Getting online in China
A travel eSIM is a data plan you install before departure and switch on when you land, so your phone is online in China without roaming charges and without hunting for a SIM counter at arrivals. Your home number stays where it is.
Where you land in China
Airports in China with scheduled flights and an IATA code. The minute you step off one of them is the minute an eSIM stops being optional.
Where you will actually use the data
The largest towns and cities near those arrival airports, by population (GeoNames). Coverage is the partner's to state, not ours.
- Chongqing32 054 159 people
- Shanghai24 874 500 people
- Chengdu20 937 757 people
- Beijing18 960 744 people
- Guangzhou18 676 605 people
- Shenzhen17 494 398 people
- Tianjin13 866 009 people
- Hangzhou11 936 010 people
China travel eSIM questions
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
Two things decide it, and both are on your handset, not on any plan: the phone must be eSIM capable, and it must be carrier unlocked. Most phones sold in the last few years are both; phones bought on a carrier contract often are not until the contract ends. We do not test handsets — your phone's settings screen and your carrier can tell you.
Do I keep my own number?
Yes. A travel eSIM sits alongside the SIM you already use, so calls and messages to your home number keep arriving. You choose which line carries mobile data.
When should I install it?
Before departure, while you still have wi-fi. Installation needs a connection; switching the line on when you land does not.
Why are there no prices on this page?
Because we do not measure them. Plans, data amounts and validity are set by our partner and change week to week. You see them on the partner's own page, where they are current.
Other destinations
Nearby countries travellers pair with China.
