The simplest way to get internet in China as a tourist is to install a prepaid travel eSIM before you fly, so your phone connects as soon as you land. The other options are roaming on your home plan, buying a local SIM card after you arrive, or renting a pocket Wi-Fi device. This guide compares all four and sets out when to organise each step.
If you already know an eSIM is what you want, go straight to our China travel eSIM plans, which start at A$12.90 for mainland China. Prices in this guide are in Australian dollars and convert automatically at checkout if you shop in another currency.
What you need mobile data for in China
In mainland China a phone with a working data connection does far more than keep you in touch. Much of daily life runs through apps, and visitors end up using their phones for the same jobs that locals do.
- Maps and navigation. Chinese cities are big and their metro networks are extensive. Local map apps such as Amap and Baidu Maps carry the most detailed metro and bus information, and live directions need a connection.
- Translation. Away from the main visitor areas, menus, signs and ticket machines are often in Chinese only. A translation app with a camera mode solves most of that.
- QR payments. Paying by QR code with Alipay or WeChat Pay is the norm in mainland China. Both apps let visitors link an international bank card, and your phone needs to be online at the counter.
- Ride hailing. Ride-hailing with DiDi is booked and tracked in an app.
- Train and attraction tickets. High-speed rail tickets and many attraction tickets are booked in apps and shown as QR codes.
- Messaging. WeChat is the app most people and businesses in China use to message, so it is how you will usually reach a guide, a driver or a guesthouse.
Hotel Wi-Fi helps in the evening, but nearly everything on this list happens out on the street, in a taxi or at a station.
Four ways to get internet in China
1. Roaming on your home plan
Roaming is the option that needs no preparation: you land, your phone joins a local network, and your usual number keeps working. The catch is the price. Roaming on your home carrier is usually charged as a fee for every day you are away, so the cost grows with the length of the trip, and the data often comes with a daily cap or reduced speeds. Check your carrier's rate for China before you leave, and check that China is included in its roaming zones at all. Roaming can suit a stopover of a day or two.
2. A local SIM card bought after you arrive
China's mobile operators sell prepaid SIM cards in their own stores, and some larger airports have counters. Local Chinese SIM cards need passport registration at a store, so allow time for the paperwork. In return you get a Chinese phone number, and a local SIM can work out cheaper on a long stay.
The drawbacks are practical. You arrive without a connection and have to find a store first. Your phone must be unlocked. And on a phone with a single SIM slot, the local card replaces your home SIM.
3. Pocket Wi-Fi rental
A pocket Wi-Fi is a small battery-powered router that you rent for the trip. It shares one mobile connection with several phones, tablets and laptops, which is handy for a family or a group that stays together.
It is also one more device to collect, carry, charge every night and return at the end. Everyone also has to stay within range of whoever is holding it.
4. A travel eSIM
An eSIM is a digital SIM that you install by scanning a QR code. You buy it online, install it at home on Wi-Fi, and switch it on when you land. A travel eSIM is set up before you leave and leaves your home SIM in the phone, so you still receive bank verification codes on your usual number.
Our China eSIMs need no ID registration and include hotspot. Google and WhatsApp currently work on all of our China eSIM plans, and mobile payment with Alipay and WeChat Pay is supported on them too. The trade-offs are that the plans are data only, with no Chinese phone number, and that you need an unlocked, eSIM-compatible phone.
| Option | When you set it up | Phone number | Watch out for | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming on your home plan | Nothing to set up | Your usual number | Daily fees, data caps or reduced speeds | Stopovers of a day or two |
| Local SIM card | At a store after you arrive | Chinese number | Passport registration at a store, arriving offline | Long stays |
| Pocket Wi-Fi | Collect the device, return it afterwards | None | Extra device to carry and charge | Groups that stay together |
| Travel eSIM | At home before you fly | None (data only) | Needs an unlocked, eSIM-compatible phone | Most holidays, from a few days to a month |
How much data does a China trip need?
For a two-week trip we recommend 20GB to 30GB, because maps, translation, mobile payments and ride-hailing all run on data.
On our mainland China eSIM, that looks like this:
- Short stopover: 10GB for 3 days is A$12.90.
- One to two week tour: 20GB for 15 days is A$21.90, and 30GB for 15 days is A$29.90.
- A month, or hotspotting a laptop: 50GB for 30 days is A$59.90.
