入境

• Pinyin: rù jìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 入 = entry (pictograph); 境 = 土 (earth/land) + 竟 (limit/end) — the limit of a land, hence border/territory

Meaning

To enter a country; to cross a border. The act of crossing into the territory of a nation-state.

Used in immigration, customs, border control, and international travel contexts. Antonym: 出境 (to exit a country). Common collocations: 入境签证 (entry visa), 入境手续 (entry procedures), 入境口岸 (port of entry), 非法入境 (illegal entry). Also appears in the saying 入境随俗 — when entering a place, follow its customs.

Examples

1. 所有持外国护照的旅客须在指定通道排队完成入境手续，并接受海关人员的例行查验。 All travelers holding foreign passports must line up in the designated lane to complete entry procedures and undergo routine inspection by customs officers.
2. 该国签证政策调整后，持有特定国家护照的旅客可免签入境，享有最长三十天的短期停留资格。 After the country adjusted its visa policy, travelers with passports from certain countries can enter visa-free and stay for up to thirty days.
3. 移民局发言人表示，任何试图以非法方式入境的行为都将面临依法遣返的处理结果。 An immigration spokesperson said anyone attempting to enter illegally will face deportation in accordance with the law.

Usage Guide

Context: immigration, travel, international, legal

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 旅客在办理入境手续时须如实填写健康申报表，并主动配合海关及检疫人员的相关检查工作。(When completing entry procedures, travellers must truthfully fill in the health declaration form and actively cooperate with inspections by customs and quarantine officers.)
• 该国与多个邻国签署了双边协议，允许持有有效边境通行证的居民在指定区域内自由入境。(The country has signed bilateral agreements with several neighbouring states, allowing residents holding valid border crossing permits to freely enter within designated areas.)

Don't Say

• 我入境了一家酒店 — 入境 refers specifically to crossing into a country's national territory; use 入住 for checking into a hotel

Origin & History

入 (to enter) + 境 (boundary/territory — 土 earth + 竟 ending/limit) — to enter the territory of a state

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal