Make the practical part easy

How to get ready

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.