All four stages + essentials, in one document · navichina · generated for offline use
Everything worth settling while you are still at home, on your own Wi-Fi, with time to spare. Most China-trip anxiety comes from three things — payments, connectivity, and the visa question. Handle them here and the rest is easy.
China has several entry routes and they changed recently. Some nationalities can enter visa-free for 30 days; many more can use the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit, which requires a confirmed onward ticket to a different country or region (Hong Kong and Macao count). Transit entry also requires an eligible entry port and staying within the permitted areas. What to do: check the official National Immigration Administration (NIA) list for your passport, and decide your route (A → China → B) before buying tickets. If stuck: call the NIA hotline 12367 (English service available) or ask your airline — airlines check documents before boarding.
Your passport needs at least 6 months of validity remaining and blank pages. Check the physical condition too: water damage, torn pages, or unofficial souvenir stamps can get you refused at the border. What to do: renew early if needed, and bring the exact same passport you used for all bookings — hotel and train tickets are tied to it. If stuck: border officers make the final decision; a damaged passport means you may be denied boarding, so fix it before the trip.
China is effectively cashless. Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept foreign Visa/Mastercard, but setup needs your passport and a face scan — far easier on your home Wi-Fi than jet-lagged in an arrivals hall. What to do: install Alipay (best English interface), link your card, complete passport verification, then make one small test payment. Add WeChat Pay as a backup. Note: payments over ¥200 carry about a 3% fee; Apple Pay with foreign cards mostly does NOT work at Chinese tills. If stuck: hotel front desks and large stores can help, and carrying ¥500–1000 in cash is a sensible backup.
Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and many Western sites do not work in mainland China without special arrangements, and Google Maps drifts badly. What to do: the simplest reliable option is international roaming from your home carrier or a travel eSIM that covers China — it keeps your usual apps working. Alternatively, a local SIM at the airport is cheap and fast but only helps inside China. Install Apple Maps or Amap for navigation before you fly. If stuck: airport arrival halls all have SIM/eSIM counters; look for the official carrier booths (China Mobile / Unicom / Telecom).
Since November 2025, China replaced the paper arrival card with the China Digital Arrival Card (CDAC), which should be completed online within 72 hours before arrival. What to do: use only the official free channel — the NIA website, the NIA 12367 app, or airport kiosks. Save a screenshot of the confirmation. Fake copycat sites that charge a fee exist; the real service is free. If stuck: paper forms are still available at most ports as a fallback — just allow extra time.
Not every Chinese hotel is licensed to register foreign guests, and some small guesthouses will turn you away at the door even with a confirmed booking. What to do: on Trip.com or Booking.com, filter for properties marked as accepting international guests, or stick to international chains (Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Jin Jiang). Message the hotel to confirm they can register a foreign passport. Save the hotel name and address in Chinese characters as a screenshot. If stuck: front desks of international-chain hotels handle passport registration daily — calling their English line solves it in minutes.
You need far fewer apps than blog lists suggest. The core four: Alipay (payments + transport codes), WeChat (backup payment + messaging), Trip.com (trains, hotels, flights in English), and Apple Maps or Amap (navigation). What to do: set them up at home, create accounts with your home phone number (make sure it can receive SMS abroad), and log in once before departure. If stuck: Alipay and WeChat mini-programs cover ride-hailing and most services — you rarely need standalone apps like DiDi.
Immigration officers, airline desks, and hotel check-ins all may ask for proof — and airport Wi-Fi is never guaranteed at the exact moment you need it. What to do: screenshot your onward ticket, hotel confirmations (with Chinese addresses), insurance policy, and itinerary; keep them in your phone gallery and a cloud folder. If stuck: email delivery from Gmail/Outlook to Chinese mailboxes often fails silently — do not rely on email. Screenshots and WhatsApp/WeChat file transfer work.
Emergency care in China is fast and affordable, but hospitals may ask for a deposit; good travel insurance removes that friction. Bring enough of any prescription medication for the whole trip plus a few extra days, in original packaging, with the prescription or a doctor’s note in English. What to do: check that your policy covers mainland China; carry medication in hand luggage. If stuck: international clinics in major cities serve foreigners directly and bill insurers — see the Essentials page for numbers.
The first three hours in a new country are the most stressful. This list walks you through immigration, your first internet connection, your first payment, and the one piece of paperwork everyone forgets.
After landing, follow signs for "Arrivals" and then "Temporary Entry" / "Visa-Free Transit" if you are entering without a visa — do not queue in the general foreign-passport line and hope for the best. What to do: have your passport, onward ticket, first hotel booking and completed arrival card ready in hand. State clearly: "I am using the 240-hour visa-free transit" (or "I am visa-free under the 30-day policy"). If stuck: officers may ask where you stay and when you leave — show the bookings, answer briefly and honestly; this is routine.
China collects fingerprints and a photo from most foreign visitors at entry. It feels unusual the first time, but it is standard procedure applied to everyone — not a sign you did something wrong. What to do: follow the officer’s instructions at the kiosk, look at the camera, press fingers when asked. If stuck: officers are used to nervous first-timers; just ask "Sorry, could you show me?" and they will gesture what to do.
