Short answer
Book through the official 12306 route that accepts your passport, complete identity verification before travel and bring the original passport used for the booking. The e-ticket is the ticket; a staffed lane is the fallback when a gate cannot read a foreign passport or your booking details do not match. Do not rely on a paper ticket or arrive at the last minute during a holiday peak.
Before the station
- Use the passport number and name exactly as registered in 12306.
- Check the station, departure time, platform and gate information in the official app.
- Keep the original passport, booking confirmation and onward travel details accessible.
At security and the gate
Pass security with the same passport and ticket record. If an automatic gate rejects the document, do not repeatedly retry or ask another traveller to use their QR code; go to the staffed service channel and explain that you booked with a foreign passport.
If the booking name differs
Do not assume a minor spelling variation is harmless. Contact 12306 or the station service desk before departure and follow the correction/refund rules shown in the official booking record.
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Where these matter
Official sources
Policies and booking channels change — check the official channel before you rely on it.