First Time in China? What to Know Before You Go
What to settle before a first trip to China: entry, payments, internet access, essential apps, and the first hour after you land.
Practical preparation
Entry, payments, connectivity, useful apps and what to arrange before landing.
Settle entry, payment and a way to get online before you fly. The first hour is easier when those are already decided.
Published and maintained
Start with the question you actually have. The rest can wait.
What to settle before a first trip to China: entry, payments, internet access, essential apps, and the first hour after you land.
How visitors can tell whether a tourist trip to mainland China needs a visa, can use visa-free entry, or depends on a transit rule, and which documents to check before flying.
How to choose a travel eSIM, home-carrier roaming, a mainland SIM, or Wi-Fi before a trip to mainland China.
Which payment, map, translation, transport and messaging apps to prepare before a trip to China, and which ones a short visit can skip.
How visitors can prepare to pay in mainland China: a mobile wallet with an eligible card, the physical card, and some RMB cash.
YOUR TRAVEL NOTE
You do not need a finished itinerary. As you explore, mark the ideas and questions that matter. When you are
ready, our China-based team will respond with an honest first perspective—not a generated itinerary.
Open your Travel Note to keep an idea, a question, or something you are still unsure about.