China Train E-Invoice for Foreign Passport: Steps, Window, and Channels

For travelers, understanding the China train e-invoice for foreign passport holders starts with knowing how passport verification and train boarding work. An application for a China train e-invoice when traveling with a foreign passport is made after the journey. It is not collected at the gate. You can do this through China's national railway (12306) within 180 days after your journey ends.

Passport booking is similar to a normal booking, provided that you use the details of the passport when booking the ticket. The place where you booked your ticket decides who does the documentation for you. A ticket booked via a third-party site is still a railway ticket. Enter the title for the invoice given to you by your finance department, since the train prints only the details you enter.

Last verified: October 11, 2026, against the railway regulations. Double-check the 180 days on 12306 before traveling.

Who issues the invoice for your booking?

The railway provides it to you, regardless of the medium through which you made your booking. It is generated via the 12306 portal based on your journey record, and this is done only after completing your journey.

E-Invoice (电子发票, dianzi fapiao) is an electronic document that has the same legal weight as the traditional paper-based version. However, it is neither a proof of payment nor a booking confirmation, nor is it the trip information form that you may print out at a railway station.

According to the Joint Announcement of 2024 by the Chinese Tax Authority, Ministry of Finance, and National Railway Corporation, it has the following details:

• Invoice number
• Issue date
• Buyer information
• Passenger's ID details
• The itinerary
• The fare
• A QR code.

Mostly, it is not a question of “who” issues the invoice but rather “where do I apply,” which again will depend on how the ticket was purchased.

Channel split: where to request the invoice

Last checked on 11th October 2026. The platform arrangements can differ. Ensure you double-check the booking conditions yourself.

What to Know Before Buying Your China Train Ticket

In case your organization agrees to pay for the trip, you need to resolve the following questions before making any bookings for a smoother reimbursement process:

1. Is there information on the platform about how the request for a railway e-invoice for booking the tickets should be made?
2. Does the platform have information on the service fee that it charges, and what is its format?
3. Is there a possibility to speak with the support team in English in case something goes wrong with the invoicing process?

Save the answers to these questions, as they might come in handy later.

Requesting the invoice, step by step

The 12306 app is the quickest way to get the invoice. A traveler from Austin on a business trip from Beijing to Shanghai requires just ten minutes if the invoice title is prepared beforehand. The window opens at the end of the trip. It closes after 180 days.

Before you buy: which booking channel fits your claim?

In case your employer needs the railway e-invoice, the best choice would be to buy a ticket in your own 12306 account. This way, the railway will issue an invoice for this ticket.

Use 12306 when: The finance department requests a rail e-invoice. Your passport is linked to an active account on 12306.

Use a third-party platform when: You require English assistance or foreign card payment.

You have confirmed whether the order appears in your 12306 account or the platform generates its own invoice.

The online route (12306 app or website)

1. Complete the journey first. Incomplete journeys cannot be invoiced.
2. Reach out to your finance department for your invoice title. You require the customer's name as well as the tax code of the company.
3. Log in to your 12306 account, which was used to book the trip. Foreign passports can be used in 12306 to manage tickets.
4. Click on the e-invoice menu. An e-invoice icon is on the home page of the application and entries within the train orders list and the “my tickets” menu. On the website, click on the order section.
5. Confirm your identity if required. On your first attempt to generate an invoice, there will be an identity confirmation process.
6. Choose one of the completed journeys. Completed journeys are listed under to-be-invoiced journeys.
7. Enter the buyer’s name, tax code and email address. You can also save the invoice titles for future use in the system.
8. Submit and download. The invoice can be downloaded as a PDF from 12306 or delivered to your email account. The tax authorities’ Personal Income Tax application can also be used to download the invoice.
9. Double-check everything. Open the document and check if the title, tax code, journey and price tally with your records.

The station route (for passport bookings that stall online)

Follow this process if the online verification doesn’t work out, or if you purchased the ticket at the ticket counter.

1. Visit a ticket counter at the station within 180 days with the passport used to buy the ticket.
2. Request an e-invoice, and staff will print a scanning-code invoice slip for you.
3. Use the 12306 app to scan the QR code printed on the slip.
4. Enter the passenger document number when requested by the 12306 app.
5. Fill in the details requested and press submit.

The staff at the station might not understand English. It is better to write "电子发票" (e-invoice) and the train date on your phone.

What changes with a passport booking?

Nothing much. The railway itself provides explanations, which indicate that when you purchase tickets with your passport, you can get the railway e-invoice as usual.

The only one thing to keep in mind is consistency. The invoice will have your ID information, so the name and passport number should match what you provided when booking.

Storing the e-invoice and sending it to finance

Download the file immediately after the railway releases it. Find out from your financial department whether it is okay with the PDF or OFD, and download both in case of uncertainty.

