First Trip to China Checklist: eSIM, Visa, Payments

Short answer. Do six things at home: get the visa (US citizens still need one; 240-hour visa-free transit is the exception), fill in the online arrival card, buy and install a travel eSIM so Google, WhatsApp and Maps keep working, set up Alipay with your passport and card, register on the train app with your passport, and check your medicines against China's rules. Everything else is detail, and the printable checklist at the end has all of it.

1. Phone and internet: the eSIM question

This is the item first-time visitors get wrong most often, so it comes first. On any Chinese network, including hotel and airport Wi-Fi, Google, Gmail, Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and most Western news sites are blocked. A travel eSIM solves this in a way that surprises people: it connects to a Chinese mobile network, but your data is tunnelled back to the provider's network outside the mainland, so the blocking never applies. No VPN, no settings, your apps just work. A local Chinese SIM or Wi-Fi does not do this.

eSIM is uncommon inside China, which is why Chinese friends and hotel staff often cannot help with it. iPhones sold in mainland China did not have eSIM until September 2026, and Apple notes that eSIMs from non-mainland carriers cannot even be installed while you are in the country. Your American phone is different: any iPhone from the XS onward supports eSIM, US iPhones from the 14 onward are eSIM-only, and recent Pixel and Galaxy phones all work. So buy it at home.

Which eSIM

Prices change monthly; these are from the providers' own pages in September and October 2026.

Provider	Typical price	Network	Notes
Nomad	10 GB / 30 days about $17 to $22; unlimited 7 days $25	China Unicom and Telecom	Best value per GB, hotspot allowed, two networks. Our usual recommendation for a two-week trip.
Airalo	5 GB / 30 days about $15; 10 GB about $26	China Unicom	Easiest app, top up from inside China. Slightly dearer per GB.
Trip.com eSIM	3 GB a day for 7 days about $9; 15 days about $17	China Unicom or Mobile	Cheapest. Daily allowance, then slow. Tested well in rural north-west Yunnan.
Holafly	Unlimited: 7 days $27.50, 15 days about $51	China Mobile only	For heavy users. Hotspot capped at 1 GB a day; slows after several GB a day.
Saily	10 GB / 30 days about $27	China Telecom and Unicom	From the NordVPN company; sells an optional phone number add-on, which the others do not.

Avoid Ubigi for China (no routing outside the mainland, so Google stays blocked) and check any other brand's FAQ for the words "works with Google" or "bypasses restrictions" before you pay.

How to set it up

Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi. The plan usually starts when the phone first connects to a Chinese network, not when you install it.
Keep your US SIM active, with data roaming off on that line and on for the eSIM line. Bank, WeChat and Alipay verification codes arrive by text on your US number; travel eSIMs are data-only and cannot receive texts. Receiving a text abroad is free on T-Mobile and AT&T and 5 cents on Verizon.
Screenshot the QR code and the provider's support contact before you fly. If activation fails on arrival, airport Wi-Fi will not get you to their website.
Unlimited plans are not unlimited: most slow to about 1 Mbps after 2 to 5 GB in a day. 10 GB covers two weeks of maps, messaging and photos for most people.

The alternatives

Your US carrier's roaming. Verizon TravelPass and AT&T International Day Pass are $12 a day; T-Mobile includes China roaming on its main plans at reduced speed. Because the data goes through your home network, Google usually works, but reports are mixed and the cost adds up over two weeks. Fine as a backup, expensive as the plan.

A Chinese SIM at the airport. China Unicom counters in the arrivals halls of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and other major airports sell tourist SIMs with your passport (about ¥100 for 7 days with 10 GB). You get a Chinese number, which is useful for apps, but the data is blocked like any domestic connection.

A VPN. The US State Department's advisory says VPN use in China is illegal in most cases; in practice enforcement targets providers rather than tourists, but it is a grey area. If you want one, install it before departure, because the app stores and VPN websites are blocked inside China. A roaming eSIM avoids the question for most needs.

What works without any of this: Apple Maps, iMessage, FaceTime and iCloud. Google Maps is unreliable in China even with a VPN; use Apple Maps or Amap.

2. Entry: visa, visa-free transit and the arrival card

US passport holders need a visa. The US is not on China's 30-day visa-free list, which in 2026 covers about 50 countries including most of Europe, the UK and Canada (both added in February 2026), Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, and runs until at least 31 December 2026. Americans apply for a tourist (L) visa: fill in the online application at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal, then submit the passport in person at the consulate for your state within 30 days (there is no mail-in and no appointment). Our visa guide has every step. The fee for US citizens is reduced to $140 until the end of 2026, fingerprinting at application is waived for stays under 180 days until the same date, and processing takes about four working days plus the pre-check. Allow three weeks. Most Americans receive a ten-year, multiple-entry visa with 60 days per stay. Your passport needs six months' validity and two blank pages.

