How to Book Attraction Tickets in China With a Foreign Passport (2026)

Many popular attractions in China use real-name ticket reservations. When you try to book, the page may ask for an ID number, a Chinese phone number, or a local payment method.

This often leaves foreign travelers wondering: Can I book attractions in China without a Chinese ID card?

Yes. At major attractions such as the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors, foreign visitors can normally make a real-name reservation using a passport.

The difficult part is not the lack of a Chinese ID. It is knowing which official booking channel to use, selecting the correct document type, entering your passport information exactly, and booking when tickets are released.

This guide explains how to do that for major attractions in Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an.

Can Foreigners Book Attraction Tickets Without a Chinese ID?

Yes. A Chinese resident ID card is not normally required for foreign visitors.

When an attraction says it uses “real-name reservations,” it means the ticket must be connected to the visitor’s identity document. For a foreign tourist, that document is usually a passport.

On a Chinese booking page, look for:

• ID Type
• Document Type
• 证件类型
• Passport
• 护照

Do not enter your passport number in a field that specifically requires a Chinese resident ID number. Instead, change the document type from “ID Card” to “Passport.”

You will normally need to provide:

• Your full name as shown on your passport
• Passport number
• Nationality
• Date of birth
• Mobile phone number
• Email address, depending on the platform
• Preferred visit date and time
• Payment information for paid attractions

The name and passport number on the reservation must match the passport you bring to the attraction.

What to Prepare Before Booking

Have the following information ready before tickets are released:

1. The original passport details for every visitor
2. The exact English name shown on each passport
3. Passport numbers checked carefully for mistakes
4. A working mobile number that can receive verification codes
5. An email address
6. Alipay, WeChat Pay, or an accepted bank card
7. Your planned visit date
8. Beijing time converted to your local time zone

Popular tickets can sell out quickly during weekends, school holidays and Chinese public holidays. If you are booking for a family or group, collect everyone’s passport information before the booking window opens.

It is also helpful to prepare how you will pay in China with Alipay and WeChat Pay, because some attraction systems use local payment pages.

If the website or mini program is mainly in Chinese, keep one of the best translation apps for China available on another device.

The Best Way to Book China Attraction Tickets

Use booking channels in this order:

1. Official English Website

If the attraction has an official English website with a functioning ticket system, use it first.

The English version is usually easier for foreign visitors because it is more likely to accept:

• Passports
• Foreign names
• International phone numbers
• International bank cards

Check that the website belongs to the attraction or a government tourism authority. Do not assume the first result in a search engine is the official booking page.

2. Official Chinese Website or WeChat Mini Program

Some attractions primarily release tickets through an official Chinese website, WeChat public account or mini program.

These platforms may work for foreign visitors if you select “Passport” as the document type. However, the interface may be entirely in Chinese and could require Alipay or WeChat Pay.

Before your trip, make sure you can stay connected in China with an eSIM, SIM card, or roaming, especially if your ticket confirmation is stored inside WeChat.

3. A Trusted Third-Party Booking Platform

A third-party travel platform can be useful when:

• The official website does not accept your phone number
• The payment page rejects your foreign card
• The booking system is only available in Chinese
• You want a guided tour that includes ticket assistance
• You need customer support in English

Before paying, check whether the product includes:

• The actual admission ticket
• A guided tour
• A ticket-booking service
• Hotel pickup or transportation
• A refund if the ticket cannot be secured

You can read our guide to using Trip.com to book travel services in China if you need an English-language alternative.

However, always check the attraction’s official policy first. Some attractions, including the Palace Museum, state that they have not authorized third parties to sell their standard admission reservations. A company may be selling a guided tour or reservation service rather than an officially allocated ticket.

Booking Rules at a Glance

These policies can change. Check the attraction’s official notice again shortly before booking.

How to Book Forbidden City Tickets With a Passport

The Forbidden City is officially called the Palace Museum.

It is one of the attractions you should book as soon as tickets are released. Same-day tickets are not sold.

When Tickets Are Released

Palace Museum admission reservations open at:

20:00 Beijing time, seven days before the visit

For example, if you want to visit on August 15, check the booking system at 20:00 Beijing time on August 8.

