In this guide, we will discuss the best ways to get a SIM card for China, including if you should get an eSIM for China.
Internet connectivity is essential for travel in China. You’ll need it for paying, navigating, communicating… it all makes you wonder how we got by in the pre-smartphone era.
More likely than not, using your home mobile service provider in China is not a viable option. My UK mobile network wanted to charge me an outrageous £8 ($10) per day for 500MB of data!
Staying connected in China has an additional layer of complication due to many websites being blocked by the ‘Great Firewall’. But don’t worry, we’ll go through all the SIM card options for China so you can decide which is the best option for your trip.
SIM Cards in China: Essential Information
There are 3 mobile operators in China: China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom.
China Mobile is the biggest mobile operator in China, but they all have good connectivity throughout the country. China Unicom usually offers the best short-term plans geared towards tourists.
The first thing you need to do is make sure your phone is unlocked, i.e. that it accepts SIM cards from any mobile carrier. If you got your phone as part of a phone contract, it’s likely to be locked to that provider. This is easily remedied, but you need to sort it out before your trip. You can ask your provider for a Network Unlock Code (NUC) or you can get it unlocked at a phone shop for a small fee.
Many apps and websites are blocked in China, including Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. That means if you use a Chinese SIM card or local WiFi, you won’t be able to access these websites or apps.
Unless you want to use Bing as your main search engine, you should think about getting a VPN. A VPN is a piece of software which does some fancy behind-the-scenes magic to reroute your IP address and unblock these sites.
Option 1: Buying a Local SIM Card in China
You can buy a local Chinese SIM card in China. This is the easiest option for getting a SIM card for China. With a Chinese SIM card, you have mobile data as well as a Chinese phone number in case you need to make or receive calls.
It’s fairly easy to get a Chinese SIM card at the airport. There are kiosks selling SIM cards in the arrivals hall at most international airports in China, including Beijing and Shanghai. These kiosks sell short-term mobile plans aimed at tourists.
They usually cost around ¥200-300, and include data and minutes in the plan. Setting up a SIM card in China requires you to register with your passport details. The staff at airport counters are used to dealing with international travellers, so are more likely to speak English, making the process smoother. It also means you won’t leave the safety of the airport without a working internet connection.
It is also possible for international travellers to buy SIM cards outside the airport in China, but it’s hit and miss. These plans will be much cheaper, but you may not be able to get a short-term phone plan. These shops often require you to sign up to a monthly contract of at least 6 months. If you sign up and don’t cancel properly later, you could get blacklisted, preventing you from getting another Chinese SIM card in the future.
Unless you plan to be in China for a longer period of time or will return regularly, I recommend getting a Chinese SIM card at the airport.
Option 2: Getting an eSIM
A newer way of staying connected in China is using an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM card, rather than a physical one. With an eSIM, you can keep your original SIM card from home safely in its slot.
Getting an eSIM for China is fairly cheap and easy to set up, and your passport details aren’t required. eSIMs can work out to be cheaper than getting a short-term Chinese SIM card.
The major advantage of an eSIM in China is the fact that foreign websites aren’t blocked. That means you can browse the internet and social media as normal while you’re in China using an eSIM. You may still want to get a VPN so you can use hotel WiFi though.
Another advantage of an eSIM is that you can set it up from home. That way you’re connected to the internet as soon as you land in China. No need to fumble around with changing SIM cards or trying to catch airport WiFi on the runway.
eSIM providers for China are all data-only plans. This means you won’t be able to make or receive calls in China. Additionally, not all phones can use an eSIM. If you have an older phone, you should double-check whether your phone is eSIM-compatible.
I recommend getting your eSIM from Airalo. Airalo has a local eSIM option for mainland China, as well as a regional Asia eSIM for the same price, which is handy if you’re also visiting Hong Kong. I tested out Airalo during my 4-month trip to China, and it had good network connectivity. I was also able to access all blocked websites in China without a VPN using the Airalo eSIM.
