← Hot Pot China home
Before the meal
Prepare for a hot pot trip in China
Follow these steps in order. Rules and app features can change; use the official links before booking or departure.
Entry and visa
- Check the National Immigration Administration policy for your passport, reason for travel, entry route and dates. Visa-free entry and visa-free transit have different conditions.
- If you need a visa, choose the country and city where you will apply on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center site. Follow its document, appointment and fee instructions; if your city is not listed, check the Chinese embassy or consulate serving your area.
- Use the NIA’s free official online arrival card if applicable, or fill one at the port. Avoid paid lookalike sites. Keep your documents and onward travel details accessible offline; recheck entry rules before departure.
Paying in China
- Ask your bank whether your card works in China and what foreign-transaction fees apply. Keep a second card and some RMB cash.
- Install Alipay or WeChat through an official app store, register with your phone number, complete any identity checks and try linking an eligible card before leaving.
- Test a small payment after arrival. If card linking or QR payment fails, try the other app, a physical card where accepted, or cash; ask your bank or app support about the failure.
Phone and internet
- Before leaving, check whether your phone is unlocked and supports the roaming, eSIM or physical SIM option you plan to use.
- Compare price, data allowance and activation instructions. Save any activation QR code and provider help details offline.
- For a local SIM, take your passport to an official China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom service outlet. Confirm that mobile data works before leaving the counter.
Arrival and local travel
- Save the accommodation name and full address in Chinese, its phone number and a screenshot of the route from your arrival airport or station.
- Before landing, check the official airport or station route and its operating hours. At the terminal, follow signed public transport or licensed taxi/ride-hailing pickup areas.
- For the metro, buy a ticket at the station or check whether the city supports your payment app’s Transport QR code. In Alipay, open Transport, choose the city and follow the verification prompts.
Intercity trains
- Use the official 12306 English website or app. Create an account and complete the passport identity check using the name and passport number exactly as shown on your document.
- Search by station and date, confirm the departure station and time, then pay through the available method. Save the booking details offline.
- Bring the original passport used for the ticket. It is needed for station entry and boarding; if online verification fails, ask at a station ticket counter.
Accommodation and registration
- Before paying, confirm the property’s full address, check-in time, cancellation terms, payment options and that it can register your passport on arrival.
- At a hotel, present your passport at reception; the hotel handles accommodation registration.
- If staying in a home rather than a hotel, you or your host must register with the local public security authority within 24 hours of arrival. The NIA now offers online registration; ask your host to help with the first submission, or use a local police station.
Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120. For immigration questions, call 12367. Save your accommodation address in Chinese and your embassy contact before you travel.