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Parvazyar
فارسی
Trains abroad

Trains

Trains in China

Foreign cards usually workIranian cards do not work

China Railway (12306) · The 12306 English site and app accept foreign-passport registration with an email (a Mainland mobile number can be added) and take international Visa and Mastercard plus UnionPay. Guides report card declines, passport checks of 3 to 5 working days and names that must match the passport exactly. Trip.com is the easier paid route.

Checked 3 November 2026Official sources

What we could not confirm

  • Trip.com's ¥15–40 service fee and the 3–5 day passport verification.
  • JCB and Diners Club are not named on the official MTR page; only Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay are.
  • The booking window was not covered in the notes.

How to buy

  1. 1Register on the 12306 English site or app with your passport and email.
  2. 2Pay with a non-Iranian Visa or Mastercard, or UnionPay. Make sure the name matches your passport exactly.
  3. 3If 12306 is hard, book on Trip.com; it charges a service fee (reported at ¥15–40 per ticket).
  4. 4You still need a Chinese visa or transit-free status to travel.

Buy through a reseller

Trip.com

Prices are shown on the seller's site. · Links checked 3 November 2026 · Opens in a new tab. Price and availability are confirmed there.

If you cannot pay yourself

Trip.com makes the 12306 booking for you for a service fee, so you only need a working non-Iranian card. A friend abroad can also pay there and send you the ticket.

About this page: Iranian bank cards do not work on foreign websites. This page is a guide, not a shop: it tells you how people buy each country's train tickets and sends you to the seller. Fares and rules come from public sources on the dates shown and can change. Check the official site before you travel. Trains that start inside Iran are affected by the 2026 conflict; make sure they are running.

Last confirmed 3 November 2026