Book Forbidden City tickets with a foreign passport

4 of 5 applicable checks supportedEvidence reviewed 11 Nov 2026 · not a China Checked field test · How evidence checks work

Short answer

Book on the Palace Museum’s own website before you go, using your passport number. The museum does not sell tickets on the day of your visit. Bring the same passport and enter by the Meridian Gate, the south gate.

Applies to foreign passport holders booking as individuals. Group and school bookings follow other rules.

Evidence behind these checks

Online evidence review; not a China Checked field test. 2026-11-11

  1. Official rules Evidence verified

    The museum publishes advance booking, passport and opening requirements.

    Palace Museum: visitor rules — Palace Museum
    Palace Museum: official booking system — Palace Museum

    Scope and limits: Source-backed requirements and supported routes; not a successful transaction by China Checked.

  2. Procedure and interface Evidence verified

    The live calendar and email-login form were observed; the public booking notice describes the sequence.

    Palace Museum: official booking system — Palace Museum

    Scope and limits: Source-backed requirements and supported routes; not a successful transaction by China Checked.

  3. Foreign-passport requirements Evidence verified

    Official sources explicitly allow foreign visitors to book with passport details.

    Palace Museum: visitor rules — Palace Museum
    Passport booking and admission: official hotline reply — Beijing Municipal Government · 2025-06-20

    Scope and limits: Source-backed requirements and supported routes; not a successful transaction by China Checked.

  4. Payment route Evidence incomplete

    The public page exposes an international-card option, but this does not establish settlement success for a named foreign-card network and issuer.

    Palace Museum: official booking system — Palace Museum

    Scope and limits: No completed card-payment evidence is retained for this exact booking route.

  5. Entry or use requirements Evidence verified

    The government specifies original-passport admission through the Meridian Gate staffed channel.

    Passport booking and admission: official hotline reply — Beijing Municipal Government · 2025-06-20
    Palace Museum: visitor rules — Palace Museum

    Scope and limits: Source-backed requirements and supported routes; not a successful transaction by China Checked.

Tickets on the day
No
Official rule
You book with
Your passport number
Official rule
Closed
Mondays
Official rule
Booking opens
20:00 Beijing time, 7 days ahead
Official rule

Steps

How to tell it worked

A red seal means the stated requirement or route has sufficient supporting evidence. It does not mean our team registered, paid or travelled. Official instructions can establish supported requirements; a live form alone does not prove a successful card settlement. Independent checks may remain incomplete, and not-applicable items are excluded from the total.

Evidence behind these checks

If it fails

Your date shows no tickets

The museum caps daily visitors. Try another date, or be ready when tickets open. Other guides report that tickets open at 20:00 Beijing time, seven days ahead. We have not confirmed the seven-day window on the museum’s own page.

You are already in Beijing without a booking

The museum states that it does not sell same-day tickets. Book the next open date instead. The booking system’s text mentions an option to apply for on-site payment, which is a way to pay for a booking you have already made. We have not tested it.

Someone offers to book for you

In a 2023 notice the museum said it has not authorised any third party to sell its tickets. A guided tour can include entry, but the reservation is still made in your name with your passport.

The website will not accept your details

The museum’s visit page lists bookingticket@dpm.org.cn for ticketing questions.

Work out the booking hour in your time zone

Every fact on this page

Each fact has its own link, so you can point to exactly what you are relying on.

The museum does not sell tickets on the day of your visit.

Official rule Palace Museum visit page · read 9 Nov 2026

Foreign visitors must give a passport number when booking online.

Official rule Palace Museum visit page · read 9 Nov 2026

Closed on Mondays, except national holidays.

Official rule Beijing Government notice, 29 Jun 2023

One admission ticket per person per visit date.

Official rule Beijing Government notice, 29 Jun 2023

Enter through the Meridian Gate with the original ID used to book.

Official rule Beijing Government notice, 29 Jun 2023 · hotline reply, 20 Jun 2025

No third party is authorised to sell the museum’s tickets.

Official rule Beijing Government notice, 29 Jun 2023

Tickets are released at 8 pm Beijing time.

Official rule Palace Museum: official booking system · 2026-11-11

Booking opens seven days before the visit date.

Official rule Palace Museum: official booking system · 2026-11-11

The booking system’s text includes an option to apply for on-site payment.

Interface seen Booking system text · not tested

Sources

Source checked 1 Source checked 2 Palace Museum, Visit page (official, English)Palace Museum, online booking system (official)Beijing Government, New Guidelines for Visiting the Palace Museum, 29 Jun 2023Beijing 12345 hotline, reply on booking with a passport, 20 Jun 2025China Daily government portal, Tickets and Attractions, 18 Dec 2025

Changes to this page

On desktop Chrome we opened the live date calendar and email-code sign-in form. The booking notice confirms the seven-day, 20:00 Beijing release rule. No email code, passport, order or payment was submitted; the payment options were not tested.

Page drafted from official sources. No booking tested yet. Ticket prices not yet checked.

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