Quick answer

For a first trip to China, prepare four things before you fly: valid entry documents, working mobile internet, at least one mobile payment method, and your hotel address in Chinese. After landing, your first priorities are to get online, confirm payment works, save your hotel address, choose safe transport from the airport, and keep emergency numbers available offline.

This checklist is written for short-term foreign visitors, business travelers, first-time tourists, conference visitors, and people who do not have a Chinese bank account.

Before you book: confirm your entry route

China has several entry situations for foreign visitors. Some travelers need a visa before departure. Some may qualify for visa-free entry based on nationality and purpose of visit. Some transit travelers may qualify for the 24-hour or 240-hour visa-free transit policy if their route, nationality, port and onward ticket meet the rules.

Do not rely on a travel blog or social media post for your final entry decision. Before booking non-refundable flights or hotels, check:

  • Your passport validity and blank pages.
  • Whether you need a visa before travel.
  • Whether your nationality is covered by a visa-free policy.
  • Whether your route is a true transit route to a third country or region.
  • Whether your arrival and departure ports are eligible for the policy you plan to use.
  • Whether your stay is within the allowed area and time limit.

If your plan depends on visa-free transit, print or save your onward ticket and hotel booking. Border officers and airline check-in staff may ask to see them.

Documents to prepare

Keep digital and offline copies of these items:

  • Passport photo page.
  • Chinese visa, visa-free confirmation information, or transit route details.
  • Flight tickets and onward tickets.
  • Hotel booking confirmation.
  • Hotel name and address in Chinese.
  • Travel insurance certificate.
  • Emergency contact.
  • Embassy or consulate contact page.
  • Important medical information, if relevant.
  • Payment card emergency contact number.

A very useful habit is to save one offline note called “China arrival info” on your phone. Put your hotel address in Chinese, hotel phone number, your passport name, flight number, and emergency contacts inside it. This helps when you cannot access email, maps, translation apps, or cloud storage.

Arrival card and customs preparation

Some travelers may need to complete arrival card information depending on their entry situation. If you are prompted by your airline, airport or official entry channel to complete an arrival card, use the official channel and make sure your passport details match exactly.

For customs, do not assume that all personal items are automatically fine. China Customs publishes a passenger clearance guide with examples of items that may need declaration, including certain high-value trip necessities, currency, and other goods. If you carry high-value equipment, large amounts of cash, professional gear, samples, or goods for someone else, check the customs rules before flying.

For a normal first-time visitor, the most practical checklist is:

  • Keep receipts or proof for expensive electronics if you are worried about questions.
  • Do not carry items for other people unless you know exactly what they are.
  • Check medication rules before travel, especially for controlled medicine.
  • Avoid bringing prohibited food, plant, animal or restricted items.
  • Use the red declaration channel if you are required to declare.

Internet: make sure you can get online immediately

Your China trip becomes much easier if you can get online before leaving the airport. Most problems on the first day become harder when you cannot receive SMS codes, open maps, contact your hotel, or translate Chinese text.

Good options include:

Option 1: International roaming

This is usually the easiest backup. It can be expensive, but it often works immediately after landing. Turn it on before you need it.

Option 2: eSIM

An eSIM can be convenient if your phone supports it. Install and test the eSIM before departure if the provider allows it. Check whether the plan supports mainland China and whether it supports the apps you need.

Option 3: Local SIM

A local SIM can be useful for a longer stay, but it may require passport registration and time at the airport or a mobile carrier store. Do not make your first-day plan depend entirely on buying a local SIM after arrival.

Best practice: have at least one internet method ready before landing, plus a second backup such as hotel Wi-Fi or roaming.

Payments: set up more than one option

China is highly mobile-payment oriented. Many shops, restaurants, taxis, vending machines and small merchants prefer QR code payments. Foreign visitors should prepare more than one payment method.

Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure

Official Chinese payment guidance says overseas visitors may use several payment options, including mobile payments, bank cards and cash. It also explains that foreign users can link international credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard to Alipay and WeChat Pay.

Before you fly:

  • Download Alipay.
  • Download WeChat.
  • Try linking an international card.
  • Complete any real-name or card verification steps shown in the app.
  • Add a backup card if possible.
  • Save your card issuer’s fraud support number.
  • Tell your bank you will travel if your bank recommends this.

