International departure involves several separate queues. Check your terminal first, arrive early, and keep your passport and boarding pass available until you are on the aircraft.
01
Confirm the airport and terminal
Large cities may have more than one airport, and one airport may have several terminals. Check the airline, flight number, departure date, and terminal before leaving your hotel. Allow extra time for traffic and long queues.
02
Check in and drop baggage
Find your airline's counter or kiosk. Show the original passport used for the booking, receive your boarding pass, and confirm the final destination, baggage allowance, seat, and whether checked luggage is tagged through to the last airport.
03
Pass security screening
Follow International Departures and Security. Put bags on the belt and follow staff instructions for electronics, liquids, coats, and items that must be removed. Rules for batteries and restricted articles can differ from ordinary checked baggage rules.
04
Complete exit border inspection
Follow signs for Exit Immigration or Border Inspection. Present your passport and boarding pass. After your exit is cleared, continue into the international departure area.
05
Find the gate and board
Check the live airport display, not only the original boarding pass. Gates and boarding times can change. Be at the gate before boarding closes and listen for your flight number and destination.
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COMMON PROBLEMS
What catches visitors out
Wrong airport or terminal
The English names may look similar. Save the complete airport and terminal name in Chinese for your taxi or ride-hailing app.
Tax refund after checking the goods
If claiming a departure tax refund, follow the port's current instructions before packing refundable goods where they cannot be inspected.
A gate change after check-in
The boarding pass may become outdated. Recheck the display after security and again before boarding.
CHECK IN我要办理值机。Wǒ yào bànlǐ zhíjī.I’d like to check in.PASSPORT这是我的护照。Zhè shì wǒ de hùzhào.Here is my passport.WINDOW SEAT可以给我靠窗的座位吗？Kěyǐ gěi wǒ kàochuāng de zuòwèi ma?Can I have a window seat?AISLE SEAT可以给我靠过道的座位吗？Kěyǐ gěi wǒ kào guòdào de zuòwèi ma?Can I have an aisle seat?
STEP 02 · BAGGAGE
Check the bag and understand extra fees
CHECK THIS BAG我要托运这个行李。Wǒ yào tuōyùn zhège xínglǐ.I’d like to check this bag.FINAL DESTINATION行李可以直挂吗？Xínglǐ kěyǐ zhíguà ma?Can my bag be checked through to the final destination?OVERWEIGHT我的行李超重了吗？Wǒ de xínglǐ chāozhòng le ma?Is my baggage overweight?EXTRA FEE超重费多少钱？Chāozhòngfèi duōshao qián?How much is the excess baggage fee?
STEP 03 · SECURITY
Instructions you may hear
You usually only need to understand and follow these instructions.
💻SECURITY请把电脑拿出来。Qǐng bǎ diànnǎo ná chūlai.
Please take out your laptop.
🧥SECURITY请脱下外套。Qǐng tuōxià wàitào.
Please take off your coat.
🧴SECURITY这个不能带。Zhège bù néng dài.
You cannot take this item.
🔍SECURITY请打开行李。Qǐng dǎkāi xínglǐ.
Please open your baggage.
STEP 04 · EXIT BORDER INSPECTION
Keep both documents in your hand
SHOW DOCUMENTS这是我的护照和登机牌。Zhè shì wǒ de hùzhào hé dēngjīpái.Here are my passport and boarding pass.ASK THE WAY出境边检在哪里？Chūjìng biānjiǎn zài nǎlǐ?Where is exit border inspection?
STEP 05 · BOARDING GATE
Find your gate and handle changes
YOUR GATE二十六号登机口在哪里？èr shí liù hào dēngjīkǒu zài nǎlǐ?Where is Gate 26?
BOARDING TIME什么时候开始登机？Shénme shíhou kāishǐ dēngjī?When does boarding start?DELAY航班延误了吗？Hángbān yánwù le ma?Is the flight delayed?GATE CHANGE登机口变了吗？Dēngjīkǒu biàn le ma?Has the gate changed?MISSED FLIGHT我错过航班了，请帮我。Wǒ cuòguò hángbān le, qǐng bāng wǒ.I missed my flight. Please help me.
REAL SCENE · LISTEN & SPEAK
From check-in to the gate
At a Chinese international departure counter: present your passport, place the suitcase on the baggage scale, then confirm the gate.
TRAVELERYou · PassengerSTAFFCheck-in agent
🎙
Set up speaking practice
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Listen → Practice → Check: hear the model, speak the sentence, then use the recognized words and match score to improve.
You · Passenger你好，我要办理值机。Nǐ hǎo, wǒ yào bànlǐ zhíjī.
Hello, I’d like to check in.
Check-in agent请出示护照。Qǐng chūshì hùzhào.
Please show your passport.
You · Passenger我要托运这个行李。Wǒ yào tuōyùn zhège xínglǐ.
