China Guidelines
2026 Full Guide - How Foreigners Get a Chinese SIM Card – Best Plans, eSIM, Airport vs City, Working VPNs

January 11, 2026 • Richie Shi

2026 Full Guide - How Foreigners Get a Chinese SIM Card – Best Plans, eSIM, Airport vs City, Working VPNs

The ultimate 2026 guide for tourists & business travelers - step-by-step how to buy a mainland China SIM card as a foreigner, China Unicom vs Mobile vs Telecom comparison, airport vs downtown prices, eSIM options, which VPNs actually work in China

When traveling or on a business trip to China, a reliable mobile internet connection is absolutely essential — you need it to work smoothly and stay connected.

However, there’s one crucial thing you must know in advance: mainland China has the Great Firewall (GFW). This means that with a regular Chinese SIM card — or any foreign SIM without proper international roaming enabled — you cannot directly access most major global services, including:YouTube TikTok Gmail Google Maps Google Play Facebook Instagram Twitter/X WhatsApp Messenger Telegram Reddit Netflix Spotify Discord …and virtually all other mainstream Western apps and websites.

In short: the moment you land, your phone will lose access to almost everything you normally use — unless you prepare ahead.

If you haven’t prepared a way to bypass the restrictions in advance, the moment you land in mainland China you’ll almost certainly experience a complete “internet blackout”:

  • Maps won’t load → navigation completely dead
  • WhatsApp / FaceTime / Messenger / Telegram → messages simply won’t send or arrive
  • Gmail / Outlook → no new emails, can’t log in
  • YouTube / Netflix / Spotify → endless loading or “video unavailable”
  • Google search, Instagram, Twitter/X, Reddit, Discord → all blocked

In short, the apps and websites you rely on every day will suddenly stop working the second you connect to Chinese mobile data or most hotel/public Wi-Fi networks.

At the same time, daily life in China is heavily reliant on local internet services:

  • Ride-hailing (Didi, Amap)
  • Food delivery (Meituan, Ele.me)
  • QR code payments (WeChat Pay, Alipay)
  • Bike/scooter sharing
  • Booking hotels and train tickets

However, registering these local services with a foreign phone number often comes with various inconveniences and restrictions.

That’s why it’s highly recommended that foreign visitors buy a local Chinese SIM card upon arrival — it makes using all these essential local apps much easier, and the data plans are considerably cheaper. It’s one of the best and most practical choices.

SIM Card Solutions Comparison

Before diving into how to get a Chinese mainland SIM card, let’s first do a complete side-by-side comparison of all available SIM card options — with their pros and cons.

1. International Roaming

If you plan to use international roaming, contact your home carrier before departing and confirm the following:

  1. Whether international roaming is activated on your SIM and works properly in mainland China
  2. Whether, once roaming is enabled, you can still access Google, YouTube, Gmail, and other global services while in China (This works only if your carrier uses home-country routing. If traffic is routed locally through Chinese networks, it will be blocked by the Great Firewall and those sites/apps will remain inaccessible)

Pros

  1. No need to buy or apply for an extra SIM card
  2. Full access to Google, YouTube, Gmail, and other global internet services (if your carrier uses home-country routing)

Cons

  1. Very expensive — typical rates are around $10 USD per day (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, many European carriers) or even higher per MB)
  2. Unable to register or use many China-only internet services that require a mainland Chinese phone number (Meituan, 12306 train tickets, most local apps, etc.)

2. eSIM

An eSIM is a tiny chip built into your phone that replaces the traditional plastic SIM card You don’t need to insert or swap anything physically — just scan a QR code (or tap to activate), and the carrier’s phone number and data plan are instantly “downloaded” to your device. Switching numbers or plans takes seconds

If you want to use this option, first confirm your phone supports eSIM, then look for reputable international eSIM providers that offer service in mainland China (such as Airalo, Nomad, Ubigi, Holafly, etc.) and purchase the plan that best suited to your trip length

Pros

  1. Significantly cheaper than international roaming
  2. Full, unrestricted access to Google, YouTube, Gmail, and all global internet services
  3. Extremely convenient for phones with only one physical SIM slot — you can keep your home SIM and add the eSIM as a second line

Cons

  1. Your phone must support eSIM functionality
  2. Most travel eSIM plans are data-only — you cannot make/receive regular calls or SMS
  3. Still cannot register many China-only services that require a mainland Chinese phone number (e.g., Meituan, 12306 train tickets, etc.)

