eSIM and SIM cards

Visitors usually have two options: a travel eSIM from an overseas provider, installed before departure, or a local SIM card from China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom, bought in person after arrival. Choose one:

Why there is no local eSIM option here: Apple says iPhone models bought outside mainland China cannot install an eSIM profile from a mainland Chinese carrier. For visitors, "eSIM" in practice means a travel eSIM from an overseas provider.

Buy before you fly or after you land

Travel eSIM: buy before you fly

• Apple says that if you are visiting mainland China, worldwide service providers offer many prepaid data eSIM plans, which you can buy before you travel.
• Prepaid travel plans from worldwide providers are often data-only, while plans from local carriers in the country you visit often include a local phone number, so check what your plan includes.
• Your iPhone needs a Wi-Fi connection to activate an eSIM, so install it at home before you fly.

Local SIM card: buy after you land

• Foreigners can get a Chinese SIM card by bringing their passport (or Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card) to a service hall run directly by China Telecom, China Mobile or China Unicom.
• You must apply in person and bring your own valid passport.
• For a local SIM, your phone needs to support 5G or VoLTE. If your phone and the card don't match, ask staff at the carrier's own service hall.
• To use a SIM card bought in another country, your iPhone must be unlocked (or bought SIM-free) and must have a physical SIM slot.
• Some iPhones have no SIM tray and work with eSIM only. Examples are iPhone 14 and later bought in the United States, and iPhone Air everywhere, so a physical Chinese SIM card will not fit them.
• China Mobile's guide says a visitor SIM number is deactivated automatically when the plan expires, and data and minutes do not roll over.

Do you need a Chinese number?

• China's official guide for foreigners says you can register WeChat, Alipay or UnionPay with a foreign or a Chinese mobile number.
• Shanghai Pudong's government says short-term local SIMs let visitors use ride-hailing and food-delivery apps that require a Chinese mobile number.

At the airport

Counters and links change often. Check before you go.

• Beijing lets you apply online for a China Unicom or China Mobile SIM and collect it at the "Beijing Service" counters at Beijing Capital (T3) and Beijing Daxing (international arrivals) airports.
• Shanghai Pudong Airport has a 24-hour service station just outside the Terminal 2 international arrivals exit that sells short-term local SIM cards.

How to install

Before you buy

• Apple lists iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later as eSIM-capable, but whether your phone and plan work together depends on your device and provider, so check with them before you buy.
• Samsung says eSIM may not be supported in some countries even on listed Galaxy models, so check your own phone's settings.
• To check whether your iPhone is carrier-locked, go to Settings > General > About. "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock means it is unlocked.
• Apple can't unlock an iPhone; only your current carrier can, and it may take a few days, so ask before your trip.

Install at home, on Wi-Fi

• iPhone with a QR code: open the Camera app, scan the code, tap "Cellular Plan Detected", then tap Continue and Add Cellular Plan.
• iPhone without a QR code: go to Settings > Cellular > Add Cellular Plan > Enter Details Manually and type in what your provider sent you, or use the provider's link or app.
• Pixel: go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Set up an eSIM and follow the steps.
• Samsung Galaxy: go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM > Scan QR code, or tap "Enter activation code" to type it in.

When you land

• Choose which line carries data: on iPhone, Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data; on Pixel, Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Mobile data.
• On iOS 26 and later, an iPhone may prompt you to "Turn On Travel eSIM" when you arrive, and you can choose the travel eSIM only or both lines.
• If you keep your home line on alongside a travel eSIM, your home line keeps working but you might still get roaming charges from your home carrier.
• On iPhone, if your provider tells you to, turn on Data Roaming for the travel line: Settings > Cellular > tap the line > Cellular Data Options > Data Roaming.
• On Pixel, the Roaming switch is under Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.

Real-name rules

• China requires real-name registration for phone numbers.
• China's MIIT rules list a foreign passport as valid ID for registering a phone number, and operators must check it and record the name and number on it.
• An operator will open a line only after checking your valid ID.
• China Mobile's visitor SIM process includes entering your ID details, a face photo with ID and face check, and signing a Chinese-language service agreement.
• One person may hold at most five active mobile SIM cards with the same Chinese operator nationwide.

If something goes wrong

1. First turn Airplane Mode on for about 30 seconds and then off again.
2. Check that Date & Time is set to automatic: Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically.
3. If you see "No Service" or "SOS", make sure Cellular Data is on, the travel line is selected for data, and Data Roaming is on for that line.
4. Turn the eSIM line off and on again in Settings > Cellular, then restart the phone.
5. Check for a carrier settings update: Settings > General > About, then tap the version number next to Carrier.
6. Only change APN settings if your provider gives you the values, because a wrong APN can cut your data. On iPhone the APN is under Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Network; on Pixel, under Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Access point names.

Still not working

• Contact your eSIM provider's or carrier's official customer service, and have the error message plus your phone's IMEI and EID ready (Settings > General > About).
• For a Chinese SIM, the official hotlines are China Mobile 10086, China Unicom 10010 and China Telecom 10000. They can also tell you where the nearest service hall is.
• Beijing's government suggests bringing a translation app or a Chinese-speaking friend to the service hall, and calling ahead to check that it serves foreign nationals.