01 Before you fly
This is the one part you can't do on arrival: many apps — VPNs especially — are hard or impossible to download once you're inside China's firewall. Install, register and link your card at home.
- ✓Install Alipay 支付宝 + WeChat 微信, link a foreign card
A Visa or Mastercard works — no Chinese bank account needed. This is your wallet in China; almost everything is paid by scanning a QR. Install both as backups for each other.
- ✓Add maps, ride-hailing, translation & tickets
Amap 高德, DiDi 滴滴, a translator, and 12306 or Trip.com. Details below.
- ✓Sort connectivity — a travel eSIM or a tested VPN
Want Google, WhatsApp and Instagram? A travel eSIM routes through international roaming and reaches them with no VPN. If you'll rely on a VPN, install and test it before landing.
- ✓File the arrival card online (within 72h before arrival)
The foreigner arrival card went electronic in Nov 2025 — fill it on the NIA site or a WeChat/Alipay mini-program up to 72h before you land, and skip the landing-hall queue.
- ✓Carry your passport + a little cash
Your passport is your ID for hotels, train stations and sight bookings. Keep ~¥500 in small notes for the rare cash-only stall or a failed scan.
02 The apps you actually need
Install these and you can pay, navigate, ride, book and translate your way across the country. Most now ship an English interface.
China's "super-app": chat, scan, ride, book, order. How you'll reach locals — and a second QR wallet.
The other QR wallet. Link Visa/Mastercard; caps ≈ US$5,000 (≈¥35,000) per payment, US$50,000 a year. Has taxis, transit and mini-programs built in.
The best maps in China, with a real English mode since Jan 2025 — metro exits, voice nav, review translation.
Cheap ride-hailing; switch to English in settings. Fare auto-charged, chat auto-translated — also inside Alipay.
12306 is official: passport sign-up, no fee, tickets 15 days out. Trip.com is smoother in English for +¥10–30.
Pleco (offline dictionary, camera lookup) plus Microsoft or Baidu Translate, which work without a VPN inside China.
Find food, real ratings, book tables, order in. Chinese-first — pair with a translator. The key to local eats.
China blocks Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube. A travel eSIM reaches them over roaming with no VPN — set it up before you go.
03 Facilities, decoded
From stepping off the plane to crossing a city, here's how the physical stuff works.
Arrival The airport & the border
- E-gates at major ports are open to eligible foreigners too — it depends on the port, your document and fingerprint enrolment. Face + prints, auto-stamp, and usually faster than the manual desk.
- Arrival card is filed online within 72h before arrival; if you skipped it, scan the hall QR code, use a self-service kiosk or fill a paper card on the spot.
- Customs is usually the nothing-to-declare channel; declare large cash or restricted goods.
- 240-hour visa-free transit covers 55 nationalities through 65 ports — see the entry guide.
Intercity High-speed rail stations
- Bring your passport — it's checked at entry, security and the gate. Arrive 30–60 min early.
- Scan to enter: e-tickets usually let you tap your passport at the orange gates; otherwise use a staffed window.
- Get the right station — big cities have several (e.g. "…South"). Read the station name on your ticket.
- Hot water on board in every carriage — for tea or instant noodles. See the 12306 guide.
In-city Metro & buses
- Ride by QR: activate the local "ride code" in Alipay or WeChat (or use UnionPay) and scan in and out.
- Bag security at every metro entrance; large liquids may be checked.
- Single tickets from machines (usually English) by coin or QR; buses are cashless — ride code or exact change.
- Plan the fastest route in Amap.
Driving Car rental & hiring a driver
- Your home licence and the IDP don't work in mainland China — you need a temporary Chinese driving permit.
- Get one on arrival at major airports (Beijing, Shanghai and more): a short eyesight check and paperwork, valid for your stay. Self-drive rentals (e.g. via Amap) require it.
- Easier for most: hire a car with a driver (包车) through DiDi's charter option or your hotel — no licence, no parking, and they navigate.
- City to city, high-speed rail + DiDi is usually faster and cheaper than driving yourself.
Online SIM · eSIM · WiFi
- Easiest: a travel eSIM bought beforehand — works on landing and reaches Google/Instagram directly.
- Local SIM at the airport or a carrier shop (China Mobile/Unicom/Telecom) with your passport — but it's still behind the firewall.
- Public WiFi at hotels and malls sometimes needs a Chinese number for the code; an eSIM is steadier.
Money Cash & ATMs
- Withdraw at big-bank ATMs (Bank of China, ICBC) on foreign Visa/Mastercard/UnionPay — tell your bank you're travelling first.
- Keep small notes for the occasional cash-only stall or when a scan fails.
- Exchange at major banks or the airport; big banks give the better rate.
Daily Power · water · toilets · stores
- 220V / 50Hz, plug types A / I / C — bring a universal adapter (phones and laptops charge fine on either).
- Tap water isn't drinkable, but free hot water is everywhere — carry a flask.
- Public toilets are common and often squat-style — carry tissues and hand sanitizer.
- Convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart and local chains) are everywhere for water, snacks and basics.
Health Pharmacies & care
- Pharmacies (药店) are everywhere for everyday medicine.
- Big-city tier-3 hospitals have international departments with English-speaking staff; carry travel medical insurance.
- Find the nearest pharmacy or hospital in Amap or Dianping.
04 By scenario
The four moments every traveler hits — step by step.
🛬 Your first hour
- Switch on your eSIM (or buy a local SIM)
- At major ports, take the e-gate if eligible — fingerprint, stamp, in
- Need cash? ATM or exchange in the hall
- DiDi or metro to the hotel, pay by QR
🍜 Ordering & paying
- Find a spot on Dianping, check ratings
- Scan the table QR to order, or translate the menu
- Open your Alipay/WeChat pay code for staff to scan
- Or scan their code and key in the amount
🚄 Catching a train
- Book on 12306 or Trip.com with your passport
- Reach the right station 30–60 min early
- Security → tap your passport at the gate
- Watch the board for your gate / platform
🌐 Getting on Google / IG
- Be on eSIM data — not local WiFi or SIM
- Open Google, WhatsApp, Instagram directly
- On a local network, switch on your VPN
- For key chats, WeChat works inside China
05 Good to know
The small habits that smooth out a China trip.
- Passport on you — needed for stays, stations and sight bookings. Lost it? Contact your embassy at once.
- No tipping — restaurants and taxis don't expect it.
- Book popular sights — the Forbidden City and big museums need a passport booking, and most close Mondays.
- Install & link before flying — censored apps are hard to add later.
- Keep a little cash for the rare failed scan.
- Avoid the holiday peaks — May 1, Oct 1 and Spring Festival are mobbed.