eSIM for China: mobile data for Beijing, Shanghai and beyond
Staying online in China with a travel eSIM — how it differs from a Chinese SIM card, which apps to prepare, how much data a trip takes, and setting it up before you fly.
In short
- A travel eSIM for China connects to the main Chinese networks, with 4G and 5G in the cities.
- It works like roaming — the traffic reaches the internet outside mainland China, through Hong Kong or Singapore, so you use the internet as you do abroad.
- Payments, taxis and maps in China run on local apps — set them up at home before the trip.
- A Chinese SIM card needs a passport registration in a shop; a travel eSIM is ready before you fly.
- Going on to Hong Kong and Macau? A combined package covers all three with one eSIM.
Contents
China surprises first-time visitors in two ways: almost everything is paid by phone, and the internet works differently from the rest of the world. A travel eSIM solves the connection part before you leave home — and gives you the internet the way you use it everywhere else.
How a travel eSIM works in China
A travel eSIM connects to the main Chinese mobile networks — in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Xi'an you can expect fast 4G and 5G. But unlike a Chinese SIM card, it works like roaming: your traffic goes to the internet outside mainland China. On our China packages it leaves through Hong Kong or Singapore.
For you this means the internet behaves as it does in other countries. Because the traffic travels further, pages can load a little slower than on a local SIM — usually not noticeable for messages and maps.
The networks each package uses are listed on the China page.
Prepare these before you go
- A payment app. Cash and foreign cards are accepted less and less; the two big Chinese payment apps let foreign visitors link an international card. Set it up and verify it at home.
- Maps. International map apps have limited detail in China; a Chinese map app or offline maps help.
- A translation app with the Chinese language pack downloaded.
- Ride-hailing inside the payment apps works for taxis.
Some of these apps send a confirmation SMS to your own number — your own SIM stays in the phone next to the eSIM, so you receive it (as your operator's roaming allows).
How much data do you need?
| Trip | Typical use | Package |
|---|---|---|
| A business trip, 3–5 days | Email, messages, maps, payments | 3 GB |
| A week, two cities | Plus photos, social media | 5–10 GB |
| Two weeks or more | Video calls, sharing, streaming | 10–20 GB |
| A long stay or study | Laptop hotspot, video meetings | 20–50 GB |
China with Hong Kong and Macau
Hong Kong and Macau have their own networks. A combined package — China, Hong Kong and Macau, or China and Hong Kong — covers the whole trip with one eSIM. There are also packages for China with Japan and South Korea. See the regions on the packages page.
Setting it up
- Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.
- Buy a package on the China page; the QR code comes to your email and account.
- Install it at home over Wi-Fi — the install guide shows each step.
- When you land, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line and choose it for mobile data. Keep data roaming off on your own line.
Questions and answers
Is a travel eSIM better than a Chinese SIM card?
For a visitor it is usually simpler: no shop, no passport registration, and the internet works the way you are used to. A Chinese SIM card makes sense for a long stay when you need a local number.
Does the eSIM give me a Chinese phone number?
No, it is data only. Services that need a Chinese number for sign-up will not accept it.
When do the package's days start?
When the eSIM first connects to a network in China, not when you buy or install it.
See the packages for China — the price is shown upfront, with nothing added later.
Ready for your trip?
An eSIM for 200 countries: set up in minutes, with no roaming bill.