The official ticket selling web site of the Ministry of Railways is www.12306.cn.

Foreigners can either purchase a train ticket at the station ticket office or buy a ticket online through the 12306 official website or app. Through www.12306.cn, passengers can look up relevant train information.

Foreign passengers should carry the original or a photocopy of their valid identity document (such as their passport, you have to photocopy the original passport instead of a photocopy of a photo of the original passport) and purchase the ticket directly at the ticket office inside the railway stations.

Foreign passengers can also purchase train tickets via the 12306 website after registering an account on the website with their passports. Later they can collect the ticket at a train station ticket office by presenting their passports. Please note that foreign passengers cannot collect their train tickets with their passports at the automatic ticket dispensers.