GUIDE 01 · CHINA TRAVEL CHECKLIST

China travel checklist for first-time visitors

Eight preparation checks for entry documents, payment, data, maps, your hotel, transport, optional rail and offline copies.

Guide facts checked Aug 26, 20268 stepsView source dates ↗

Review due 2026-10-27

Before you travel

Get ready for your trip to China.

Use this checklist for a first visit, then open the focused guide when one part of the journey needs more detail. Rules and operator instructions can change, so each time-sensitive step links to its current source.

OPEN GUIDEArrival checklist

Prepare for your first hour after landing.

OPEN GUIDEChina high-speed rail

Check passports, tickets and stations.

OPEN GUIDEFirst 30 minutes

Move from arrivals to your stay with a fallback.

On this page 8 steps

My checklist Your progress

Before you fly

Check your entry plan

Resolve document questions before departure; this guide cannot decide whether you may enter China.

Open the NIA or government visitor site below and check your passport, purpose, route and travel dates against the relevant rules.
Ask your airline about its document checks. Keep the official page and your travel confirmations available offline.
If a rule or exception is unclear, ask the relevant immigration authority or Chinese embassy/consulate before you fly.

Ready when: You have checked the official requirements for your own trip and can find the documents you plan to present.
If this does not work: Keep the entry question unresolved until the appropriate authority answers it; a checklist tick is not entry clearance.

Last checked Oct 25, 2026

Visit China ↗The State Council of the People's Republic of China

National Immigration Administration ↗National Immigration Administration of China

Before you fly

Set up payment and a separate fallback

Account setup is preparation; a successful local purchase is the later payment test.

Choose one official payment app, such as Alipay or WeChat, and install it from your device's trusted app store.
Register using a number you can access while travelling, then follow the app's current card-linking and verification prompts.
Check the displayed fees and limits and how to reach your card issuer. Keep an eligible physical card and a modest RMB cash fallback separate from the phone.

Ready when: You can sign in, know whether card verification is complete, and have a separate fallback. Test a small intended purchase after arrival.
If this does not work: For rejected card linking, contact the app's support or the card issuer. Do not mark setup as a successful merchant payment.

Last checked Aug 26, 2026

A Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates (2025 Edition) ↗The State Council of the People's Republic of ChinaFind “Mobile payment” under “Daily Life Services”.

Guide to Payment Services in China ↗The State Council of the People's Republic of China

Before you fly

Prepare one data plan and its activation instructions

Check the exact phone and plan before relying on mobile data.

Ask your existing carrier or chosen provider whether the plan covers mainland China on your exact device and whether the phone must be unlocked.
Save the activation instructions, support contact, validity start rule and any roaming setting the provider requires. Keep activation codes private.
For an eSIM-compatible iPhone, use the Apple setup guide below with your provider's instructions. Check other phones with their manufacturer; do not assume all models behave alike.

Ready when: You know how and when to activate the plan and have a second way to get help if it cannot connect.
If this does not work: Keep the hotel address and first route available without data. Ask an airport information desk where official connectivity support is available.

Last checked Aug 26, 2026

Set up eSIM on iPhone ↗Apple

Before you fly

Test maps and translation without a connection

Prepare the exact destination, not just a list of installed apps.

Open your map app, search the accommodation's supplied Chinese address, and compare the result with the booking.
Save a screenshot of the destination, arrival terminal and planned transfer. Download the relevant map or language pack if your chosen app supports it.
Turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data briefly and reopen the saved material. Try displaying one useful translated phrase, then restore your connection.

Ready when: You can show the destination and a useful phrase without retrieving an email or loading a new page.
If this does not work: Keep a written or printed hotel name, Chinese address and phone number. Do not rely on an offline map feature you have not checked.

Before you fly

Save a hotel card you can show

Use the name, Chinese address and phone number supplied by your accommodation.

Ask the accommodation to confirm its Chinese name, full address and reachable phone number; compare them with your booking.
On the website, use Show my hotel card to enter the details locally, or save them as a screenshot or written note.
Reopen the saved card and check every line. Keep a copy outside this browser in case browser data is cleared.