3. Mainland Chinese Physical SIM Card

If you choose this option, keep these three points in mind:

  1. Mainland Chinese SIM cards are physical cards. If you also want to keep your original home SIM, make sure your phone has dual-SIM capability (or buy a dual-SIM phone if needed)
  2. Check whether your phone is carrier-locked. Some contract phones from overseas carriers cannot accept SIM cards from other operators. You can test it with a friend’s non-original SIM; if it doesn’t work, contact your home carrier to unlock it
  3. Confirm that your phone supports the frequency bands used by China’s three major carriers (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom). If the bands don’t match, you’ll have no signal even with a valid SIM. You can verify compatibility at frequencycheck

Pros

  1. Best value for money
  2. Seamlessly register and use all China-only internet services (Didi, Meituan, Alipay, 12306, etc.)
  3. Fastest local network speeds

Cons

  1. Cannot directly access Google, YouTube, WhatsApp, etc. — you’ll need a reliable VPN for global internet (we’ll cover recommended VPN later)
  2. Must be purchased in person at the airport or an official carrier store inside mainland China

How to Buy a Mainland Chinese SIM Card

1. Comparison of China’s Three Major Carriers

Always double-check that your phone supports the carrier’s frequency bands (use frequencycheck — select your exact phone model + the carrier to confirm compatibility)

  • China Unicom

    The top choice for most foreign visitors. Works with the widest range of international phones, excellent coverage and stability in cities, though weaker in rural areas. Ideal if you’re mainly staying in urban areas

  • China Mobile

    Best nationwide coverage — strongest signal even in remote and rural regions. Perfect for travelers going off the beaten path

  • China Telecom

    Strongest coverage in southern China, generally the cheapest plans. Best option if your itinerary is focused on the south

China’s three major carriers

2. Where to Buy

All Chinese SIM cards require real-name registration, so you must bring your passport

  • Airport counters

    Most convenient for short-term travelers. You can get tourist plans like “7 days · 30 GB data + 100 minutes calls” for roughly 100 RMB. Staff usually speak some English and the process is fast

  • Official carrier stores in the city Best for longer stays — prices are much cheaper than at airports. Go to larger, official stores (smaller shops maybe can not sell to foreigners). Monthly plans typically cost 30–100 RMB depending on data allowance.

    Search for nearby stores on your map app Carrier stores in the city

3. Topping Up & Checking Balance

  1. Top up and check balance via WeChat or Alipay (easiest method)

    • Top-up entrance
    • Mini-programs for each carrier

    How to register and use WeChat/Alipay, see:

    1. A Foreigner’s Guide to Registering and Using Alipay in China
    2. How Foreigners Can Sign Up for WeChat Pay (WeXin Pay) and Use It in China

Top-up entrance

  1. Download the official apps of the three carriers from your app storeApps of the three major carriers

official apps of the three carriers

Recommended VPNs

A VPN is basically a tiny switch on your phone: once turned on, all your internet traffic gets encrypted and rerouted so it looks like you’re browsing from Hong Kong, Japan, the US, etc. This lets you open YouTube, Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Gmail, and every other blocked site/service exactly as if you were outside China — fast, safe, and dead simple

When you buy a Chinese SIM card, the carrier will sometimes try to sell you their own “official” VPN package. Quality varies wildly and many barely work. For reliable, high-speed connections, stick with reputable international providers such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark. Download the app and buy a plan BEFORE you enter China

VPN apps

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I need to turn on the VPN in China?

Turn it ON whenever you want to use Google, YouTube, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, Netflix, Twitter/X, Reddit, etc. — basically any service you normally use back home. Turn it OFF (or pause) the VPN when using Chinese apps (Didi, Meituan, Alipay, WeChat, Douyin, etc.). Domestic traffic is much faster without the VPN, and some local apps even block VPN connections

Can I just keep using my home-country SIM card in China?

Yes — if you have confirmed with your carrier that: International roaming is activated, and they use home-country routing (not local routing in China)

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