Quick answer

Prepare your identity and payment before you search.

Create your 12306 account with your passport details, finish identity verification early, and have Alipay, WeChat Pay, or a Chinese bank card ready. Check every passenger before submitting, pay before the countdown expires, then keep your passport and booking confirmation available for the station.

The goal

What you will achieve

By the end of this workflow, your 12306 order should show the correct passport holder, train, date, departure station, seat class, and paid status. You will also know what to present at the station and where to go if an automated passport gate does not work.

The booking itself may take only 15–20 minutes. First-time identity verification is the part that can take several working days, so it should be completed before the day tickets are released.

Plan the timing

Three numbers to remember

3–5 working daysAllow this long for first-time passport identity verification.
Up to 15 daysThe source guide's stated advance-booking window; confirm the live range in the app.
30 minutesThe payment window after an order is submitted and the seat is held.

Prepare first

What you need before booking

Keep these items ready on the same phone you will use to book. A mismatch or missing image can delay verification.

  • 01
    Your physical passport

    Enter the full name and passport number exactly as printed.

  • 02
    Two clear images

    Prepare the passport bio page and a well-lit selfie holding the passport.

  • 03
    An SMS-capable number

    Use a number that can receive the registration verification code.

  • 04
    The official 12306 app

    Download 铁路12306 from an official app store or supported Chinese Android store.

  • 05
    A working payment route

    Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay, or prepare a Chinese bank card, before ordering.

  • 06
    A quiet 20-minute window

    Once the order is submitted, stay focused until payment and confirmation are complete.

The whole journey

See the booking flow before you tap

Think of 12306 as four checkpoints. Finish identity setup before tickets go on sale; the search, order, and station stages can then move without a preventable pause.

12306 booking map
  1. 01
    Verify identityRegister, add the passport, and wait for the verified status.
    Do this early
  2. 02
    Choose the tripMatch the city, station, date, train, seat class, and every passenger.
    Check twice
  3. 03
    Submit and paySubmit once, pay inside the countdown, and confirm the paid order.
    Time-sensitive
  4. 04
    Board by passportCarry the same passport and use a passport gate or the manual lane.
    No paper ticket
The critical handoff is payment: a held seat is not a finished booking until the order shows paid.

Watch the walkthrough

See the high-speed rail booking flow

This video gives you a visual preview of the booking sequence before you begin the nine steps below. App labels may differ slightly from the current version.

Video: “How to Book China High-Speed Train Tickets?” Watch directly on YouTube.

Step-by-step

Book your train in nine steps

Labels can change slightly between app versions, but the decision points and checks remain broadly the same.

  1. 1

    Download and register

    Open 铁路12306, choose passport or “Other Documents” as the ID type, and enter your name, passport number, and phone number. Complete the SMS check and set a password.

    Open 12306RegisterVerify by SMS
  2. 2

    Complete identity verification

    Find the identity-verification area in account settings. Upload a sharp passport bio-page image and a clear selfie holding your passport. Wait until the status changes from 未核验 (unverified) to 已核验 (verified).

  3. 3

    Search for your train

    Enter the departure city, destination, and date. Pinyin searches such as “beijing” or “shanghai” can help. Check the full station name because large cities have several stations.

    • G trains are the fastest high-speed services.
    • D trains are high-speed services with lower top speeds.
    • K and Z trains are conventional services.
  4. 4

    Choose a seat class

    Select an available class: 二等座 (second class), 一等座 (first class), or 商务座 (business class). Green availability or a number means seats remain; 无 means sold out, while 候补 means waitlist.

  5. 5

    Check every passenger

    Confirm the selected traveler, full name, passport number, and document type. Add companions individually and remove anyone who is not traveling on this order.

  6. 6

    Submit the order once

    Tap 提交订单 (submit order) only after the itinerary and passengers are correct. The seat is temporarily held and the payment countdown begins.

    ReviewSubmit onceStart payment
  7. 7

    Pay before the timer expires

    Choose the available payment method prepared in advance. The source workflow recommends Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to an international card, or a Chinese bank card. Confirm the amount and authorize the payment immediately.

    • Do not leave the order unfinished.
    • Keep bank authentication available.
    • If payment fails, check the wallet history before trying again.
  8. 8

    Verify the confirmation

    Look for the successful-payment screen, save a screenshot, and open 我的订单 (my orders). Confirm the train number, date, stations, seat, passenger, passport number, and 已支付 (paid) status.

  9. 9

    Board with your passport

    Bring the same passport used in the booking. Use an automated passport gate where available; otherwise follow signs for 人工通道 (manual lane) and show the passport plus your confirmation.

Before you leave

Verify the booking and plan the station

A paid order is not enough if a station, date, or passport digit is wrong. Run one final check while there is still time to correct the trip.

Read the paid order

Match the train number, date, stations, class, car, seat, and passenger to your plan.

Arrive with a buffer

Plan at least 30 minutes at major stations and 20 minutes at smaller ones.

Keep proof handy

Carry the physical passport and keep a confirmation screenshot available offline.

Troubleshooting

Common problems and quick fixes

“身份信息未通过核验” — identity not verified

Check whether review is still pending. If it was rejected, compare the account name to the passport and resubmit brighter, sharper images with the full document visible.

Payment times out or fails silently

Check your Alipay, WeChat Pay, or bank history first. If no payment was completed, the held seat may have returned to inventory; search again and place a new order.

Duplicate tickets appear in the order list

Confirm whether an old passenger remained selected or the order was submitted more than once. Use 我的订单 to cancel the unwanted order and review the refund status.

“该车次已停售” — the train has stopped selling

The sales window may be closed or the departure too close. Check the app's current selling hours and choose a later train if necessary.

The passport will not scan at the gate

Go to the staffed 人工通道 (manual lane). Present the physical passport and your saved confirmation so staff can verify the order manually.

Common questions

12306 ticketing FAQ

Registration needs a number capable of receiving the app's SMS verification code. If your regular number cannot receive it, arrange a compatible number before beginning.

How we keep this guide useful12306 labels, booking windows, payment support, and station procedures can change. Recheck critical details in the live app before you travel.