Ready when: The correct address and phone number are readable without opening your email.
If this does not work: Ask the accommodation to confirm missing or conflicting details. Do not invent a Chinese address or choose a similar-looking branch.

Before you fly

Choose the airport-to-hotel route

Plan one route and one alternative, leaving room for terminal and service changes.

Check the airport or transport operator's official information for your arrival terminal, operating hours, pickup area and accepted payment.
For a taxi, note the official taxi rank; for a booked car, save its pickup instructions; for rail or bus, save the station or stop name and any transfer.
Save a screenshot or note with the destination, route and fallback. Ask the accommodation if you cannot identify the correct arrival point.

Ready when: You know where to go after arrivals, how you plan to pay and what to do if that service is unavailable.
If this does not work: Use an airport information desk to confirm the signed transport options before leaving the terminal.

Last checked Oct 25, 2026

A Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates (2025 Edition) ↗The State Council of the People's Republic of China

If needed

Check your train booking, if needed

Skip this step if rail is not part of your trip.

Open the official 12306 English site below, or the service holding your booking, and check the account and passenger verification instructions.
If you already booked, compare passenger details, travel date, departure station and arrival station with your plan. Keep the confirmation and relevant support contact.
Use 12306's official help or the website's published rail guide for preparation questions; make any correction through the official service or your booking provider.

Ready when: Your rail plan is checked, or you have confirmed that no train preparation is needed.
If this does not work: Resolve verification or booking errors with the booking service before relying on a time-critical connection.

Last checked Aug 27, 2026

12306 China Railway ↗China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

12306 China Railway — Travel Guide and FAQ ↗China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

Before you fly

Save and reopen the guide and Quick Card

Check the saved files now, while you still have a reliable connection.

From the website's download page, save the complete guide and the single-page Quick Card. Save your airline and accommodation confirmations separately.
Open the downloaded files from your device's files or downloads app with Wi-Fi and mobile data off, then restore the connection.
If you prefer the interactive website, use its optional browser-save control and wait for success. Keep the PDFs as a separate fallback and charge your phone.

Ready when: You have reopened the guide, Quick Card and confirmations without a connection.
If this does not work: Retry the download online, use another local file reader or print the Quick Card. An open browser tab alone is not a saved file.

COMMON QUESTIONS

China travel preparation, answered.

What should I prepare before travelling to China?

Check your entry requirements, payment fallback, connectivity plan, maps and translation, hotel details, airport route, rail booking if needed and offline copies of your confirmations.

Do I need to book a train before I arrive?

Only if rail is part of your itinerary. Check the official 12306 service, match every passenger detail to the travel document, confirm the exact stations and keep the booking information available offline.

Can I rely on one mobile payment app in China?

Treat account setup as preparation, not proof that every transaction will succeed. Keep an eligible physical card and modest RMB cash separately, then test a small purchase after arrival.

Should I save my hotel details offline?

Yes. Save the accommodation's supplied Chinese name, full address and reachable phone number, then reopen the saved card with mobile data and Wi-Fi turned off.

SOURCE TRAIL

Check the original record.

Visit China

The State Council of the People's Republic of China · Accessed Oct 25, 2026

OFFICIAL SOURCE ↗

A Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates (2025 Edition)

The State Council of the People's Republic of China · Accessed Oct 25, 2026

OFFICIAL SOURCE ↗

Guide to Payment Services in China

The State Council of the People's Republic of China · Accessed Aug 26, 2026

OFFICIAL SOURCE ↗

National Immigration Administration

National Immigration Administration of China · Accessed Oct 25, 2026

OFFICIAL SOURCE ↗

12306 China Railway

China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. · Accessed Aug 27, 2026

OFFICIAL SOURCE ↗

12306 China Railway — Travel Guide and FAQ

China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. · Accessed Oct 25, 2026

OFFICIAL SOURCE ↗

Set up eSIM on iPhone

Apple · Accessed Aug 26, 2026

OFFICIAL SOURCE ↗

KNOWLEDGE FOR THIS JOURNEY

Open the decision behind the step.

Getting around

China high-speed rail for foreign visitors: tickets, passports and stations

A source-reviewed sequence for booking China trains with a passport, matching passenger details, finding the right station and keeping a fallback.

Read the guide →