China Essentials 2026

China SIM Card Guide
for Foreigners

Tourist, expat, or keeping a number for WeChat OTPs back home? Find the right carrier and plan in 2 minutes — then follow the step-by-step registration guide.

¥9–39
Plans/month
3
Carriers to compare
5 min
Store registration
Passport
Only doc needed
Which Carrier Is Right for You?
3 questions — get a specific recommendation
What's your situation in China?
✈️
Tourist / short-term visitor Stay under 3 months, mainly need data + navigation
🏢
Working or studying long-term Living in China 3+ months, need a reliable local number
🌏
Outside China, keeping a number Need a Chinese number to receive WeChat / Alipay OTPs from abroad
Where in China are you / will you be?
🏙️
Major city Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, etc.
🌿
South China / coastal areas Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hainan
🏔️
Remote / rural / western China Yunnan, Tibet, Xinjiang, rural areas — coverage matters most
What do you mainly need the SIM for?
📶
Data + everyday use Maps, WeChat, social media, calls
🔐
Mainly to receive OTP SMS Keep WeChat / Alipay / bank accounts active, use abroad
📞
Heavy calls + data Frequent calls to local contacts, business use
    Full Plan Comparison: All 3 Carriers
    Prices shown are standard national rates — promotions change frequently, confirm at the store
    Price/mo Data Calls Best for
    ¥8 100MB 30 min or 100MB Minimal use, keeping number
    ¥19 330GB 300 min Best value — tourist/short-term
    ¥20 940GB 400 min Heavy users, 2-year contract
    ¥29 300GB 300 min Long-term, first month free
    ¥39 380GB 2,000 min Very high call volume, pick your number
    ⚠️ Note: The ¥8 entry plan has been discontinued in some provinces — ask at the store. Mobile has the best rural/remote coverage (largest tower network in China).
    Price/mo Data Calls Best for
    ¥8 200MB 30 min Minimal, keeping number
    ¥9 150GB 100 min Best value entry — data shareable with sub-SIM
    ¥19 160GB 100 min Long-term, self-activate
    ¥29 230GB 100 min 2-year deal, cancel anytime after
    ¥39 550GB 300 min High data, member perks 4 years
    💡 Unicom strength: Best for cities and expats. Data can be shared with a secondary SIM card. Cancel-anytime plans available. Cancellation window on ¥29 plan after 2 years.
    Price/mo Data Calls Best for
    ¥5 200MB None SMS/OTP only — absolute minimum
    ¥8 200MB 30 min Minimal with some calls
    ¥19 205GB 100 min Best value — first month free, 4-year deal
    ¥19 240GB 200 min More calls, self-activate
    ¥29 180GB 200 min Long-term, pick your number
    💡 Telecom strength: Dominant in South China (Guangdong, Fujian). Has the unique ¥5/month plan for SMS-only use — ideal for foreigners who just need a number to keep WeChat alive. Strong broadband bundle deals.
    How to Register: Step by Step
    Foreigners must register in person at an official carrier store — airport kiosks work but may not offer cheap plans
    1
    Bring your passport (original, not a copy)
    You'll need: passport + valid visa / residence permit + your address in China (hotel address works for tourists). No Chinese ID required — your passport is enough.
    2
    Go to an official carrier store (营业厅)
    First choice: official carrier-owned stores — not phone repair shops or third-party resellers. Look for the official logo: green 中国移动, red 中国联通, or blue 中国电信.

    Take a number (取号), wait to be called. Stores in major cities often have English-speaking staff — if not, show them this page.
    3
    Choose your plan — and say what you need clearly
    Tell the staff: short-term or long-term, how much data you need, and whether you need international roaming for SMS. Avoid signing long-term contracts (长期合约) unless you're staying 2+ years — cancellation fees apply.
    If you need to receive OTP SMS when abroad
    我需要开通国际漫游接收短信功能，但不需要通话和流量。
    "I need to activate international roaming for receiving SMS only — no calls or data needed."
    4
    Complete real-name registration (实名制)
    Staff will scan your passport and enter your details. You'll need to provide a China address — your hotel, company, or a friend's address is fine. Important: after getting your SIM, some carriers require a secondary verification step (二次实名) via their app within 24–48 hours. Don't skip this — your SIM may stop working if you do.
    5
    Set up your phone correctly
    For the SIM to register on the network properly:

