China eSIM vs Local SIM Card: Which Should Tourists Get?

The short version

You have three ways to get mobile data in China:

1. A travel eSIM (best for most tourists). Buy and install it at home. It works as soon as you land, and many route data outside mainland China, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram keep working.
2. International roaming. Nothing to set up and your home apps usually work, but it can be expensive.
3. A Chinese SIM card. Cheap, fast and gives you a Chinese number. You buy it in person with your passport, and blocked apps stay blocked on it.

Our recommendation: a travel eSIM for trips of up to a month. Consider a Chinese SIM card too if you stay longer, need a Chinese number or use a lot of data.

eSIM, roaming and Chinese SIM compared

Option 1: a travel eSIM

A travel eSIM is a digital SIM that you install by scanning a QR code. It uses local Chinese mobile networks, but many plans send your data through a network outside mainland China. That is why blocked apps work on them.

Why most tourists choose one

• Works on arrival. You can order a DiDi, pay with Alipay and message your hotel from the airport.
• Home apps usually work. Google Maps, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram and others, without a VPN.
• Keep your home number. Your physical SIM stays in the phone for calls and text messages, such as bank verification codes.
• No passport check or queue.

What to check before you buy

• Your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM. Most recent iPhones, Google Pixels and Samsung Galaxy phones do. Check your phone’s settings or ask your carrier.
• Mainland China is covered, not only Hong Kong and Macao.
• The plan says blocked apps work, with wording such as “Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work in China” or “no VPN needed”.
• Enough data. About 1 to 2 GB a day is typical for maps, payments and messages. More if you post photos and video.
• Whether you get a phone number. Most travel eSIMs are data only.

How to set it up

1. Buy the eSIM a few days before you fly, and install it at home with the QR code.
2. Leave it switched off until you land, or set the start date if the provider allows.
3. On arrival, turn on the eSIM line and turn on data roaming for it.
4. Choose the eSIM as your mobile data line, and keep your home SIM on for calls and texts, with its data off.

Our China eSIM service sets this up for you before you fly.

Option 2: international roaming

Roaming uses your normal SIM. Your data usually travels back through your home network, so blocked apps work as they do at home.

• Check the price for mainland China. Some plans include it; others charge a lot per day or per megabyte.
• Check that China is covered, not only Hong Kong.
• Good for: short business trips, travelers with generous plans and phones that do not support eSIM.

Option 3: a Chinese SIM card

Who can buy one

Foreign visitors can buy a Chinese SIM card with their passport. According to official guidance from China’s telecom regulator in Tianjin:

• You apply at the operator’s own stores of China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom.
• You must apply in person. Someone else cannot buy a SIM for you with your passport.
• You need a phone that supports 5G or VoLTE.
• Each person can have up to five active SIM cards with the same operator.

China now treats getting a SIM card for foreign visitors as a single, simplified process. According to the Henan provincial government, the aim is to get it done within one day at most.

Where to buy

• Airports: many major international airports have operator counters in the arrivals hall. Tourist packages are commonly sold for about 7, 15 or 30 days, with roughly 10 to 50 GB of data, depending on the operator and city.
• Operator stores in cities: find the nearest store in the operator’s app, or call 10086 (China Mobile), 10010 (China Unicom) or 10000 (China Telecom).

Prices vary by operator and city. Compare packages at the counter before you buy.

What a Chinese SIM is good for

• A Chinese phone number, which some local apps, mini-programs, deliveries and bookings need
• Fast, cheap data for Chinese apps such as Alipay, WeChat, Amap and DiDi
• Longer stays, where the savings add up

What it cannot do

Blocked apps stay blocked. On a Chinese SIM, Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many other services do not work. See WhatsApp, Instagram and ChatGPT in China. A VPN is not a legal workaround. See Using a VPN in China.

Which option is right for you?

Do you need a Chinese phone number?

Usually not. Alipay, WeChat and DiDi all work with a foreign number. A Chinese number helps if you:

• Stay for a month or more
• Want to use food delivery, bike share or other local apps that ask for a Chinese number
• Make many local calls, for example to hotels or drivers

Whatever you choose, keep your home SIM active during the trip. Banks, Alipay and WeChat may send verification codes to it.

Common problems and fixes

• The eSIM has no signal after landing. Turn on the eSIM line, turn on data roaming for it and restart the phone.
• WhatsApp works on mobile data but not on hotel Wi-Fi. That is normal: hotel Wi-Fi is a Chinese network. Turn off Wi-Fi to use your eSIM or roaming data.
• Chinese apps feel slow on the eSIM. Data is routed abroad. If you have two lines, a Chinese SIM is faster for Chinese apps.
• The airport counter says your phone is not compatible. Your phone may be locked to your home carrier or may not support VoLTE. Use a travel eSIM or roaming instead.
• You cannot receive a bank text message. Keep your home SIM switched on for calls and texts, even if it does not use data.

Get connected before you fly

A working phone makes China easy: payments, maps, taxis and translation all depend on it. Our China eSIM service gets you online from the moment you land. For the rest of your setup, see Best apps for China travel and First time in China.