12306 — PRIVATE PASSPORT FIELD CHECK
Passenger reference used in this working note:
Current original passport checked on:
Surname and given-name labels located:
Name entry compared with the current official instructions:
Document type and number compared privately:
Nationality, birth date and expiry checked:
Other required document fields checked:
Saved passenger selected for this actual booking:
Order identity details checked before payment:
Unresolved field or prompt requiring official help:
Keep full document numbers and passport images out of shared copies.

12306 — QUESTION FOR OFFICIAL HELP
Channel or page I am using: English website / app / other:
Stage: saved passenger / unpaid order / paid order / station:
Exact field label and non-sensitive error wording:
The discrepancy or unusual name structure:
Whether the passport was renewed since the saved record:
Question about the permitted entry or correction procedure:
Official response, date and next action:
Booking details to provide privately through the appropriate channel:
Do not include passwords, payment details or full passport scans in this note.

Compare the required fields before selecting the passenger
The public English registration form shows nationality, name, passport number, passport expiration date, date of birth and gender, alongside separate account fields. Its notice says that only foreign passports are accepted for registration at present. The 
English FAQ's accepted-document answer
 likewise describes valid foreign passports usable under the applicable requirements. That is the English website's scope; it does not describe every document accepted through every railway channel.
A private field-by-field passport check
Field
Compare with the current passport
Common mix-up to prevent
Passenger name
Surname and given-name labels, under the applicable entry instructions.
Using a nickname, account username, shortened name or unconfirmed name order.
Document type
The document category that actually matches the passenger and channel.
Selecting a convenient category that does not describe the document.
Passport number
The current passport number, checked character by character.
Copying an old saved number or confusing similar-looking letters and digits.
Nationality
The nationality field and the corresponding choice offered by the form.
Using a country of residence or birthplace as a substitute.
Date of birth
The passport's birth date, using the form's displayed date format.
Reversing day and month or copying a document issue date.
Passport expiration date
The current passport's date of expiry.
Using its issue date or the expiry of a previous passport.
Other required fields
The applicable document information and current field instructions.
Assuming a generic checklist overrides a document or operator requirement.
Read account fields separately. “Username” is an account identifier, while “Name” is passenger identity information. A rule shown beside an account field is not automatically a rule for the passport-name field. Likewise, the account holder and the passenger in a companion booking may be different people.
For a group, repeat the check for each selected passenger. A correctly entered account-holder passport does not verify a companion's record. Compare the actual selection, rather than assuming a similarly named saved passenger is the one you intended to book.

If a name or system prompt is unclear, ask the specific question
Pause before editing identity information by trial and error. A form may accept text without showing whether that text satisfies the later identity process. Keep the exact non-sensitive error wording and field label so you can ask a focused question.
Questions to resolve with current official instructions
Situation
What to preserve in your question
What not to assume
More than one given name
Which names the passport places under the given-name label.
That only the everyday first name is needed.
Hyphen, apostrophe or accented letters
The relevant name structure and the current form's wording.
That removing marks or substituting letters is always allowed.
Long name or apparent length issue
The exact field label and displayed instruction or error.
A universal name limit based on another website or an account-field limit.
Single name or an empty surname/given-name field
How the issuing passport actually labels the name.
That you should invent a second name or use a generic placeholder.
Different name order or display after saving
The entered components and the actual saved passenger display.
That a visually different order is automatically accepted or rejected.
Ask, “For this passport's name structure, what should I enter in this field on this channel?” If a ticket already exists, also ask about the appropriate correction procedure for that booking. A general name-format answer does not by itself resolve an existing order.
You can first describe the structure without publishing a full passport image. If the official service needs document information, provide it through the appropriate private channel and follow its instructions. Do not send a passport scan, password or payment details to a public forum while asking how a field works.

Check the saved passenger and the actual order separately
The 
12306 English FAQ
 tells users buying for others to add them to “My Passengers” and enter their name, valid document type and number accurately. It also refers to identity-information statuses and corresponding website prompts. Read the actual status and instruction shown for your passenger; this article does not promise a verification time or interpret every app status as identical.
Where you notice a discrepancy changes the next question
Stage
Useful next action
Outcome to leave unconfirmed
Saved passenger, before an order
Compare with the current passport; follow the available official correction instructions.
That the change has completed verification or applies to every older order.
Unpaid order
Check the selected passenger and the identity information in this order before paying.
That payment will repair a typo or choose a different saved passenger.
Paid or confirmed order
Contact the channel that issued the booking and ask about the discrepancy and required procedure.
That changing a profile rewrites the order, or that correction or refund is free.
At station entry or boarding
Keep the booking document and reference accessible; ask railway staff for the applicable help.
That a screenshot, similar name or verbal explanation guarantees admission.
For a renewed passport, compare its current number and dates with the saved record before a new purchase. If an existing order uses the old document, explain that specific situation to the booking channel or railway staff. Do not assume you can silently change an order's document or use whichever passport is easiest to carry.
Describe the problem precisely: selected wrong passenger, mistyped number, renewed passport, unclear name entry or unresolved verification prompt. These are different questions. Keep the original reference and any official response so you can follow the instructed next step. Ticket availability, correction, rebooking, change and refund outcomes remain subject to the applicable process.

ANSWERED CASES

1. The official diagram heading says “Surname+Given Names.” Must you type a literal plus sign between the components?
No. The heading shows the component order, not a demonstrated typed separator.
Use the current applicable entry instructions. The reviewed picture maps surname and given names, but does not establish all spacing or punctuation rules.

2. A username rule appears near the account fields. Does it establish the maximum length of the passport-name field?
No. Check the rule for the actual field you are completing.
Account username and passenger name are separate fields. A limit or accepted character rule for one must not be transferred to the other without official instructions.

3. A passport has been renewed, but the saved passenger still has the old number. Is recognizing the name enough before a new purchase?
No. Compare the current document number, dates and required fields.
The name can remain familiar while document details change. If an order already exists, ask the appropriate channel about that order rather than assuming a profile edit changes it.

4. The account holder is correctly registered. Does that establish the identity details for every companion selected in an order?
No. Check each selected passenger against their own current passport.
The account holder and traveller can be different people. Correct account information does not verify a companion record or confirm that the intended saved passenger was selected.

5. A paid order contains a discrepancy. Can you assume editing My Passengers corrects the paid order without further action?
No. Ask the issuing channel about the procedure for that specific order.
A saved passenger record and an existing order are different checks. This guide does not guarantee a correction, free rebooking, refund or boarding outcome.

6. You have an itinerary screenshot but not the required original identity document. Does the screenshot replace that document?
No. Follow the railway requirements for the original booking document.
The English FAQ requires the valid identity document used for the e-ticket and says itinerary sheets and reimbursement receipts are not tickets. A reminder image does not establish identity or boarding eligibility.

Official sources checked 31 October 2026:
https://www.12306.cn/en/register.html
https://www.12306.cn/en/faq.html
First passport example visually reviewed: https://www.12306.cn/en/images/rules/r1.jpg