Getting a SIM Card in China

In China, people are very proud of how convenient their internet-powered daily life is.
With just one phone, you can pay, book rides, order food, shop, check in at hotels, or even see a doctor.

But behind all this, there’s one hidden but very real requirement:
You need a Chinese phone number that’s registered under your real name.

This is not just for texts or calls.
A local number is often the only way to register for apps, verify your identity, and use any core service like payments, ride-hailing, or deliveries.

If you’re landing in a big city like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, you’re in luck.
Most international airports have telecom booths that can sell short-term SIM cards to foreigners.
All you need is your passport. The staff are usually patient and will help set everything up for you.
So don’t miss this one golden chance at the airport. Get your SIM card there.

Once you leave the airport, or transfer to a smaller city, things get tricky.
Even if you go to an official China Mobile or China Unicom shop,
they may ask for extra documents like your lease agreement, hotel registration from the police station, or even a work contract — all of which are hard to get if you're only staying short-term.
Rules vary wildly by city, store, or even the person serving you that day.

That’s why many foreigners give up and just use international roaming.
It’s expensive and not always fast,
but it works — and there’s one bonus: You’re on an uncensored internet connection.
That means you can freely access Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram without a VPN.

在中國辦電話卡的現實

在中國，人們對互聯網生活的便利非常自豪。
打車、外賣、支付、購物，一部手機就能搞定一切。

但這些便利的背後，有一個外國人不容易跨過的門檻：
你需要一個中國本地、實名登記的手機號碼。

這不只是為了收短信或打電話，
而是多數中國 App 和服務的身份驗證基礎。
沒有手機號，你無法註冊帳號、無法支付，也用不了叫車或點餐。

如果你抵達的是北京、上海、廣州等一線城市，會容易很多。
大多數國際機場都有電信櫃檯，專門為外國人提供短期 SIM 卡，只需護照即可辦理。
常見的方案有 7、15 或 30 天流量，工作人員通常也會非常耐心地幫你完成所有設置。
請珍惜你在大城市落地時的這次絕佳機會，最好就在機場辦一張本地卡。

但一旦你錯過機場的窗口、進入市區，或轉去小城市後，情況就會複雜許多。
即使你親自去營業廳，也可能被要求提供租房合同、住宿登記證、甚至工作證明。
這些要求會根據地點、門店，甚至服務你的員工而變化，常常讓人感到無所適從，最後只能放棄。

因此，很多外國人最終選擇繼續使用自己的國際漫遊。
雖然價格較高、速度一般，但至少可以正常上網與接收簡訊。
而且還有一個額外的好處：你使用的是沒有防火牆的網路，Facebook、YouTube、Twitter 和 Instagram 都可以直接打開。