Messaging, payments and maps are light on data. Video streaming, video calls, photo backups and sharing your connection with a laptop are what use an allowance quickly. Once the high-speed allowance is used, the plan continues at 128 kbps, which is enough for messaging but not for video or large downloads. The plans are not rechargeable, so if you are unsure between two sizes, take the larger one. Our guide to choosing an eSIM for China goes through the plans in more detail.
When to set everything up
Most of the work is done before you leave home.
- One to two weeks before. Check that your phone is carrier-unlocked and supports eSIM. That includes iPhone XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, and Google Pixel 3 and newer. You can also dial *#06#: if a 32-digit EID appears, the device supports eSIM. Then set up mobile payment. Sign up for Alipay or WeChat Pay at home and link your card, because verification codes are sent by SMS to your usual number.
- A few days before. Buy your eSIM. The QR code is emailed after purchase, and orders placed after 1 AM AEST are sent from 9 AM AEST onwards, so order at least a day before you fly. Scan the QR code in your phone's mobile settings while you are on Wi-Fi. Installing early does not start the plan, although the QR code must be installed and used within 90 days of purchase.
- The day before. Save offline maps of the cities you are visiting and an offline Chinese language pack. Keep your hotel's name and address in Chinese characters somewhere you can show a driver.
- When you land. Switch on the eSIM line, set it as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for it. Turn off data roaming on your home line. Service starts on the first network connection at your destination, and your 3, 7, 15 or 30 days are counted from that moment, not from the purchase date.
Practical tips once you are in China
- Keep your home SIM active. The eSIM handles data while your home SIM stays in the phone for calls and SMS codes.
- Know where signal thins out. In China's cities you can expect signal in city centres, airports, metro systems and the main tourist sites. On high-speed rail lines the connection drops in tunnels. In remote and mountainous regions, including parts of Tibet, Xinjiang, Yunnan and western Sichuan, coverage thins out between towns.
- Watch your allowance when tethering. Hotspot is supported on the eSIMs and uses your data.
- Ask for help if you are stuck. Our Melbourne-based support team is available 16 hours a day by live chat and email.
Adding Hong Kong, Macau or other Asian stops
Hong Kong and Macau have their own operators and their own networks, separate from the mainland. A mainland-only plan stops working when you cross into Hong Kong.
If your route crosses the border, the China & Hong Kong eSIM keeps one plan working in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. It uses China Telecom in mainland China and Macau and CSL in Hong Kong, and starts at 10GB for 3 days at A$10.90. If you are not entering the mainland at all, the plans in our Hong Kong & Macau eSIM collection start at A$7.90.
For a wider trip, the Asia Explorer eSIM covers 12 destinations including Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, from 3GB for 3 days at A$5.90. It does not include mainland China, so pair it with the mainland China eSIM if your route includes both. Single-country options are in the full range of Asia eSIM plans.
Ready to choose? Compare every option side by side on the China eSIM plans page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to get internet in China as a tourist?
For most visitors it is a prepaid travel eSIM installed at home before the flight. There is no store visit and no ID registration on our China eSIMs, your home SIM stays in the phone, and the plan starts on the first network connection at your destination. Roaming is simpler still but is usually charged for every day you are away.
Can I buy a SIM card after I arrive in China?
Yes. Local SIM cards are sold in operator stores, and some larger airports have counters. Local Chinese SIM cards need passport registration at a store. A local SIM gives you a Chinese phone number and can work out cheaper on a long stay, but you arrive without a connection and your phone must be unlocked.
Will Google and WhatsApp work on my phone in China?
Google and WhatsApp currently work on all of our China eSIM plans, including the mainland China eSIM and the China & Hong Kong eSIM. We can only speak for our own plans, so if you choose a different way to connect, check with that provider before you travel.
Can visitors use Alipay and WeChat Pay?
Yes. Paying by QR code with Alipay or WeChat Pay is the norm in mainland China, and both apps let visitors link an international bank card. Do the sign-up at home, because verification codes are sent by SMS to your usual number. Mobile payment with both apps is supported on our China eSIM plans.
How much data do I need for two weeks in China?
For a two-week trip we recommend 20GB to 30GB, because maps, translation, mobile payments and ride-hailing all run on data. On our mainland China eSIM, 20GB for 15 days is A$21.90 and 30GB for 15 days is A$29.90. Heavy users and anyone tethering a laptop should take 50GB for 30 days (A$59.90).
When should I install a China eSIM?
Install the QR code at home on Wi-Fi any time before your travel date. Installing early does not start the plan, because the validity period is counted from the first network connection at your destination. The QR code must be installed and used within 90 days of purchase.
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