The museum is normally closed on Mondays, except when a Monday falls on a Chinese public holiday.

Where to Book

Foreign visitors can use the official English Palace Museum website and select the ticket-booking section.

The official Chinese booking system and Palace Museum WeChat mini program may also be available, but the English website is usually the more practical starting point for international visitors.

Which ID Should You Select?

Choose Passport as the document type.

Enter:

• Your name exactly as printed on the passport
• Your passport number
• Your nationality
• Your contact information
• Your preferred morning or afternoon session

Each passport can be used to reserve only one ticket for the same visit date.

What to Bring

Bring the original passport used for the reservation.

A passport photo or photocopy may not be accepted as a replacement for the original document. Beijing’s official guidance says foreign visitors should take their original booking document to the manual ticket-checking channel at the Meridian Gate.

The Meridian Gate, or 午门, is the only visitor entrance to the Palace Museum.

Keep your booking confirmation on your phone, but remember that your passport is the most important part of the real-name verification.

Important Tiananmen Square Reminder

A Forbidden City reservation does not automatically reserve entry to Tiananmen Square or other nearby attractions.

The Tiananmen area has its own access and security arrangements. If you plan to visit both places, check each reservation separately and allow enough time for security checks.

How to Reserve the National Museum of China

The National Museum of China is on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square.

General admission is free, but a free ticket still requires a confirmed real-name reservation.

When Reservations Open

Visitors can currently reserve up to seven days in advance through the museum’s official website.

Reservations are released daily at:

17:00 Beijing time

The museum provides three admission periods:

• 09:00–11:00
• 11:00–13:30
• 13:30–16:00
• The final period is extended to 16:30 from June through October

Choose a time you can realistically reach. According to the museum’s current rules, visitors who miss their reserved period may be refused entry.

How to Reserve

Open the official National Museum of China visitor page and select “Make a Reservation.”

Complete the real-name authentication with the valid travel document accepted by the system. Enter every visitor’s details carefully before confirming the reservation.

One account can currently reserve for up to five people in one booking. The museum also limits how frequently an account and an ID number can be used, so avoid creating unnecessary reservations.

What to Bring

Bring:

• The original ID document used for the reservation
• The reservation confirmation message
• Any supporting document required for a concession

Visitors enter through the North Gate visitor entrance.

Do not arrive expecting to register at the door. The museum states that visitors without a reservation, with mismatched identity information, or outside their reserved time may not enter.

How to Book Terracotta Warriors Tickets With a Passport

The official name of the Terracotta Warriors attraction is the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum.

It operates a real-name online reservation system. Foreign visitors must reserve and purchase tickets before entering.

Official Booking Channels

Tickets are available through:

• The official Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum website
• The official “Qin Shi Huang Emperor’s Mausoleum Site Museum” WeChat account
• The official “Terracotta Warriors Ticket Service Online” WeChat account

Select Passport as the ID type and enter the information exactly as it appears on the passport.

Entry Requirements

The attraction checks that the visitor, ticket and identity document all match.

Bring the original passport used for booking. The North Gate is the museum’s only entrance.

The official visitor information recommends arriving approximately 30 minutes before your reserved ticket-checking period.

The same admission ticket also covers the Terracotta Warriors Museum and Lishan Garden on the same day. A free shuttle operates between the two areas, although you should leave enough time if you plan to visit both.

If Xi’an is part of a longer itinerary, our guide on how to take high-speed trains in China can help you plan travel between Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an.

Do You Need to Reserve Attractions in Shanghai?

Not every attraction in China requires advance booking.

Shanghai is a good example of why you should check each attraction individually rather than assuming that one rule applies to the entire country.

The official Shanghai government guide currently states that individual visitors to Shanghai Museum East do not need a reservation. Visitors can enter through the B1 East Gate after security by presenting a valid identification document such as a passport.

Shanghai Museum on People’s Square also allows individual visitors to enter with a valid passport under its current general policy. However, popular temporary exhibitions and peak-period events may introduce separate reservation requirements.

