, paper or electronic format, seal or signature, translation, certification, and deadline can all matter.

Why does the citizen online route not automatically work for foreigners?

The NIA government-service portal currently shows an entry-exit record query under the general document-information query area. On the same page, the foreigner-service section lists procedure guidance, appointments, application status, document query, permanent-residence card query, arrival card, and accommodation registration; it does not present the same movement-record query as a foreigner self-service item.［1］

An NIA FAQ published in 2017 says it could not provide foreigners with an entry-exit record query and that border inspection stations handled applications from Chinese citizens, including residents of China Hong Kong, China Macao, and China Taiwan. That page remains online, but its age means it should not be treated as proof that no foreign-national route exists anywhere today. It does prove that the citizen procedure cannot safely be assumed to apply.［2］

Do not enter a false national identity number, choose a resident category that does not describe you, or use another person’s account to force access. A technical form submission would not create a valid official record and may expose sensitive identity and movement data.

Which authority should you contact?

Start with the purpose and geographic scope:

Recent port event: ask the immigration inspection authority at the port where the entry or exit occurred.
Local visa, stay, or residence matter: ask the public-security exit-entry administration handling the application.
Multi-port or longer-period history: ask NIA or the competent authority which office can receive a foreign-national request.
Overseas request: ask NIA or 12367 which authority and submission channel currently apply from abroad; do not assume a Chinese mission can route the request.
Unclear ownership: use 12367 to identify the competent office, required identity evidence, record period, and submission channel.

Prepare one precise question: “I am a foreign national requesting my own mainland China entry and exit movements from date A through date B for purpose C. Which authority currently accepts this request, what original identity document is required, and what format can it issue?”

The 12367 immigration service guide explains how to record jurisdiction, timeline, and the answer without assuming that the hotline itself issues the document.

Can a port print your latest movement record?

An older official NIA consultation response stated that foreigners could use available self-service equipment at a relevant port to print the latest entry-exit record. It also described a formal request made to NIA through the foreign national’s own country’s embassy in China.［3］

Because that response is from 2020 and describes operational availability rather than a permanent nationwide entitlement, verify all of the following before traveling to a port:

whether the specific port still provides the service;
whether it is before or after inspection and accessible without a ticket;
whether it supports your passport and biometric record;
whether it prints only the latest movement or a requested date range;
whether the output is informational or formally certified;
what staffed alternative exists if the machine cannot match you.

Do not buy a flight or cross a secure boundary solely to reach a machine unless the port has confirmed access and suitability. A printout of the latest event may not satisfy a request for a complete multi-year record.

How do you request a formal record as a foreign national?

There is no current universal foreigner self-service workflow published on the main NIA portal that this guide can promise. Use a verification-first process:

Ask the receiving organization for its exact evidence requirement.
Contact the competent exit-entry or border-inspection authority and state nationality, passport type, requested period, ports if known, purpose, and location.
Ask whether the request must be filed in person, through the foreign national’s own country’s embassy in China, by a lawful representative, or through another current channel.
Ask for the official application form, accepted identity documents, authorization requirements, processing time, fee, collection method, and issued format.
Confirm whether old and new passport numbers must both be supplied.
Submit only through the named official channel and keep the receipt or reference.
On collection, check name, nationality, passport numbers, date range, time zone or date convention, ports, direction, and issuing authority.
If the record is incomplete, request the correction or review procedure rather than altering the document.

If NIA confirms an embassy-assisted path, ask whether your own country’s embassy in China accepts the request, what role it performs, and how the final record will be delivered. The old NIA response is not enough to assume that every foreign embassy in China offers the service today.［3］

What identity and supporting documents should you prepare?

The deciding authority must provide the current list, but a useful preparation set includes:

current passport and any old passport used during the requested period;
copies of identity pages, visas, residence permits, stay permits, and entry or exit stamps;
full name variants used in bookings or earlier documents;
nationality and date of birth;
approximate entry and exit dates and ports;
written purpose and requested date range;
application or case reference from the organization asking for the record;
lawful representative authorization if the authority permits representation.

Do not send this full set in an initial public message. Begin with non-sensitive facts sufficient to identify the procedure. Provide passport numbers, scans, signatures, addresses, and movement history only after verifying the official channel and its need for each field.

How can you reconstruct travel dates while waiting?

Build a private chronology without presenting it as an official record.

List every passport used during the period and transcribe visible stamps.
Export airline and railway orders from official accounts where available.
Review boarding passes, e-tickets, baggage receipts, and itinerary emails.
Check accommodation records, calendar entries, employer travel orders, and insurance documents.
Review payment statements only for date and location clues; redact unrelated transactions.
Mark every uncertain date and every trip made through an e-gate or without a legible stamp.
Compare the chronology with the official result when received.

Supporting records can reveal a missing passport, a name variant, or the likely port needed for a follow-up. They cannot replace a formally issued record when the recipient requires one.

How do you review the issued record?

Check identity before dates. A record for a similarly named person is more serious than a single date typo.

