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08 / Beijing ticket guide Foreign passport

Forbidden City tickets.
Passport-ready.

Use the Palace Museum’s international booking route, prepare your visitor details before release time and carry the original passport used for the reservation.

Verified 12 September 2026 · Current published release: 20:00 Beijing time, seven days ahead

BEIJING TIME · UTC+8
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China uses one time zone.

Your local time: —

Official international portal

Choose the passport option, enter the visitor’s details exactly as shown on the passport and use an email address you can access.

Open official booking

See your release time

Choose your intended visit date. The countdown converts the current seven-day, 20:00 Beijing release schedule into your device’s time zone.

See the exact release time in your time zone.

Closed dates and special announcements override this schedule. A countdown does not reserve a ticket.

Start with the official Forbidden City ticket portal

Foreign visitors can use the Palace Museum’s international booking site with a passport. Create the account and confirm that email verification works before the ticket-release window. Admission rules, closures and the live calendar on the official site override this guide.

Official international booking portalPalace Museum visitor information

When are Forbidden City tickets released?

The current published booking schedule is 20:00 Beijing time, seven days before the visit. China uses UTC+8 throughout the year and does not observe daylight saving time.

Closed dates, holidays and special announcements can change availability. The countdown prepares you for the release window; it does not reserve a ticket.

Timeline from the published Forbidden City ticket release at 20:00 Beijing time seven days ahead to booking, saving confirmation and entering with the original passport.
The useful sequence is release time → official booking → saved confirmation → original-passport entry; the live calendar and notices still control availability. Sources: Palace Museum international booking portal and visitor information, reviewed 12 September 2026. Swipe the diagram sideways on a small screen. Open full-size diagram

Book with a foreign passport

  1. Open the official international portal and sign in before release time.
  2. Select the intended date and available admission option.
  3. Choose Passport and enter the name and document number exactly as printed.
  4. Review every visitor before payment and keep the confirmation offline.
Never enter an invented Chinese ID number or reserve admission under another person’s identity. A third party cannot create a genuine ticket when the official inventory is unavailable.

What to bring on the day

  • The original passport used for the reservation.
  • Your booking confirmation and payment record, saved offline.
  • Enough time for security and document checks before the reserved period.

The current visitor route directs entry through the Meridian Gate (午门). Follow the confirmation and official signs if a temporary arrangement differs.

Sold out or booking failed?

  • No email code: check spam, confirm the address and retry without repeatedly creating accounts.
  • Passport rejected: check the selected document type, exact document number and name. Contact official support if the portal still refuses valid details.
  • No inventory: check the official live calendar. Do not assume a service window provides a same-day walk-in exception.
  • Payment failed: try another supported payment method only while the official booking remains held or available.

Forbidden City ticket questions

Can foreigners book Forbidden City tickets online?

Yes. Use the Palace Museum’s official international portal and select the passport document route.

Can I buy a same-day ticket at the gate?

No general same-day ticket sale or foreign-passport walk-in exception is currently published. Check only the official live calendar and notices.

Do I need the original passport?

Yes. Bring the original document used for the reservation.

Which entrance should I use?

The current visitor information points to the Meridian Gate (午门). Follow any route stated on your live confirmation.