If you did not arrange roaming or an eSIM before departure, the airport is the easiest place to fix it. Official carrier counters (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom) in the arrivals hall sell tourist SIMs with data; bring your passport — it is required for registration. What to do: compare the 7-day / 15-day / 30-day data packages, ask the staff to help install and test before you walk away. If stuck: airport information desks speak some English; show them "SIM card" on this page if language fails.
Test your setup with something small — a bottle of water at the airport convenience store — before you depend on it for a taxi or dinner. If a payment fails, the cause is usually one of three: the seller showed a personal QR code (foreign cards cannot fund person-to-person transfers), the amount exceeded your card’s limit, or the app needs you to select your foreign card at checkout. What to do: ask the seller "Alipay or WeChat?"; in the app, confirm your card is selected before scanning. If stuck: cash always works, and the nearest large store or hotel can break a note for you.
Every major airport offers four options: official taxi queues, ride-hailing pickup zones (DiDi via Alipay/WeChat mini-program), airport express metro, and licensed shuttle buses. Ignore anyone inside the terminal who approaches you offering a "cheap taxi" — go to the official stands only. What to do: for your first arrival, the airport express or an official taxi is the lowest-stress choice. Show the driver your hotel’s Chinese address screenshot. If stuck: every airport has an information desk and English signage; metro machines have English modes.
Every foreign visitor must register their accommodation with the police within 24 hours of arrival. If you stay in a hotel, the front desk does it automatically at check-in — you do nothing. If you stay with friends or in a private apartment, you (or your host) must register at the local police station within 24 hours; some cities allow online registration. What to do: at hotel check-in, simply confirm "Do you register foreigners with the police?" — the answer is always yes for licensed hotels. If stuck: bring your passport and your host’s address to the nearest police station (派出所); the process takes minutes and is free.
Day-to-day survival skills: paying, getting around, ordering food, staying healthy, and spotting the few scams that actually target tourists. Check items off as you go.
China requires foreigners to carry their original passport at all times. Police checks are rare but legal, and train stations, some attractions and even certain payment verifications may ask for it. What to do: carry the original in a zippered pocket or neck pouch; keep a photo copy on your phone as a backup. If stuck: a photo copy plus your hotel address usually resolves routine checks, but the original is what the law requires — do not leave it in the hotel safe for day trips outside the city.
Cards and QR payments cover 95% of situations, but taxis, small stalls and older shops sometimes only take cash or the one app you do not have. Foreign cards also fail occasionally for no clear reason. What to do: keep ¥300–500 folded away, and know that Bank of China ATMs reliably accept foreign cards. Currency exchange at bank branches requires your passport. If stuck: any bank branch with a "Foreign Exchange" window helps; hotels can also change small amounts.
Metro: in Alipay, open "Transport" to get a city transit QR code — no ticket machines needed. Taxis: use the DiDi mini-program inside Alipay or WeChat (English interface, shows the fare upfront); street taxis are fine too — insist on the meter. High-speed rail: book on Trip.com in English; your passport is the ticket — use it at the gates. What to do: for trains, arrive 30–45 minutes early; security checks at stations take time. If stuck: station staff have translation help points; showing your booking screen usually suffices.
Most restaurants use QR-code ordering at the table. In Alipay or WeChat, use the built-in "Scan to Translate" on the menu; pictures and portion sizes are usually visible. Pointing at a neighboring table’s dish works everywhere and is completely normal. What to do: sit down, scan the table QR, translate the menu, order, pay in-app. Street food stalls: point, pay by scanning their code. If stuck: KFC, McDonald’s and most mall restaurants have self-order kiosks with English; convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson) need no language at all.
Google Maps drifts and loads poorly in mainland China. Use Apple Maps (works well in English) or Amap (高德, the local standard, has an English mode), and Baidu Maps as backup. Metro route apps like MetroMan show every line offline. What to do: download your city’s offline map where the app supports it, and save your hotel location as a starred pin — showing it to any taxi driver beats any translation app. If stuck: every taxi driver understands a hotel business card or a Chinese-address screenshot.
For minor issues, pharmacies (药店) are everywhere — look for the green cross; show a translation of your symptom. For serious issues, go to a hospital emergency department (急诊) or call 120 for an ambulance. International clinics in major cities have English-speaking staff and direct insurance billing. What to do: carry your insurance card/policy number and passport to any hospital visit. If stuck: 120 works nationwide for medical emergencies; hotel concierges routinely arrange clinic appointments for guests.
China is very safe by global standards, and violent crime against tourists is extremely rare. A few cons are worth knowing: the "tea ceremony / art student" scam (friendly strangers inviting you to an overpriced tea house or gallery), unofficial "taxi" touts at airports and stations, and fake websites charging fees for the free official arrival card. What to do: decline invitations from strangers that involve going somewhere; use only official taxi ranks and verified apps; use only official free government channels for forms. If stuck: call 110 (police). Overcharging scams: keep the receipt and call 12345, the city government hotline, which handles complaints in major cities.