    • Enable "Data Roaming" (数据漫游) — this allows the SIM to find the network, but doesn't consume data by itself.
    • Disable VoLTE and 5G if you have signal issues — reduces failed connection attempts.
    • Dual SIM phones: set the China SIM as your secondary card and disable data on it to avoid accidental charges.
    Keeping Your Number When You Leave China
    A Chinese number is the key to keeping WeChat, Alipay, and bank apps working. Here's how not to lose it.
    💳
    Top up every 3–6 months
    Add ¥50 every 3–6 months to maintain the number. You can top up remotely via WeChat Pay, Alipay, or the carrier's official app — no need to be in China.
    📞
    Make one call every 6 months
    Some carriers require at least one call or SMS activity every 6 months to prevent the number being recycled. Call the carrier's customer service line (toll-free in China) to satisfy this.
    ⏳
    Know your carrier's dormancy rules
    Telecom: recycles after ~6 months inactive.
    Unicom: 3–12 months depending on plan.
    Mobile: similar to Unicom. Ask specifically when you sign up.
    🔐
    Enable international roaming for SMS
    Ask to enable international roaming (国际漫游) for SMS only before you leave. Receiving SMS is usually free; sending may cost ¥0.1–1 per message. Some carriers require a ¥100–300 deposit to activate.
    📱
    Use a cheap plan while abroad
    Downgrade to China Telecom's ¥5/month SMS-only plan before leaving. You'll still receive all OTP messages — WeChat, Alipay, banking apps — for almost nothing.
    🔄
    Physical SIM vs eSIM trade-off
    Keep the physical China SIM in a spare phone or unlocked SIM adapter. If your daily phone is eSIM-only, get a dual SIM unlocked phone to carry both your home country SIM and the China SIM.
    5 Mistakes Foreigners Make
    These cost time, money, or the number itself
    ❌
    Buying at the airport kiosk
    Airport SIM booths are convenient but often sell tourist SIMs at inflated prices. ¥79–199 for what a carrier store sells for ¥19–29.
    Go to an official carrier store in the city on day 1 or 2.
    ❌
    Signing a long-term contract
    Sales reps will push 2-year plans. Early cancellation means paying out the remaining months — a ¥29/month × 24-month contract that costs you ¥600+ to exit.
    Ask for no-contract (无合约) or month-to-month plans explicitly.
    ❌
    Skipping secondary verification
    After registration, some carriers require you to verify via their app within 48 hours. Missing this step leaves your SIM in a "suspended" state — it registers on the network but calls/SMS don't work.
    Ask the staff to walk you through the app verification before you leave the store.
    ❌
    Not enabling international SMS roaming before leaving
    You can't add international roaming online or via the app for foreign-registered SIMs — it requires an in-person request. Once you're outside China, you're stuck without it.
    Enable it at the store before your departure date.
    ❌
    Letting the number go inactive
    A recycled Chinese number can be re-assigned to someone else — who then has access to any accounts still linked to that number. Loss of WeChat, Alipay, and bank app access follows.
    Set a calendar reminder every 5 months: top up ¥50 and make one call.
    FAQ
    Questions foreigners actually ask
    No. A passport + valid visa is sufficient for registration. Tourists can use their tourist visa. Students and workers use their residence permit. The address you provide can be a hotel address.
    You can buy tourist SIM cards from some Chinese e-commerce platforms (Taobao, JD.com) or third-party resellers internationally, but these usually come pre-loaded at fixed tourist rates and cannot be set up with your real-name registration. For a proper local plan, you must register in person in China.
    Most modern unlocked phones work. Chinese carriers use standard GSM/LTE bands. Key checks: (1) your phone must be unlocked from your home carrier, (2) check that it supports Band 3 (1800 MHz) for 4G LTE in China — most flagships do. iPhones from Series 6 onward work universally. Note: the Chinese SIM will not work on US CDMA networks (Verizon legacy bands).
    Yes, if you need Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, or any blocked service. Download a VPN before you arrive — once you're in China, the VPN providers' own websites are blocked, making them hard to sign up for. Recommended: download and activate your VPN from your home country, then test it works on Chinese networks before arrival.
    Yes — major international airports (Beijing, Shanghai Pudong/Hongqiao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) have official carrier counters in the arrivals hall. They're convenient but: (1) prices are usually 2–4× higher than city stores, (2) they may not offer cheap long-term plans, (3) high traffic hours mean long waits. Use airport SIMs as a temporary option, then switch at a city store.
    Three easy ways: (1) WeChat Pay → search "充话费" (top-up) in the mini-program panel, (2) Alipay → "Phone Recharge" option, (3) Carrier app — China Mobile "中国移动", Unicom "联通", Telecom "天翼" apps all have top-up functions and accept international cards. Minimum top-up is usually ¥10–30.
    In major cities, all three are fast (100–300 Mbps 4G is typical). Practical differences: Unicom often has the best 4G speeds in eastern cities (uses superior spectrum). Mobile has the widest coverage nationally — best for rural/remote areas. Telecom leads in South China and offers strong fiber-bundle deals. For speed in Beijing/Shanghai, Unicom is generally preferred.
    Chinese phone numbers are 11 digits starting with 1. The first 3 digits identify the carrier:

