Most visitors now arrive under a visa-free or transit visa-free scheme, but the rules depend on your nationality, your entry port and how long you are staying. Check the scheme you are actually eligible for, not the headline one.
Two things genuinely sell out: timed-entry attractions and popular high-speed train seats. Both can be booked online with a foreign passport, and both are easier from home than from a hotel lobby.
Set up your payment apps and internet before departure. Those two are covered in their own sections — they are the things that cannot be fixed quickly after landing.
Start with these
- 1Confirm which entry scheme you qualify forVisa-free, transit visa-free and visa-required routes have different limits.
- 2Pre-book timed-entry attractionsThe Forbidden City and several museums release tickets on a schedule and sell out.
- 3Set up money and internet before you flyBoth are handled better at home than at the airport.
All guides in this section
Entry & documents5
Do you need a visa for China?Which visa-free scheme applies to you, and for how long.
Visa-Free Entry to China: Which Passports Qualify in 2026The full 30-day unilateral list, country by country.
China's 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in 2026: It Is Now 240 HoursThe transit scheme, now 240 hours, and who actually qualifies.
China Entry Requirements in 2026Passport validity, fingerprints and what customs wants declared.
China's Digital Arrival Card: how to fill it inArrival cards, customs and the forms you fill in on the plane.
Visa applications3
Book before you land2
Money, internet & apps6
How to Pay in China as a Foreigner (2026)Alipay, WeChat Pay and card binding.
Cash and ATMs in China (2026)Cash, ATMs and foreign-card withdrawal.
Getting online in China (2026)eSIM and getting past the firewall problem.
Local SIM or eSIM for China? How to chooseChinese SIM cards and registration.
The apps to install before you fly to ChinaThe apps to install before you fly.
Translation apps for China (2026)Translation tools for menus and stations.
Small things that trip people up8
Toilets in China: How to Find Them and What to Expect (2026)Finding a usable toilet, and what to carry.
Power Plugs and Voltage in China: What Adapter You Need (2026)Sockets, voltage and which adapter to pack.
Time Zones in China: One Clock, Big Distances (2026)One clock for the whole country, and what it means.
Luggage Storage in China: Stations, Malls and Apps (2026)Where to leave bags between trains.
Emergency Numbers in China: Police, Ambulance and What to Say (2026)Who to call, and what to say.
Lost Passport in China: Step-by-Step Recovery (2026)What to do in the first hours.
Shared Bikes in China: How to Unlock and Ride (2026)Shared bikes, unlocking and where riding works.
China Public Holidays 2026-2027: What Closes and What Surges (2026)The holiday calendar and the travel peaks.