Carry cash as a backup

Even if mobile payment works, carry some RMB cash for emergencies, small shops, transport problems, phone battery failure or card verification issues. ATMs, bank branches and currency exchange options may not always be convenient when you first arrive.

Do not rely on one card

Foreign cards can fail for many reasons: bank risk control, merchant category, app verification, network issues, card network support, or transaction limits. Bring at least two cards from different banks if possible.

Essential apps to prepare

Install and log in before arrival when possible.

Alipay

Use for mobile payments, mini programs, transport services, some taxis, stores, restaurants and many everyday QR payments.

WeChat

Use for messaging, WeChat Pay, hotel or restaurant communication, mini programs and customer service chats. Many Chinese businesses communicate through WeChat.

Amap / Gaode Map

Useful for Chinese addresses, route planning, subway routes, walking navigation and showing a destination to drivers. Google Maps may be less reliable for detailed local navigation in mainland China.

DiDi

Useful for ride-hailing, especially if you are not comfortable explaining destinations in Chinese. Airport pickup points can still be confusing, so always check the pickup location carefully.

Trip.com or 12306

Useful for hotels, flights and trains. 12306 is the official China Railway ticketing platform. Trip.com can be easier for many foreign visitors, especially for English-language booking flows.

Translation app

Install at least one translation app that supports camera translation. Download offline language packs if available.

Save your hotel address in Chinese

Before departure, copy your hotel information into an offline note:

  • Hotel English name.
  • Hotel Chinese name.
  • Full Chinese address.
  • Hotel phone number.
  • Nearby landmark.
  • Check-in date.
  • Booking confirmation number.

When taking a taxi or asking for help, Chinese address text is much more useful than English. If your hotel only shows an English address, contact the hotel and ask for the Chinese address.

Airport arrival checklist

After landing, follow this order:

  1. Turn on mobile data or connect to airport Wi-Fi.
  2. Check that your payment app opens.
  3. Save your hotel address again in maps.
  4. Decide your airport transport method.
  5. Keep your passport and arrival documents easy to access.
  6. Do not hand your passport or phone to strangers outside official service counters.
  7. Avoid unofficial taxi offers inside or outside the terminal.
  8. Use official taxi queues, metro, airport bus, hotel transfer, or a ride-hailing app.

If you use DiDi or another ride-hailing service at an airport, the hardest part is often not ordering the ride but finding the correct pickup area. Follow the app’s pickup instructions and look for signs such as “online car-hailing,” “ride-hailing,” or “网约车”.

Hotel check-in and accommodation registration

Hotels in China normally register foreign guests during check-in using passport information. Bring your physical passport, not only a photo. Some small hotels may not be experienced with foreign passports, so choose accommodation carefully if you are arriving late at night.

If you stay somewhere other than a hotel, such as a private apartment, friend’s home or other non-hotel lodging, accommodation registration rules may apply. Chinese immigration authorities state that foreigners or the people accommodating them can handle accommodation registration through official online channels in many situations, while offline registration at local public security organs remains available.

Practical advice:

  • Use a hotel that clearly accepts foreign guests.
  • Keep your passport with you for check-in.
  • Save the hotel phone number.
  • If staying in a private apartment, confirm registration responsibilities before arrival.
  • Do not ignore accommodation registration requirements.

Food, restaurants and delivery

Many restaurants in China use QR code menus. You may need to scan a table code, choose dishes in a Chinese interface, and pay in a mobile payment app.

For the first day, keep it simple:

  • Eat at your hotel or a mall if you are tired.
  • Use translation camera mode for menus.
  • Save your hotel room number if ordering delivery.
  • Expect delivery riders to call or message if they cannot find you.
  • Ask the hotel front desk where food deliveries are placed.

Food delivery apps can be very useful, but they are not always the easiest first-hour task. If you have no Chinese phone number, no local address format, and no payment method working yet, solve payment and address first.

Transport backup plan

For your first day, prepare at least two transport methods:

  • Metro or airport express.
  • Official taxi queue.
  • DiDi or another ride-hailing app.
  • Hotel transfer.
  • Airport bus.

If your phone battery is low, use the official taxi queue or airport public transport instead of relying only on ride-hailing. Keep a power bank with you if your airline and airport rules allow it.