240-hour visa-free transit is the exception. Citizens of the US and about 55 other countries can stay up to ten days without a visa if they arrive from one country or region and leave for a different one (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count), hold a confirmed onward ticket, and enter through one of 65 designated ports. A round trip from the US does not qualify. The stay area is 24 provinces, not the whole country, and several of them only in part. The ten days are counted from midnight after you land.

The online arrival card. Since 20 November 2025, foreign visitors fill in China's arrival card online before departure, at the National Immigration Administration's site or its 12367 app, instead of on paper at the airport. It takes five minutes; do it the day before you fly. The customs health declaration was abolished in 2023. You may be fingerprinted at immigration on arrival.

3. Payments: Alipay, WeChat Pay and cash

Most of China pays by scanning a QR code. Both Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and other foreign cards. Set them up at home: download the app, verify your identity with your passport and a face scan (now compulsory on Alipay before you can link a card), link the card, and tell your bank you are travelling. You will need a phone number that receives texts, which is your US number, not the eSIM.

Payments under ¥200 carry no extra fee; above that, 3% is added. Your card issuer may add its own foreign-transaction fee, so a card without one saves money.
DiDi, the ride-hailing service, lives inside Alipay as a mini program and takes payment from your linked card.
ATMs at Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank take foreign cards, typically ¥2,500 to ¥3,000 a withdrawal, with a ¥20 to ¥30 local fee. Shops are required by law to accept cash, but many small ones have no change; ¥100 is the largest note. Carry a few hundred yuan for markets and rural areas and change money at a bank rather than the airport.
Bring a second card. One decline with no backup is the most common payment problem we see.
Tipping is not customary.

4. Trains, flights and hotels

Trains. High-speed trains are the best way between cities, and foreigners can now use the official 12306 app in English. Register with your passport before you leave (verification takes minutes to a day), and book with a foreign card or linked Alipay. If your card is refused, Trip.com sells the same tickets at the same price. There are no paper tickets: your passport is scanned at the station entrance and the platform gate, and boarding closes three minutes before departure.

Flights. Your passport is your ID at check-in and security. Domestic flights are fine for the long legs, for example Shanghai to Kunming or Xining.

Hotels. By law hotels register every foreign guest with the police using your passport; this is routine and takes a minute. Not every hotel can host foreigners, because registration needs a police-linked system, so book through a site with a filter for hotels that accept foreign guests, or let us check. Save each hotel's address in Chinese characters; drivers rarely work from English names, and a screenshot of the Chinese address solves most taxi problems. If you stay in a private home, you or your host must register you at the local police station within 24 hours.

5. Apps to install before you leave

Alipay: payments, with DiDi ride-hailing inside.
WeChat: messaging with hotels, drivers and guides, and a second way to pay.
12306 and Trip.com: train and flight booking with passport details.
Apple Maps or Amap (which has an English mode). Google Maps is unreliable in China.
A translation app that works offline: Apple Translate or Microsoft Translator with the Chinese pack downloaded at home. Google Translate works only in offline mode on a local connection.
Your eSIM provider's app and support contact, saved before you fly.

Download everything at home. App stores work in China for most apps, but it is slower and some downloads fail.

6. Health, medicines and insurance

Insurance. Chinese hospitals ask for payment up front, and medical evacuation from a remote valley in Yunnan or the Qinghai plateau costs tens of thousands of dollars. Buy a policy with at least $250,000 of medical cover and $500,000 of evacuation, and check that it covers altitude above 3,500 m if you are coming west with us.

Medicines. China's rules on controlled drugs are stricter than America's. Adderall, Vyvanse and other amphetamine medicines are banned even with a prescription; methylphenidate (Ritalin), benzodiazepines and sleeping pills such as zolpidem are controlled and should travel in the original packaging with the prescription and a doctor's letter, in a small quantity, declared on arrival. Common antidepressants, blood pressure and diabetes medicines are fine in reasonable amounts. CBD and anything cannabis-derived is prohibited. If in doubt, ask the Chinese consulate before you fly, and bring a copy of every prescription.

Altitude. Lijiang is at 2,400 m, Shangri-La about 3,300 m, Xining about 2,260 m, and the Qinghai plateau roads cross passes above 3,500 m. Gain height gradually, keep the first evening at altitude light, drink water, and skip alcohol the first night. Anyone with heart or lung conditions should ask their doctor before booking, and ask about acetazolamide for Shangri-La and the plateau. Our routes are built around this; see the altitude profile on each itinerary.

Water. Do not drink tap water; hotels provide bottled water and kettles.