    China Mobile (移动): 134–139, 150–153, 155–159, 182–184, 187, 188, 198
    China Unicom (联通): 130–132, 155, 156, 185, 186, 176
    China Telecom (电信): 133, 153, 177, 180, 181, 189, 199

    Numbers starting with 170–171 are MVNOs (virtual carriers) — avoid these for foreigners, real-name registration is complicated.
    Essential China Phone Numbers
    Save these before you need them — emergencies first, services second
    110
    Police报警 · Crime, danger
    119
    Fire火警 · Fire & rescue
    120
    Ambulance急救 · Medical emergency
    122
    Traffic交通故障 · Accidents, road issues
    10086
    China Mobile移动客服
    10010
    China Unicom联通客服
    10000
    China Telecom电信客服
    114
    Directory电话查询 · Find any number
    12345
    Mayor's Hotline市长热线 · General complaints to city government
    12315
    Consumer Complaints消费投诉 · Bad products, fraud, refunds
    12333
    Labor / Social Insurance工资投诉·社保 · Wage theft, HR disputes
    12110
    SMS Emergency短信报警 · Text when you can't call
    95598
    State Grid国家电网 · Power outages, electricity
    12320
    Health Hotline医疗卫生 · Medical advice, health services
    12348
    Legal Aid法律援助 · Free legal advice
    12305
    Courier Complaints快递投诉 · Lost packages, delivery issues

    All numbers are free to call from any Chinese SIM. 110/119/120 work even without SIM credit.

    Easter Egg: How Old Is a Chinese Phone Number?
    The first 3 digits of any Chinese number reveal which carrier issued it — and which year. A number starting with 139 has been in use since 1995.
    Enter a Chinese number prefix (first 3 digits)
    Type the first 3 digits of any Chinese mobile number →
    PrefixIssuedAge in 2026
    139199531 years
    138199729 years
    136199729 years
    137199927 years
    135200026 years
    134200422 years
    159200422 years
    158200719 years
    152200818 years
    151200818 years
    150200818 years
    157200818 years
    188200917 years
    187201016 years
    182201016 years
    183201115 years
    184201313 years
    178201412 years
    19820188 years
    19520197 years
    19720197 years
    17220197 years
    PrefixIssuedAge in 2026
    130199531 years
    131199531 years
    132200422 years
    156200719 years
    155200818 years
    186200917 years
    145200917 years
    185201214 years
    176201412 years
    16620179 years
    16720188 years
    19620197 years
    PrefixIssuedAge in 2026
    133199729 years
    153200818 years
    189200818 years
    149200917 years
    180201115 years
    181201214 years
    177201412 years
    173201610 years
    19920179 years
    19120188 years
    19020197 years
    19320197 years

    Numbers starting with 170–171 are MVNOs (virtual carriers) — not listed above, and not recommended for foreigners. Numbers starting with 192 are China Broadnet (广电), launched 2022.

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