Getting a SIM card in China is straightforward once you know where to go — but plenty of tourists waste an hour at the wrong shop only to be turned away. Here's what actually works.
No exceptions here: your original passport is mandatory. Photos and photocopies won't be accepted. If you're staying at a hotel, grab your accommodation registration slip from the front desk before heading out — it's free, and most network stores won't process your application without it. Short-term visitors also need their visa page ready.
Skip the small phone shops and convenience stores. Most of them simply refuse foreign passports, and the ones that do accept them often sell overpriced packages with throttled data. Go straight to an official carrier store — search "中国联通自营营业厅" on Maps to find a company-owned branch rather than a reseller.
Airport counters work in a pinch — staff are used to foreign customers and can activate your card on the spot — but expect to pay 20–50% more for less data.
For most tourists, China Unicom is the safest bet. It has the widest compatibility with overseas phones, English-speaking staff at major branches, and solid 5G speeds in cities. Their 30-day tourist card runs around ¥69 for 10GB of data plus 500 minutes of calls.
China Mobile wins on coverage. If your trip includes rural areas, western China, or Tibet, Mobile's signal reaches places where Unicom drops out entirely.
China Telecom is worth considering if you have a newer unlocked Android and spend most of your time in southern coastal cities — but many European and older American phones don't support Telecom's frequency bands.
Your phone must support Chinese frequency bands — this rules out some older US-market phones entirely. If you buy a cheap "unlimited data" SIM online before arriving, there's a good chance it's not properly registered. These cards get suspended randomly and can't be linked to WeChat Pay or Alipay.
Before you leave China, pop into any carrier store with your passport and cancel the card. It takes five minutes and saves you from an unpaid balance that could complicate things on your next visit.