Option 3: Buying a Prepaid Chinese SIM Card
If you prefer to be as prepared as possible, you can buy a prepaid Chinese SIM card in advance. There are various companies that offer these, and you can buy prepaid Chinese SIM cards on Amazon.
Prepaid SIM cards usually come with a data and minutes allowance, and provide you with a Chinese phone number. Prepaid SIM cards require online activation in advance with your passport details. It’s a hassle and the activation doesn’t always work, which is what happened to me. I managed to get a refund quite easily, as it seemed to be a common problem.
Prepaid Chinese SIM cards tend to be in a similar price range to SIM cards from the airport, so I personally don’t think they’re worth the hassle to arrange.
Some prepaid SIM cards offered online are data only. These are usually Hong Kong SIM cards, rather than mainland China SIM cards. With a Hong Kong SIM card you can bypass the ‘Great Firewall’ without a VPN to access Whatsapp, Instagram, Google etc. The downside is that these tend to be more expensive than regular mainland China SIM cards, and you don’t get a phone number. For data-only phone plans, an eSIM is much cheaper.
Do I Really Need a Phone Number in China?
Whether you want the security of having a local phone number or are happy with a data-only eSIM plan in China is down to personal preference.
Having a local phone number in China does make things go more smoothly, but it’s not necessarily essential. Here are a few situations to consider:
Alipay (payment) – you just need an internet connection to use Alipay, and can register using your non-Chinese phone number. An eSIM or WiFi hotspot would work fine. Read more about how Alipay works.
DiDi (ride-hailing/taxi service) – you need a phone number to register for DiDi, but you can use your regular non-Chinese phone number. Drivers often call to confirm your location and if you don’t have a Chinese number, some drivers will cancel. But you really just need an internet connection to use DiDi. Read more about getting around in China.
Booking Tickets – some attractions in China (notably Tiananmen Square) require advance booking online through a WeChat mini-app. You need to register with your phone number and you receive a text message with a confirmation code. You can use a non-Chinese number, but you might get charged for receiving an international text message.
Hotel Check-In – hotels often ask for your phone number at check-in. If you don’t have a Chinese phone number, they will probably ask you to pay a deposit. This doesn’t cost you extra money, but it is more inconvenient, especially if you are checking out early.
Contacting Your Hotel – sometimes you may need to contact your hotel before you arrive, and there may not be a messaging option on your booking. If you get lost, they can give you directions on the phone or come out to find you.
Unforeseen Circumstances – if you have an urgent issue that you need to sort out during your trip, you may need to make a phone call. Recently, my flight out of China got cancelled, and I had to call the airline as their online web chat was useless. In most situations, you could probably use your hotel’s phone, though.
eSIM vs Local SIM
You may still be wondering whether you should get a local Chinese SIM card or an eSIM. Here’s a full comparison of the advantages and disadvantages a Chinese SIM vs eSIM:
| Local Chinese SIM Card | eSIM |
|---|---|
| Data and minutes in plan Chinese phone number provided | Data only plan, no minutes No phone number – can be inconvenient |
| Many websites blocked – requires VPN | Can access all websites – no VPN needed |
| Buy at the airport, slight delay in connectivity | Set up at home, instant connectivity in China |
| Requires passport details to set up | Doesn’t require passport details |
| Compatible with all phones | Not compatible with older phone models |
| Airport short-term Chinese SIM plans: ¥200-300 ($28-$42 USD) 20-30 GB + minutes | Airalo eSIM prices: $5 – 1 GB for 7 days $8.50 – 2 GB for 15 days $11.50 – 3GB for 30 days $16.50 – 5 GB for 30 days $28 – 10GB for 30 days |
Overall, there’s no clear winner and it’s really down to individual preference on whether you should go for a local SIM card or an eSIM in China.
I hope that this guide has given you all the information you need to decide on the best option for buying a SIM card in China. Happy travels!
Check out my other China guides to help plan your trip:
Paying in China
Essential Apps for China
Booking Hotels in China
Getting Around in China
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Photo credit: featured photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
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