Field	What to compare	Possible follow-up evidence
Name and nationality	Current and historical passports	Identity pages and name-change document
Passport number	Each document used in the period	Old passport or official replacement record
Direction	Entry versus exit	Ticket and boarding evidence
Date and port	Travel chronology	Boarding pass, carrier record, passport stamp
Requested period	First and last requested dates	Copy of the submitted request
Issuer and authenticity	Official seal, signature, electronic verification, or stated validation method	Issuing authority’s confirmation route

If a movement seems missing, do not add it by editing the PDF or paper. Contact the issuer with the document reference and concise evidence. Keep the unaltered original, the correction request, and the response as separate records.

How should you protect movement-record data?

An entry-exit history reveals identity, location, timing, and travel patterns. Store it as a sensitive identity record.

Keep the original in a controlled folder or physical file.
Share only the requested period and pages where the recipient permits partial disclosure.
Remove unrelated passport scans from email or chat after the official workflow is complete, subject to required retention.
Verify recipient address and organization before sending.
Avoid public cloud links with open access.
Do not upload the record to an unofficial “verification” website.
Record who received it, for what purpose, and when deletion or return is due.

If a recipient asks for far more movement history than its stated purpose requires, ask whether a shorter official period or redacted copy is acceptable. Do not alter official fields; request a suitable issuance format or provide a separate explanatory note.

What common problems should you expect?

Problem	Likely reason	Next step
Citizen app will not verify identity	Service is not the foreigner route	Stop retrying with inaccurate identity; ask the authority
Port machine shows no result	Passport, biometrics, service scope, or availability differs	Use staffed assistance and confirm the supported period
Old passport movements are missing	Record search used only the current number	Ask whether prior passport numbers can be linked
Recipient rejects a self-made timeline	It requires an official record	Obtain the specified government-issued format
Embassy does not offer the expected process	Older guidance or jurisdiction differs	Ask NIA/12367 for the current competent office
Dates conflict with your evidence	Time, port, direction, or identity record needs review	Preserve originals and request correction from the issuer
Third party asks for an account password	It is not a legitimate evidence requirement	Stop and use a verified official channel

Summary

Foreign nationals should not assume access to the Chinese-citizen online query.
Define the record period, purpose, format, and issuing-authority requirement first.
Ask NIA, 12367, or the competent port or local authority for the current procedure.
Confirm older port-printing and embassy-assisted guidance before relying on it.
Use personal records to reconstruct dates, not to impersonate an official certificate.
Review and protect the issued record as sensitive identity and movement data.

FAQ

Can a foreigner use the NIA app to query entry-exit records?

Do not assume that the citizen-facing query supports a foreign passport. The current portal does not show the same movement-record function in its foreigner-service section; ask NIA for the current foreign-national route.

How do Chinese citizens check their entry-exit records?

Chinese citizens can use the entry-exit record query in the citizen document-information area of the NIA government-service platform and follow the steps it displays. The 2017 NIA FAQ also said border inspection stations accepted these applications from Chinese citizens, including residents of China Hong Kong, China Macao, and China Taiwan.［1］［2］ This guide covers the foreign-national route, so confirm required documents in the platform’s or receiving office’s current instructions.

Can I ask for another person’s China movement history?

This guide covers your own record. Access to another person’s data requires a lawful basis and whatever identity, authority, or representation the competent agency requires.

Are passport stamps a complete entry and exit record?

Not necessarily. E-gate movements, illegible stamps, document changes, or other processing can make a passport incomplete. Stamps are supporting evidence, not a guaranteed complete official history.

Can an airport or land port print the record?

Older official guidance mentioned latest-record self-service printing where available. Confirm the exact port, access, passport support, date range, and legal status of the printout before traveling there.

Can my embassy request the record for me?

An older NIA response described a request to NIA through the foreign national’s own country’s embassy in China. Ask NIA whether that route remains available and then confirm whether your embassy in China accepts the request; do not assume a Chinese mission abroad handles it.

Does an entry-exit record prove my tax residence?

No. It can provide movement evidence, but tax residence may depend on different day-count rules, residence, domicile, treaties, income, and other facts. Obtain qualified advice for that separate question.

What if I used two passports?

Tell the competent authority and provide both document numbers through its verified channel. Ask whether the records can be linked and whether name or nationality changes require additional proof.

How do I correct a wrong entry or exit?

Keep the issued result unaltered and contact the issuer with the record reference, disputed movement, and original supporting evidence. Follow the authority’s correction or review procedure.

Disclaimer: This article provides general record-request and privacy information, not legal or tax advice or a guarantee that a portal, port, office, or embassy will issue a particular record. Procedures can change; confirm the current route with the competent authority.

Sources

National Immigration Administration, Government Service Platform — https://s.nia.gov.cn/mps/main.html?tsztPjId=45512
National Immigration Administration, Can Foreigners Query Entry-Exit Records? — https://www.nia.gov.cn/n1051057/n1051076/c1051197/content.html
National Immigration Administration, Official Consultation Reply on a Foreigner’s Entry-Exit Record — https://www.nia.gov.cn/Enquiry/publish/showQuestion.jsp?MZ=qhMznWz3oBQS9louKYBqAg%3D%3D

Sources checked 4 October 2026.

How to Check Your China Entry and Exit Record