Internet and connectivity: SIM, eSIM or roaming

Why it has to be a local number

Registration for WeChat, delivery, car sharing, the marketplaces and some banking services goes by Chinese number. A foreign one is not accepted everywhere.

Couriers call your Chinese number, bank confirmations come to it and so do check-in codes. A foreign number simply does not work in these situations.

Roaming solves the internet problem but not the access problem: services look at the country code of the number.

Three options and what each gives you

A local SIM is issued against your passport at an operator’s shop. It gives you both internet and a proper Chinese number. The only option that covers everything.

A travel eSIM activates in minutes before you even fly, and you have internet from the moment you land. It usually gives no Chinese number for local SMS.

Roaming with your home operator is the dearest and the fastest way to stay connected in that first hour. The advantage is that the internet stays yours, with all the services you are used to.

Three operators

China Mobile (中国移动) is the largest, with the best coverage out of town and in remote areas. The logical choice if you plan to travel around the country.

China Unicom (中国联通) has historically been the easiest for foreigners: English-speaking staff are more common and there are plans aimed at visitors.

China Telecom (中国电信) is comparable in quality and strong in the south. In a city the difference between the three is barely noticeable.

There are also virtual operators running on other networks. They are cheaper, but registering a foreigner does not always work — for your first SIM, go to one of the three main operators.

How to get one

1. 1

   Go to an official shop

   A foreigner gets a SIM at the operator’s own shop — against a passport, registered in the system. At major airports there are such shops in the arrivals area.

   Kiosks and small SIM stalls usually cannot register a foreigner: they do not have the verification procedure.

2. 2

   Take your passport and the address you are staying at

   The original passport is required. The address is where you are staying — hotel or flat; it goes on the form.

3. 3

   Choose a plan

   For a couple of weeks take a monthly bundle with plenty of data — you will barely need calls, everything goes through WeChat.

   Check that the plan includes data nationwide rather than only within the province: some cheap bundles are regional, and a trip to another city makes the internet expensive.

4. 4

   Test everything before you leave the shop

   Test the internet, an incoming call and receiving an SMS right there in the shop, while a member of staff is beside you. Afterwards there will be nobody and nowhere to sort it out.

Topping up and what to do when you leave

You top up in the operator’s app, through Alipay or WeChat, or at any shop. The bundle is normally taken in full once a month.

An unused prepaid number is cut off after a few months. If you plan to come back, ask in the shop about the period and the terms for keeping it — it is tied to your accounts and losing it is inconvenient.