Emergency numbers to save

Save these numbers offline:

  • Police: 110
  • Fire: 119
  • Ambulance: 120
  • Traffic accident: 122
  • Directory assistance: 114
  • Consumer complaints: 12315
  • Immigration service hotline: 12367, where available

Emergency operators may not always speak English. Prepare a few Chinese phrases in advance:

  • Help: 救命
  • I need police: 我需要警察
  • I need an ambulance: 我需要救护车
  • I am injured: 我受伤了
  • I do not speak Chinese: 我不会说中文
  • Please help me call my hotel: 请帮我联系酒店

Also save your embassy or consulate contact page before travel. If your passport is lost, contact local police and your embassy or consulate.

30 days before travel

  • Check whether you need a visa or qualify for a visa-free policy.
  • Confirm passport validity.
  • Book accommodation that accepts foreign guests.
  • Buy travel insurance.
  • Install Alipay, WeChat, Amap, DiDi, Trip.com or 12306, and a translation app.
  • Prepare at least two payment cards.
  • Check your mobile roaming or eSIM option.
  • Save embassy contact information.

7 days before travel

  • Link a card in Alipay or WeChat Pay if possible.
  • Save your hotel address in Chinese.
  • Download offline translation resources.
  • Print or save your hotel booking and flight details.
  • Check baggage and customs restrictions.
  • Make a folder on your phone for China documents.
  • Tell your bank about travel if needed.
  • Prepare some RMB cash or plan where to withdraw it.

24 hours before departure

  • Charge phone, power bank and earbuds.
  • Screenshot QR codes, bookings and addresses.
  • Confirm airport terminal and arrival time.
  • Save the first-day route from airport to hotel.
  • Pack passport, cards and backup cash in separate places.
  • Make sure you can unlock your phone without internet.
  • Confirm your SIM or eSIM plan.

First hour after landing

  • Get online.
  • Pass immigration and customs.
  • Avoid unofficial transport offers.
  • Confirm your hotel address.
  • Use official transport or a trusted app.
  • Keep your passport safe.
  • Message a trusted contact after you reach the hotel.

First night in China

  • Complete hotel check-in.
  • Test your payment method with a small purchase.
  • Save your hotel location in maps.
  • Ask the front desk how to receive deliveries.
  • Save emergency numbers.
  • Prepare your route for the next morning.

Common mistakes first-time visitors make

Mistake 1: arriving with only one payment method

If your only card or only payment app fails, everything becomes harder. Bring backup cards and cash.

Mistake 2: saving only English addresses

Drivers, delivery riders and local staff usually need Chinese address text.

Mistake 3: depending on airport Wi-Fi

Airport Wi-Fi may require SMS verification or may not be stable. Have roaming or eSIM as backup.

Mistake 4: assuming every hotel handles foreign guests smoothly

Choose hotels carefully, especially outside major tourist areas.

Mistake 5: waiting until arrival to install apps

Some apps require verification, card linking or account setup. Do this before your flight.

FAQ

Do I need a Chinese phone number for my first trip?

Not always. Many first-day tasks can be done with roaming, eSIM, hotel Wi-Fi and foreign cards linked to payment apps. However, a Chinese number can make some app registrations, delivery calls and local services easier.

Can I use cash in China?

Cash remains a backup option, but many daily situations are designed around QR code payment. Prepare mobile payment if possible and carry some cash for emergencies.

Should I use Alipay or WeChat Pay?

Prepare both if you can. Alipay is often visitor-friendly for travel and payments, while WeChat is important for communication and mini programs.

Is Google Maps enough in China?

For detailed local navigation, Chinese map apps such as Amap / Gaode Map are usually more useful. Save Chinese addresses and use a local map app for routes.

What should I do if my payment app fails?

Try another card, another payment app, cash, a bank ATM, or ask whether the merchant accepts international card payment. For the first day, keep your transport and hotel plan simple.

What if I lose my passport?

Contact local police and your embassy or consulate. Keep digital copies of your passport, visa and entry stamp, but remember that hotels and official services often require the physical passport.

  • Best Apps to Download Before Going to China
  • How to Pay in China as a Foreigner
  • How to Use Alipay in China as a Foreigner
  • How to Use WeChat Pay in China as a Foreigner
  • How to Use Didi in China as a Foreigner
  • How to Use Amap / Gaode Map in China
  • How to Check in at a Hotel in China as a Foreigner
  • China Emergency Guide for Foreigners

Sources checked