Make China work before you land.

The free checklist for your first 72 hours in China — payment, phone, entry, transport. Checked against official sources, with a Plan B for when things fail.

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Last full review: 2026-07-02 · No ads · No affiliate links

Ready / Payment

Payment

Install Alipay + WeChat before you fly — not at the airport.
Link two cards, not one (one Visa/Mastercard + one backup).
Finish passport verification inside the app while you still have good internet.
Pack a fallback: some RMB cash + one physical card.

If payment fails at the counter → Cash first, then try your other app. Hotels and larger stores usually take physical cards.

Verified 2026-07-02 · Embassy payment guide

Ready / Connected

Phone & internet

Decide before booking: eSIM vs roaming vs local SIM — they solve different problems.
A foreign eSIM gives you data, not a Chinese phone number. Some services need SMS verification.
Install your app stack on one screen: maps, translate, DiDi, rail.
Download offline: your hotel address in Chinese, offline maps.

If you land with no internet → Airport Wi-Fi may need SMS. Have your first ride planned offline before boarding.

Not sure what to buy? → Run the phone setup check — eSIM, roaming, local SIM, China number, and offline fallback in one setup card.

Will your apps even work there? → Check 70 apps against live measurements — what breaks on hotel Wi-Fi, and why roaming data dodges the whole blocklist.

Provider-neutral · Verified 2026-07-02

Decode / Entry

Entry documents

Know which path you're entering on: visa, 30-day visa-free, or 240-hour transit. They are not the same thing.
Check the official list the week you fly — not a Reddit thread, not a 2025 blog post.
Screenshot before boarding: onward ticket, hotel booking, and the official policy page itself.

If your route isn't clearly eligible → Check official sources before booking, not after. This page gives you the checking path, not an eligibility verdict.

Not sure which path you're on? → Run the 2-question visa check — every entry path for your passport, verified against official pages, with dates.

Haven't picked dates yet? → Run the holiday-collision check — see if your trip hits Golden Week, Chinese New Year, or a weekend the whole country works.

Verified 2026-07-02 · NIA (immigration) State Council: Visit China

Ready / City

Airport to hotel

Save your hotel name + address in Chinese characters, available offline.
Plan A and Plan B: metro / official taxi rank / DiDi.
Keep cash for the first ride in case your payment app isn't verified yet.

If the driver can't find you → Share the pinned pickup point in the app and show the Chinese address. Gates matter more than terminal names.

Verified 2026-07-02

Ready / Hotel

Hotel & first night

Check-in needs your passport — registration of foreign guests is standard, not suspicious.
Small things that break night one: plug adapter, bottled water, hotel Wi-Fi asking for SMS.

If hotel Wi-Fi wants a Chinese number → Use your data plan, or ask the front desk to connect you.

Verified 2026-07-02

Ready / Safety

When things break

Save 3 screenshots before landing: hotel address in Chinese, entry documents, emergency contacts.
Payment dead + no internet: your paper fallback is cash + a printed address.
Emergency numbers: police 110 · ambulance 120 · fire 119. Save your embassy's China page too.

Verified 2026-07-02

Rules change. This checklist updates.

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