A Filipino crew member, Alexander Creencia, used a new self-service terminal at the government service center in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province to print his temporary entry card on April 1.

It marked that Zhoushan Port became China's first seaport to implement an online entry declaration system for foreign seafarers.

The self-service terminal offers online entry declaration services, supporting multiple languages including English, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

Foreign seafarers can complete their online entry declaration using smartphones via QR codes or WeChat mini-programs. Those who haven't pre-registered online can complete the process at the terminal upon arrival.

A Filipino crew member uses the self-service terminal to print his temporary entry card in Zhoushan. [Photo/Tide News]

"Previously, foreign seafarers filled out entry information at the service window. Now, they can register online beforehand and print their entry card upon arrival," explained Xie Tao, an official of Zhoushan entry-exit border inspection station.

In 2024, Zhoushan Port saw over 7,200 foreign seafarers temporarily entering for crew changes, a 58 percent increase from the previous year.

The Zhoushan entry-exit border inspection station is working with shipping agents to promote this new system, guiding foreign seafarers to fill out their information before arriving in China. This way, the self-service terminal can be used efficiently.