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Pre-departure check

China travel Checklist

The most common problems for first-time visitors to China involve entry, internet, payments, maps, and transport. Prepare in this order and you'll be ready to move the moment you land.

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Trip timeline

One spine, five phases.

  1. Phase 1Before bookingVisa-free check, dates, passport validity
  2. Phase 27 days beforeeSIM, payments, apps, hotel address
  3. Phase 324 hours beforeScreenshots, offline maps, backup VPN
  4. Phase 4ArrivalImmigration, route choice, eSIM data on
  5. Phase 5First 72 hoursLive payment test, transit pass, fallbacks
Before you leave

Entry and protection guides

China arrival card

Check whether you need the free NIA form, then fill it online or on arrival.

China travel insurance

Compare medical and evacuation cover before you fly.

China plug and voltage

See whether you need an adapter, a transformer, or just a 100–240V charger.

Category view — same items, grouped by topic

Entry documents

  • Check passport validity (6+ months)

    Official guidance for visa-free entry requires an ordinary passport valid for at least the length of your intended stay — the source text itself does not state a blanket "6 months" rule. Many airlines apply their own 6-month buffer at check-in regardless, which is why the common shorthand persists.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    This is different from the passport rule for an actual visa application (regular visa, not visa-free), which does specify "valid for more than 6 months with at least 2 blank visa pages." Don't confuse the two — check which entry mode applies to you first.

    Source: （Embassy of the PRC in the US, official FAQ, Q7）· Verified 2026-06-06

  • Confirm visa-free eligibility and purpose of visit

    50 passport nationalities (most of the EU, UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Brazil, several Gulf states, and others) can enter visa-free for up to 30 days — but only for business, tourism, family/friend visits, exchanges, or transit. The waiver explicitly does not cover work, study, or news-coverage trips.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Purpose mismatch (e.g. entering visa-free to start unpaid "training" that's really work) is a real basis for entry refusal, not a technicality. The exact country list updates — cross-check the current one on the NIA source before you fly. One exception worth knowing: the same FAQ (Q4) separately allows visa-free entry for short study tours and summer/winter camps of up to 30 days — so "study" isn't blanket-excluded, only longer-term study is.

    Source: （official FAQ, Q1 & Q4）· Verified 2026-06-06

  • Save return ticket or onward ticket offline

    The same official FAQ recommends carrying an air ticket (return or onward) as one of the documents that proves your declared purpose of entry. Border inspection can ask for it on the spot.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    This is a lighter, "recommended proof" requirement for ordinary 30-day visa-free entry — don't confuse it with the stricter 240-hour transit rule, which requires a confirmed onward ticket to a genuine third country as a precondition of the route itself, not just supporting paperwork.

    Source: （official FAQ, Q6）· Verified 2026-06-06

  • Save hotel booking confirmation offline

    The same FAQ lists "reservations of accommodation" alongside invitation letters and air tickets as recommended proof matching your purpose of entry.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Save it as a local file or photo, not just an email link — immigration halls are commonly the worst place in the airport for roaming signal, and you may need to show it before you're back on Wi-Fi.

    Source: （official FAQ, Q6）· Verified 2026-06-06

Internet

  • Buy a China-compatible eSIM before departure

    eSIM profiles have to be installed while you still have a working internet connection — provider install guidance requires a stable connection at install time, so an install attempted after you land without connectivity can fail (frequency not independently measured here — treat as a real risk, not a guaranteed outcome every time).

    Learn more →
    The catch

    This page is direction-only by project rule — no provider name, price, coverage number or speed claim here. Compare specific plans on the eSIM comparison page instead.

    Source: Verified provider install guidance (no vendor named here — direction-only) · checked 2026-07-10

  • Save QR code and setup instructions offline

    eSIM install QR codes and setup steps are typically delivered through an app or email — both of which need a connection to reopen. How many providers work this way isn't independently counted here; the actionable point holds regardless: save a screenshot locally before you lose the connection you used to buy it, not just the email link.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    If install fails mid-way after landing, having the original QR saved as a photo (not just "in my inbox") is the difference between a five-minute fix and no internet until you find Wi-Fi.

    Source: Verified provider install guidance (no vendor named here — direction-only) · checked 2026-07-10

  • Install and test a VPN before you leave if needed

    VPN provider apps and download pages have documented history of being removed from China's App Store or made hard to reach from inside mainland China — the clearest documented case is 2017; how often this recurs today isn't independently measured here, so treat it as a real, recurring risk rather than a one-off historical footnote. Install and confirm it actually connects before you land, not after.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Legality for short-term tourist use is a separate question from whether it technically works — see /en/wiki/is-a-vpn-legal-for-tourists-in-china if that's your concern.

