Best SIM and eSIM for China: data plans, Wi-Fi and phone tips

Match the option to your passport, trip length and budget. Prices are 2026 estimates and move with promotions.

Before you fly, check that your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM (check your model's specs). Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, then leave it switched off until you land so the validity window does not start early (check your seller's rules).

Set up payments and maps in the same session. Alipay or WeChat Pay, DiDi for taxis, and Amap or Baidu Maps for navigation all need a working connection to register (check). Google Maps does not work in mainland China, so download Amap before departure and save your hotel name in Chinese characters.

If you choose a local SIM instead, buy it at an official China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom store or an airport counter and bring your passport: registration is required and the counter staff will photograph the document. Ask them to confirm the plan covers data, not just calls, and to show you the APN settings.

On arrival, keep mobile data on and Wi-Fi off until the eSIM connects. If you are running a VPN, open it once on a foreign network before landing, because VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach from inside. Install two different providers; they fail at different times, especially around sensitive dates.

For a two-week trip, a roaming eSIM plus a small local top-up for calls is the usual balance. For a stay of a month or more, a local SIM gives you a Chinese number, which helps with hotel Wi-Fi codes, delivery apps and restaurant bookings.

A roaming eSIM is the only setup that keeps Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube working without extra software, because the traffic exits through the provider's home network. That is the main reason it wins for a first trip, even though it costs more per GB than a local SIM.

VPNs are a legal grey area. They are widely used by foreigners and rarely enforced against visitors, but only approved corporate VPNs are legal, and consumer VPNs fail often around sensitive dates. Install two before you fly and expect to switch between them.

Hotel and café Wi-Fi is common but usually asks for a Chinese phone number to send an SMS code. Without a local number you may not get online, so treat Wi-Fi as a backup and keep mobile data on.

WeChat is the default for messaging, hotel contact and mini-programs. Register it before you fly: new accounts may need an existing user to verify you.

Numbers: the country code is +86 and mobile numbers are 11 digits starting with 1. Emergency numbers and operator hotlines are best checked locally rather than assumed.