Other Shanghai attractions may use:

• Date-specific paid tickets
• WeChat mini programs
• Passport-based real-name reservations
• Separate reservations for exhibitions
• On-site ticket counters

Check the official website for each place rather than searching for a single “Shanghai attraction reservation” platform.

What If the Booking Page Only Shows Chinese ID?

First, look for a document-type menu.

Common Chinese terms include:

If “Passport” is not available:

1. Switch to the official English website.
2. Check whether the attraction provides a foreign-visitor booking page.
3. Try the attraction’s other official channel.
4. Contact the official customer service number.
5. Check whether staff-assisted ticketing is available on site.
6. Use a trusted booking service only after checking what it actually includes.

Do not invent a Chinese ID number or enter your passport number as a Chinese ID card. The format will not match, and the reservation may fail at the entrance.

Common Booking Problems

Your Foreign Phone Number Is Rejected

Check that the correct country code has been selected.

Avoid requesting too many verification codes in a short period, because the system may temporarily block additional attempts.

If the attraction requires a mainland Chinese number, check whether it offers:

• An official English booking page
• Email verification
• On-site staff-assisted booking
• Telephone assistance
• An authorized international booking channel

Do not assume every attraction has the same phone-number rule. For example, Beijing’s official guidance says the Palace Museum’s English website can be used with a passport, while some other Beijing parks may use different systems.

Your Name Does Not Fit the Form

Use the name exactly as shown in the machine-readable section of your passport whenever possible.

If the form separates family and given names, enter them in the corresponding fields. Do not use a nickname, translated Chinese name or shortened version unless the system specifically requests it.

Payment Fails

Try:

• A different international card
• Alipay linked to your foreign bank card
• WeChat Pay linked to your foreign bank card
• Checking with your bank for a security block
• The attraction’s alternative official booking channel

Before paying again, check your order history. The first payment may have succeeded even if the confirmation page did not load.

You Paid but Did Not Receive a QR Code

Some real-name attractions use the original passport as the entry credential rather than relying only on a QR code.

Check your order status and save:

• The confirmation page
• Order number
• Payment receipt
• Confirmation email or text message
• A screenshot showing every visitor’s name

Bring the original passport even if the platform provides a QR code.

You Renewed Your Passport After Booking

If your passport number changes, contact the attraction before visiting.

Do not assume that carrying both the old and new passports will automatically solve the problem. Some reservations cannot be edited after confirmation and may need to be cancelled and booked again.

What to Do If Tickets Are Sold Out

If an attraction is sold out:

1. Continue checking the official platform for cancellations.
2. Try a different visit date or time.
3. Check whether a legitimate guided tour includes reservation assistance.
4. Avoid sellers promising guaranteed entry without requesting your passport information.
5. Prepare a backup attraction for the same day.

A genuine real-name ticket normally needs to be connected to your passport. Be cautious if a seller says you can simply use another person’s ticket or enter without identity verification.

For the Forbidden City in particular, do not travel to the entrance expecting normal same-day tickets to become available.

Your Ticket Booking Checklist

Before confirming:

• Use the attraction’s official name when searching
• Confirm that you are on an official booking channel
• Select Passport as the document type
• Enter the name exactly as shown on the passport
• Check every passport number twice
• Confirm the visit date and admission period
• Read cancellation and refund conditions
• Check whether children also need reservations
• Save the order number and confirmation
• Take screenshots for offline access

On the day of your visit:

• Carry the original passport used for booking
• Arrive before your reserved period
• Go to the correct entrance
• Keep the confirmation available on your phone
• Allow time for security checks
• Do not rely only on a passport photo
• Check whether adjacent attractions need separate reservations
  
  

  Final Advice

  The phrase “real-name reservation” does not mean that foreign tourists need a Chinese ID card.

  For most major attractions, your passport is your identity document. The important steps are to use the correct official channel, select Passport as the ID type, enter the details accurately and bring the same original passport on the day.

  Book the most restrictive attractions first—especially the Forbidden City and the National Museum of China—then build the rest of your itinerary around those confirmed reservations.