Label the file in such a way that it will be easy to locate at some point down the road.
Example: 2026-10-11_Shanghai-Hangzhou_invoice.pdf.

Send them the actual file, not the screenshot, as it will contain the number of the invoice and QR code. Also forward your reservation receipt, as it will prove your connection to the passport.

Getting Your China Rail E-Invoice Details Right

The invoice title is where most people make mistakes when placing their requests. This system processes what you enter without judging whether your employer will accept it or not.

Invoice Title (Buyer Name on the form) is not the name of the passenger. The passenger name is the person who traveled on the train, while the buyer name is the one receiving the invoice.

What all does your train invoice include

According to the instructions of the railway authority, if the ticket is to be used for tax deduction, one has to write the name of the concerned organization along with its tax number. No such instructions are available for foreign organizations that don’t have a tax number in China. It’s a matter for your company's accountant or finance department to decide.

Personal name or company name?

Put the name of the company if your employer is going to reimburse you for the trip. A personal-name invoice will be considered a valid document, yet your finance department might refuse to consider it as an expense record.

If no one will reimburse this expense, then put your personal name. In case of uncertainty, send an email to the finance department before the journey: "What buyer name and tax ID should I use for China rail e-invoices?" Their answer will be the path you follow.

What cannot be fixed later?

Editing the passenger details and amount is not allowed as per the railway guidelines. The only thing that can be altered is the buyer’s details, and that too through a re-issue within the same window.

When it goes wrong

Most failure cases range from the timing of getting the invoice to getting the title of the invoice right. Both can be fixed, but knowledge of both is important, as you have limited chances.

Failure and correction table

The invoice can be reissued up to three times within 180 days in case there is any change in information. You should not view it as something that can be corrected multiple times (Source: 12306 China Railway, 13th October 2026).

Where the e-invoice fits in the old paperwork

The paper voucher was provided by China Railway for refund purposes at the station, but this practice ended for trips starting from October 1, 2025.

There was a transitional period starting from November 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. It entailed selecting either the paper coupon or the electronic invoice, but not both. And one cannot be exchanged for the other. If the travel date falls on or before September 30, 2025, the 180 days have already expired, and the invoice cannot be issued as per the guidelines (Source: 12306 China Railway, 13th October 2026).

What does each document do now?

• E-invoice: This is the invoice for reimbursement and accounting. It is mostly asked by the finance department of your company.
• Trip information slip: The printable station slip containing details such as date, train, stations, car and seat number. This is evidence of your trip and not an invoice.
• Booking confirmation and payment receipt: Evidence of payment made while booking the train tickets. These are not railway invoices.

In case you are a travel manager, you should provide your travelers with the following four guidelines:

1. Any requests after the trip,
2. Use of passport details from the ticket,
3. Check for the invoice title that the finance team specifies, and
4. Retain all information related to your trip.

Keeping the rest of the expense file together

Railway tickets are restricted to fares only. Corporate travel often entails hotel stays, transfers, and, at times, insurance. Read the ticketing page for the terms of your invoice/receipt before you pay.

You can book China train tickets, and business hotels, airport and station transfers and travel insurance through trip.com to let all the details sit in the same account, and your confirmation emails stay in one inbox. Confirm what each product provides before relying on it for reimbursement.

Documents for the rest of the trip: transfers and insurance

The rail e-invoice relates to the cost of train travel alone. The costs incurred at other times are recorded on different documents.

Transfers between airports and stations: It is important to find out before making any reservation if the service will give you a receipt or invoice and what information it will contain. For business trips, it is usually necessary to have one document per leg.

Travel insurance: If you are entitled to make a claim due to a delay or cancellation, you should be aware of what proof is required according to the terms of your insurance contract.

Common mistakes and failure cases

1. Asking for the invoice at the gate
   Why it happens: Passengers expect to receive a receipt upon boarding, as is the case in most other modes of transport.
   Fix: Board as usual. Ask for your invoice at the ticket counter after you finish your trip, or check at 12306.
2. Entering a personal name as the invoice title
   Why it happens: The default form is for the traveler and he/she clicks Submit.
   Fix: Issue it again with the title of the organization within the 180-day window.
3. Assuming the platform will generate the invoice automatically
   Why it happens: The website issued a confirmation email, which is perceived as paperwork.
   Fix: Utilize the scan-code system on the 12306 website or at the station counter, and inquire in writing regarding the service charge, if applicable, on the third-party website.

Conclusion

An e-invoice depends on the preparations made before travel. You need to find out how your booking service processes invoices prior to making the train reservation. See if your travel period fits the current request window on the website 12306. This period is always 180 days from the end of your trip. This is the only rule that determines whether you will receive an invoice or not.