Safety. Violent crime against visitors is rare and cities feel orderly. The US State Department rates mainland China at Level 2, "exercise increased caution" (advisory of 4 September 2026), citing arbitrary enforcement of local laws and exit bans. Read it, enroll in the State Department's STEP program, carry your passport, and avoid political activity or photographing military or police sites.

7. Customs, cash limits and drones

Visitors may bring in ¥2,000 of personal goods duty-free, 400 cigarettes or 20 cigars, 1.5 litres of spirits, and two e-cigarette devices with six cartridges.
Declare cash above US$5,000 (or ¥20,000) on arrival.
Prohibited: weapons and ammunition of any kind, drugs including CBD, fresh food and seeds, ivory, and publications China considers politically sensitive.
Drones must be registered on China's civil aviation system before flying, which foreigners can do with a passport and a phone number that receives texts; the State Department notes permits are required and fines for unregistered flying are heavy. Many scenic areas, including the ones we use, ban drones outright. Simplest advice: leave it at home.
Power is 220 V. Sockets take US flat two-pin plugs and the three-pin Type I; US three-pin plugs need an adapter. Modern chargers are dual-voltage; a hair dryer is not.

The checklist

Print this page or save it to your phone. Items are in the order to do them.

Six to eight weeks before

Passport valid six months beyond your return, with two blank pages
Visa: online form, then passport submitted in person at your consulate (see the visa guide); 240-hour transit only if your whole route is inside the permitted area
Travel insurance with evacuation and altitude cover
Flights and trains booked; 12306 registered with your passport
Hotels that accept foreign guests, with addresses saved in Chinese
Medicines checked against China's rules; prescriptions copied

Two weeks before

Travel eSIM bought and installed; QR code and support contact screenshotted
Alipay (and WeChat) set up with passport verification and a card linked
Bank told you are travelling; second card packed
Apps installed: Alipay, WeChat, 12306 or Trip.com, Apple Maps or Amap, an offline translator
STEP enrolment with the State Department
Plug adapter; dual-voltage chargers only

The day before

Online arrival card filled in on the immigration site or 12367 app
¥500 or so in cash changed, or a plan to withdraw at a Bank of China ATM on arrival
Data roaming on for the eSIM line, off for your US line
Hotel's Chinese address and our WhatsApp number saved offline

On arrival

Turn the eSIM on before leaving the plane; toggle airplane mode if it does not connect
Fingerprints and arrival card QR at immigration
Declare cash above US$5,000 and any controlled medicines
Keep your passport on you; it is your ID for trains, hotels and scenic areas

If you would like this as a PDF for printing, or want us to run through it for your dates, tell us when you are going.

Questions people ask

Do Americans need a visa for China in 2026?

Yes, for a normal visit. The US is not on China's 30-day visa-free list. The exception is 240-hour visa-free transit, for travellers arriving from one country and leaving for a different one within ten days through a designated port; a round trip from the US does not qualify, and the permitted stay area leaves out Shangri-La and Meili in Yunnan, the Detian waterfall area in Guangxi, and all of Qinghai and Gansu, so our three routes need a visa.

Which eSIM is best for China?

For most two-week trips, Nomad's 10 GB China plan gives the best value with hotspot and two networks; Airalo is the easiest to use and lets you top up inside China; Trip.com's eSIM is the cheapest. All three route data outside the mainland so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work. Avoid providers whose FAQ does not say their China eSIM works with Google.

Does an eSIM let me use Google and WhatsApp in China?

Yes, if it is a travel eSIM that routes data through a network outside mainland China, which the main providers do. A Chinese SIM or any Wi-Fi in China will block them.

Can I use my US phone plan in China?

Usually, at $12 a day on Verizon and AT&T, and included at reduced speed on T-Mobile's main plans. Because the data goes through your home network, Google normally works, but a travel eSIM is cheaper over a two-week trip and a safer plan.

Do I need a VPN for China?

Not if you use a travel eSIM for data. The State Department says VPN use is illegal in most cases; enforcement against tourists is rare, but it is a grey area, and any VPN must be installed before you arrive.

Can I bring my prescription medicine to China?

Most medicines, yes, in the original packaging with the prescription. Amphetamine-based ADHD medicines such as Adderall are banned even with a prescription; Ritalin, benzodiazepines and sleeping pills are controlled and should be declared in small quantities with a doctor's letter.

Do I have to fill in an arrival card before flying to China?

Yes. Since November 2025 the arrival card is completed online at the National Immigration Administration's site or 12367 app before departure, or at a kiosk on arrival. It takes about five minutes.

How much cash should I bring to China?

A few hundred dollars' worth of yuan for markets, tips you choose to give and rural areas, and a card for ATMs at Bank of China or ICBC. Almost everything else is paid through Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to your card. Declare cash above US$5,000.

First trip to China: the checklist, with the eSIM question answered