China runs on 220V and uses three plug styles: the two-pin flat (like North America/Japan, but without the third pin), the two-pin round (European style), and the angled three-pin (Australian style). Most modern chargers work on 100–240V — check the small print on the plug. What to do: a cheap universal adapter covers everything; power banks (充电宝) can be rented at almost every shop and station via Alipay. If stuck: hotel front desks lend adapters; convenience stores sell them for a few yuan.
Leaving well is part of the trip: getting your tax refund back, clearing customs without surprises, and ending your stay the way you planned it.
China offers VAT refunds (usually about 11%) on goods bought at "Tax Refund" stores when you take them out of the country. You must get customs inspection BEFORE checking in: bring the goods, receipt, and passport to the customs counter at the departure hall. What to do: at the store, ask for the tax refund form; at the airport, find "Tax Refund" before baggage check; choose credit-card refund (fastest) or cash. If stuck: refund counters exist at all major international airports; the apps BOC Compass and Nihao China list refund stores by city.
International departures from Chinese airports involve three queues — check-in, security, and exit border control — and major airports are huge. Two and a half to three hours early is the comfortable standard. What to do: check in online the day before; keep your passport and boarding pass accessible until you are airside. If stuck: if a queue is about to make you miss a flight, find any staff member in uniform — they will fast-track genuinely late passengers.
Exit customs is usually a formality — walk through the green channel. Declare only if you carry unusually valuable goods (over ¥20,000 in value), large amounts of cash (over ¥20,000 or the foreign equivalent of US$5,000), or cultural relics. What to do: keep receipts for expensive items you bought in China (they prove legality and support your tax refund). If stuck: when unsure, choose the red channel and ask — declaring is free and fast; not declaring can cost the goods.
Small balances left in Alipay or WeChat can be refunded back to your linked foreign card from inside the app settings. Cash yuan can be changed back at the airport or kept for a future visit — exchange booths airside handle leftover RMB. What to do: in Alipay: Me → Balance → Withdraw; in WeChat: Me → Services → Wallet → change back via your card. If stuck: airport currency exchange counters airside accept RMB back to major currencies; a small fee applies.
Before leaving your hotel: passport (the same one you entered with), boarding pass, tax-refund forms if any, chargers, and medication in hand luggage. Confirm your onward destination accepts you — some countries require visa or arrival forms filled before landing. What to do: do the sweep against this list the evening before, not in the taxi. If stuck: forgot something at the hotel? Call them — Chinese hotels are excellent at courier-sending items to the airport same day.
Save this page to your phone. Emergency numbers, your embassy, medical help, and the short list of scams that actually happen — so you can recognize them in seconds.
110 — Police. 120 — Medical emergency / ambulance. 119 — Fire. These three numbers work nationwide, from any phone, without a SIM, and operators can connect English speakers in major cities. Also save: 12367 (National Immigration Administration, visa & entry questions, English service) and 12345 (city government hotline, complaints including taxi overcharging, English in major cities).
If your passport is lost or stolen, contact your embassy FIRST — they can issue emergency travel documents. Registering your trip with your foreign ministry (e.g. STEP for US citizens, FCDO for UK) means they can find you in a crisis. What to do: before departure, save your embassy’s address and phone in Beijing plus the nearest consulate (Shanghai / Guangzhou / Chengdu / Hong Kong) in your phone. If stuck: a police report (from any 派出所) is required for a lost passport — get it before visiting the embassy.
Understand what embassies can and cannot do: they can replace documents, contact family, provide lawyer and translator lists, and visit detained citizens. They cannot pay your bills, get you out of jail, or override Chinese law. What to do: save your consular emergency line before any problem exists. If stuck: in any legal trouble, ask for consular notification — China is obliged to inform your embassy if you request it.
Emergency: 120 or any hospital 急诊 (emergency) department — treatment is not refused for lack of payment, but a deposit is routine, so carry your insurance policy. Non-urgent: international clinics in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu have English-speaking doctors and direct billing to major insurers. What to do: ask your hotel for the nearest international clinic; pharmacies (green cross) handle minor ailments cheaply. If stuck: the BOC Compass app and Nihao China app both have English clinic finders and translation support.
Pharmacies (药店, green-cross signs) are on every block and can handle most common issues — show a translated symptom note. Bring prescription medicines in original packaging with a doctor’s note in English; some Western medicines are restricted or unavailable in China, so pack the full trip’s supply. What to do: for a specific drug’s Chinese equivalent, use the BOC Compass app’s photo-translation on a picture of the box. If stuck: hospital pharmacies dispense on prescription; international clinics prescribe familiar Western brands.
Red flag 1: a friendly stranger’s invitation that involves going somewhere (tea ceremony, art gallery, "student exhibition") → politely decline. Red flag 2: anyone inside an airport or station hall offering transport → use official ranks only. Red flag 3: any website charging a fee for official forms (arrival card, visa check) → official channels are free. What to do: no legitimate service requires you to move locations with a stranger. If stuck: overcharged? Call 12345 with the receipt. Threatened? Call 110.