eSIM for China

Why data matters for paying in China

UK government travel advice describes cashless payment through smartphone apps such as WeChat or Alipay as almost universal in China. It adds that outside major cities cards are not always accepted and ATMs are limited.

An official guide for overseas visitors, published by a Chinese provincial government, says foreign users can link international cards, including Visa and Mastercard, to these payment platforms. In practice the app on your phone, not the card in your wallet, is what you show at the till, which is why mobile data in China is about paying as much as browsing.

Beijing's municipal guide for new arrivals calls Alipay the “king of apps” for foreign visitors, with a built-in translator and mini programs such as DiDi, Trip, Meituan and Ele.me, and describes WeChat as the main way people in China communicate. It also notes that most Chinese map apps have no English interface, so decide before you travel how you will find your way.

Arrival card, airport Wi-Fi and SIM cards

According to the Chinese Embassy in the United States, foreign nationals have been able to fill in China's arrival card online before they travel since 20 November 2025, through the National Immigration Administration website, the NIA 12367 app, or mini programs in WeChat and Alipay. If you have not done it in advance, you can still complete it at the border by QR code, on a device there or on a paper card.

If you land in Beijing, the city's guide says both airports have free Wi-Fi throughout. You scan your passport at a Wi-Fi dispenser, which prints a username and password, and each login lasts five hours.

Both airports sell SIM cards from vending machines and counters, and the same guide points out that these are physical SIM cards, which may not be compatible with your phone. An eSIM, by contrast, is a profile added to the phone itself: check in the compatibility guide that yours supports it and is not locked to your home network, and see the activation guide for when a plan's term begins.

What UK advice says about internet restrictions

UK government travel advice says the Chinese authorities control internet access and that some services are permanently blocked, including Google, Facebook, YouTube and X, with other websites sometimes blocked as well. The same advice says China's cybersecurity laws require online products and services such as VPNs to be licensed, and asks travellers to follow Chinese law.

We make no promise that any app or website will be available on a plan from this page, so work out before you leave how you will message, navigate and pay.

Plans for China alone or a longer route

Local plans cover China and suit a trip that stays on the mainland. Regional plans on this page also cover Hong Kong and Macao, for a trip that crosses the border, and Japan and South Korea, for a route that continues by air or sea. Daily plans give you a set allowance for each day, which fits a trip where most of your data goes on payments, maps and messages.