Getting online in China: eSIM, local SIM card, roaming and Wi-Fi

What is the best way to get mobile data in China?

For a trip of a week or two, the simplest choice is usually a travel eSIM from an international provider or your own carrier's roaming plan, both set up before you leave. You land with data for maps, payments and ride-hailing. Buy a Chinese SIM card instead if you want a local +86 number, are staying longer, or your phone has no eSIM. You will need data for almost everything in China, because paying, hailing a car and booking tickets all happen on your phone.

Roaming is the least effort: nothing to install and your usual number keeps working. It is worth comparing prices, though, because daily roaming fees over two weeks can cost more than a travel eSIM or a local plan. The Beijing government, for example, says China Unicom's short-term visitor plans there cost less than international roaming.

Can I get a Chinese eSIM as a tourist?

Not easily. China's three carriers received approval for commercial eSIM trials on phones in October 2025, and stores in Shanghai began taking applications on October 14. But the service is tied to specific approved phone models (at launch, China Mobile and China Telecom certified only one handset) and is activated through the carriers' own stores and service channels. Phones bought abroad are generally not on those lists, so for most visitors "eSIM in China" means an international travel eSIM.

A travel eSIM connects through partner networks in China and usually gives you data only. Unlike a Chinese SIM, it is not registered to your passport in China. To set one up:

1. Check your phoneIt must support eSIM and be unlocked by your carrier. Look in your phone's settings or ask your carrier.
2. Buy and install at homeInstall the eSIM over Wi-Fi a few days before departure, and give it a clear name such as "China data".
3. Switch on when you landChoose the eSIM for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line only. Most "installed but no internet" problems come from this switch.
4. Keep your home line for textsLeave your home SIM on for calls and SMS, but turn off its data roaming to avoid surprise charges.

How do I buy a SIM card at the airport?

Major international airports have carrier counters in or near the arrivals hall. At Shanghai Pudong, the International Services Shanghai center in the public arrivals area sells 7-, 15- and 30-day China Telecom SIM cards. At Beijing Capital and Daxing, China Unicom offers 7-, 10-, 15- and 30-day plans. Elsewhere, look for China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom stores.

1. Bring your passportEvery SIM card, 手机卡 (shǒujī kǎ), is registered in your real name. Officially you need a passport with a valid entry stamp; one passport can hold up to five numbers in Beijing.
2. Pick a planChoose by length of stay and data, 流量 (liúliàng). Ask whether calls, texts and hotspot are included and what happens when the data runs out.
3. Let staff install itAsk them to insert and activate the card. Your phone must be unlocked or the card will not work.
4. Test before you leaveOpen a map or a payment app at the counter. If data does not work, ask staff to check the settings while you are still there.
5. Keep the paperworkKeep the receipt and plan details. You can top up later in Alipay, in WeChat or in the carrier's app.

The Buying a SIM Card lesson covers this conversation step by step, and Plans, Prices, and Data helps you compare plans.

Do you need a Chinese phone number?

For the essentials, usually not. According to China's official guide for foreigners, Alipay, WeChat and the DiDi ride-hailing app accept foreign mobile numbers, and China Railway's 12306 lets you register and buy tickets with your passport.

A local number helps when a service sends a verification code, 验证码 (yànzhèngmǎ), only to Chinese numbers, or when someone needs to call you. Typical cases are:

• Public Wi-Fi in cafés, malls and stations that sends a login code by SMS.
• Food delivery, where the rider may call when they arrive.
• Some booking and ordering mini programs inside WeChat or Alipay.

If you hit one of these without a Chinese number, ask staff for another way in. The No Chinese Phone Number lesson teaches exactly these requests.

How do I use Wi-Fi in China without a local number?

• Airports: At Shanghai Pudong you can scan your passport photo page on the Wi-Fi login page. At Beijing Daxing, connect to BDIA-FREE-WIFI and photograph your passport page on the login screen. Other airports may have a kiosk or an information desk that hands out codes.
• Hotels: The network name and password are usually on your key card holder or at the front desk. Ask at check-in.
• Cafés and malls: Expect an SMS login. Ask staff whether there is a password instead, or use your mobile data.

What if my data does not work after landing?

Most problems are settings, not a broken card. Before you leave the airport, work through this list on the arrival hall Wi-Fi:

1. Restart the phone. It sounds basic, but a new SIM or eSIM often only connects after a restart.
2. Check which line handles mobile data. On dual-SIM phones, data may still be set to your home line.
3. Turn on data roaming for a travel eSIM. A Chinese SIM is local and does not need it.
4. Check the plan is active. Some eSIM plans start only when they first connect in China, and some need an access point name (APN) entered by hand; the provider's instructions list it.
5. Go back to the counter. For a Chinese SIM, staff can check the settings for you, which is why it pays to test before you walk away.

The Wi-Fi and Internet Problems lesson teaches how to say "I have restarted my phone" and "I still can't get online" when you need staff to look at it.

Before you fly: a connectivity checklist

1. Check that your phone is unlocked and whether it supports eSIM.
2. Decide on roaming, a travel eSIM or a Chinese SIM, and install any eSIM at home.
3. Set up payment apps while your home number can still receive codes. The Alipay and WeChat Pay guide explains how.
4. Save your hotel address in Chinese with the address card so you can show it offline.
5. Pack a charger and a power bank. If you will fly within mainland China, the power bank must carry the 3C (CCC) certification mark.