    Source: （VPN apps pulled from China App Store）· Verified 2026-07-22；（a working VPN restores blocked-app access）· Verified 2026-07-22

  • Verify access to WhatsApp, Gmail, and map apps

    WhatsApp has been blocked inside mainland China since October 2017; a working VPN restores messaging, calls, and media. We don't have an equivalently verified source specifically for Gmail's current block status, so treat that one as "test it yourself," not an established fact — Google's own transparency data does confirm the same blocked pattern for YouTube.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Don't assume every "blocked in China" claim on this list carries the same evidence weight — WhatsApp's block is independently corroborated by multiple outlets at the time; Gmail's isn't sourced here, so it's flagged, not asserted.

    Source: （WhatsApp blocked since Oct 2017）· Verified 2026-07-21；（VPN restores access）· Verified 2026-07-22；（Google Transparency Report, YouTube traffic at/near zero in mainland China since the 2009 block）· Verified 2026-07-20

Payments

  • Install Alipay and link a foreign card

    Alipay's international version officially supports five card networks: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Official network support isn't a guarantee any specific card will bind successfully — that still depends on your card issuer's own risk controls. Test with a small payment before you rely on it.

    Source: （Alipay international version, supported networks）· Verified 2026-07-26；（Ant Group, global card networks on Alipay for visitors）· Verified 2026-07-20

  • Set up WeChat Pay as a backup

    WeChat Pay's current international-card limits are RMB 6,500 per single transaction, a cumulative RMB 50,000 per month, and a cumulative RMB 65,000 per year.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Same caveat as Alipay: official support for international cards doesn't guarantee your specific card clears WeChat's own account and risk checks. That's exactly why it's a backup, not your only path.

    Source: （WeChat Pay official help centre, current limits）· Verified 2026-07-26

  • Carry some RMB cash for emergencies

    The official cash entry/exit limit is RMB 20,000 per person per trip. Separately, a rule effective from 1 February 2026 generally requires businesses to accept cash payment, with listed exceptions.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Cash is the fallback for when both digital wallets fail at the same register — not a primary payment plan for the trip. Small bills matter more than large ones for street vendors and older machines.

    Source: （国务院侨务办公室 gqb.gov.cn，转载中国人民银行公告〔2004〕第18号，RMB cash entry/exit limit）· Verified 2026-07-26；（中国人民银行 PBoC, cash-acceptance rules No. 29, 2025, effective 2026-02-01）· Verified 2026-07-26

  • Unblock international payments on your card

    Municipal payment guides (Beijing, Shanghai) confirm a standard 3% service fee applies to international-card transactions above CNY 200, waived at or under CNY 200 — worth knowing before you decide which method to use for small purchases.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Calling your home bank to authorize international/foreign-country transactions before departure is standard travel prep everywhere, not a China-specific rule — we don't have a China-side source for it, so it's listed here as general advice, not a sourced claim.

    Source: （Beijing municipal government, 3% fee waived under CNY 200）· Verified 2026-07-10；（Shanghai municipal government, paying like a local）· Verified 2026-07-10

Getting around

  • Install Baidu Maps or Amap

    Amap's separate international listing, "AMap Global," officially declares English as a supported language on both the App Store and Google Play — distinct from the everyday domestic "高德地图" listing. There's no equivalently verified source here for an English/international edition of Baidu Maps.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Search "AMap Global" by name, not just "Amap" — the domestic Chinese-only listing can surface first in a non-China App Store account. Verification note: a live App Store fetch of this listing currently redirects to Apple's "Today" editorial page rather than the product page, so this claim is confirmed via the in-repo registry record (iTunes lookup API, official tier, 2026-07-30) rather than a fresh direct read — worth a direct re-check before stage two ships.

    Source: （AutoNavi / AMap Global, App Store & Google Play listings）· Verified 2026-07-30

  • Check Didi or Alipay taxi feature

    The correct China listing is specifically "DiDi: Ride Hailing in China" — a separate app from DiDi's Japan, Latin America, or other regional apps. Its official store listing confirms international phone numbers and international bank cards are supported.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Travelers coming from a DiDi account registered in Japan or Latin America need to install the China-specific app fresh — account carryover between regional DiDi apps isn't officially confirmed.

    Source: （Apple App Store Mexico listing, "DiDi: Ride Hailing in China," official tier）· Verified 2026-07-30

  • Prepare train bookings via 12306 or Trip.com

    12306's current ticket presale window is 15 days before departure (may vary by station or product) — register your account and complete passport verification before that window opens, not on the day tickets go on sale.

    Learn more →
    The catch

    Registration and passport verification are a separate step from buying a ticket. Doing them early means you're not stuck in a verification queue on release day.

    Source: （12306 help centre, ticket presale window）· Verified 2026-07-26

  • Save your hotel address in Chinese

    Learn more →
    The catch

    (unsourced practical tip, not presented as verified fact) Saving the address in Chinese characters — e.g. a screenshot straight from the hotel's own booking confirmation — is generally easier to paste into a map or ride-hailing app than typing an English transliteration.

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Sources & verification

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