Asia
AsiaChina eSIM
Landmarks · Shanghai · Beijing · Shenzhen
From $2.90. Data only, no app, and your home number keeps working.
Also going to Hong Kong? Both packs of this size: $11.39. China + Hong Kong + Macau regional covers both on one QR: $7.90.
Not sure which size? Work it out
7 days at about 600 MB a day ≈ 4.2 GB. 5 GB fits, $5.90.
Same 5 GB / 30 days: $5.90 here, $15.50 at Airalo. Checked 30 Oct 2026.
Day Pass
Unlimited data: 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps with no cut-off until the allowance resets. For heavy days, video calls or sharing a hotspot.
- Hotspot works; it counts toward the 3 GB.
- 1 Mbps still runs maps, messages and mail; video calls in low quality.
- Days start: first attach to a covered network. The daily 3 GB is the only cap, and it is all written here.
- Refund if unusedNot installed? 30 days to cancel.
- QR by emailInstall on Wi-Fi, switch on when you land.
- Secure checkoutStripe. Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Pay in your own currency.
- Independent reviewRead our MyBestSim review.
- A person, not a botWrite any hour: a reply in minutes.
- Networks
- China MobileYour phone picks the strongest of these on its own. No setting to change.
- Internet via
- Hong Kong; some local apps may treat you as abroad
- Top-up
- Same profileAdd more GB to this same eSIM later, from your order page. No new QR, nothing to install.
Prices checked 30 Oct 2026, in US dollars.
30 brands’ prices for China, side by side →
Also visiting Hong Kong? Plan the whole trip, one payment →
China only: 5 GB for 30 days is $5.90. Crossing borders? Asia regional covers 19 countries on one QR, China included: 5 GB for 30 days is $24.90.
Same 10 GB for 30 days costs less on the China + Hong Kong + Macau regional: $12.90 instead of $14.90 here, one QR for 3 countries.
QR mail in about a minute
Tap Add eSIM on Wi-Fi
Land, switch roaming on
China eSIM in numbers
- No app and no account: pay on this page and the QR code arrives by email in about a minute. The cheapest way in is 1 GB for 7 days at $2.90. How buying without an app works.
- 5 GB for 30 days costs $5.90, which is $1.18 a GB; the 50 GB pack brings it to $0.92 a GB.
- Heavy use: the Day Pass gives 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps. 7 days cost $21.90.
- For 5 GB lasting 30 days, ours is number 6 of the 25 brands we compare for China; the lowest is MegaEsim at $4.14 (prices read 30 Oct 2026). Every brand side by side.
- Each pack on its own page, with the same data at other brands: 1 GB, 7 days, 3 GB, 30 days, 5 GB, 30 days, 10 GB, 30 days, 20 GB, 30 days, 50 GB, 30 days.
eSIM, local SIM or pocket Wi-Fi in China?
A local SIM is often cheaper per GB. The difference is where you get it and what it asks for. Prices from each operator’s own page, read 17 Oct 2026. A Chinese SIM uses the local internet, where Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked without a VPN. A travel eSIM routes traffic outside the firewall.
Compare 2 options: price, where to get it, ID
| Option | What you get | Price | How you get it | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inbox eSIM | 5 GB / 30 days | $5.90 | Online before you fly; QR by email, installs on Wi-Fi | None |
| China Unicom / China Mobile visitor cards | 7 to 30 day plans | Not published | Beijing service counters at Daxing and Capital airports | Real-name registration with passport and visa, at most 5 SIMs per passport |
Before you land in China
Our China plan uses China Mobile, the country's largest network. Some well-known foreign services are blocked in mainland China; the notes below say which.
5 things to know, each with its source
- Some services are permanently blocked in mainland China, including Google, Facebook, YouTube and X, and other websites may sometimes be blocked. UK Foreign Office travel advice
- Internet access in China can be limited around key political events and dates. UK Foreign Office travel advice
- China Mobile had 1.014 billion mobile customers at the end of September 2026, 702 million of them on 5G. TelecomLead
- Beijing Capital airport's free Wi-Fi is AIRPORT-FREE-WIFI-NEW; without a Chinese phone number, scan your passport at a Wi-Fi dispenser to print a login that lasts five hours. Beijing Municipal Government
- Beijing Daxing airport's free Wi-Fi network is called Green Airport. Beijing Municipal Government
Questions
What is the best eSIM for China?
For most trips, 5 GB for 30 days is enough: $5.90 here, against $15.50 at Airalo for the same data (read 30 Oct 2026). It is data only and needs no app: the QR code and a one-tap install link arrive by email. For heavy use there is also a Day Pass: 3 GB a day at full speed. Every brand's price for China, dated and sourced, is on our comparison page.
Is there an unlimited eSIM for China?
Yes: our Day Pass is unlimited data, 3 GB a day at full speed and then 1 Mbps with no cut-off, and 7 days cost $21.90 here. Other brands' "unlimited" plans for 7 days: Ubigi $24.00 (unlimited, 5 GB a day at full speed, then 2 Mbps); Nomad $25.00 (2GB/day at 4G/5G. 1 Mbps after 2GB); Jetpac $25.99 (first 3 GB every 24 hours at standard network speeds); Airalo $27.00 (unlimited with a daily high-speed allowance) (prices read 30 Oct 2026). Read each one's terms: "unlimited" often means a daily allowance at full speed.
Which China eSIM for a month?
Every one of these lasts 30 days: 3 GB $4.90, 5 GB $5.90, 10 GB $14.90, 20 GB $20.90, 50 GB $45.90. The 30 days start when the eSIM first connects to a network there, so you can buy before the trip.
Can I buy a China eSIM without an app?
Yes. You pay on this page and the QR code and a one-tap install link arrive by email: no app and no account. It is data only, with no phone number, so your home SIM keeps your calls and SMS.
Which China eSIM for a week or two?
For 7 days: 1 GB $2.90. The 30-day packs cover one or two weeks too: 3 GB $4.90, 5 GB $5.90. Day Pass, 3 GB a day at full speed and then 1 Mbps: 7 days $21.90, 14 days $41.90.
Will WhatsApp keep my number with a China eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp stays on your home number: this eSIM is data only and has no number. Leave your home SIM in the phone with its data roaming off, use the China eSIM for mobile data, and do not re-register WhatsApp.
12 more questions
How much is the China eSIM?
From $2.90 in USD, and the price on this page is the price you pay. Sizes run from the 1 GB pack up; pick one in the list above.
When does the China plan start?
First attach to a covered network. Install on Wi-Fi before you fly. After you land, turn data roaming on for this line.
Can I hotspot in China?
Yes, it uses the same GB. We never block it; rarely, a local network limits it.
Which networks in China?
China Mobile. Your phone joins whichever of these is strongest where you are.
Is this 5G in China?
This pack runs on 3G/4G/5G. You get 5G where the local network offers it to visitors, otherwise 4G.
Do I get a phone number in China?
Data only · no voice · no SMS. Keep the home SIM for calls and SMS.
What APN do I use in China?
Automatic unless the QR mail names one
Can I use this China eSIM in another country?
No. This pack is China. A new country is a new QR. Keep this one if you return.
Do I need a VPN in mainland China?
Hotel Wi-Fi and a local Chinese SIM are filtered: Google, WhatsApp, and Instagram often fail. Airalo’s China help (2026) says their China, Asia, and Global packs are roaming-routed, so a VPN is not required. We do not promise that bypass on this QR. If Maps or WhatsApp fail on this line, use a VPN you already installed at home. Do not wait to download one in China.
Can I top up the China plan?
Same profile, same coverage. Extra GB is a top-up, not a new QR.
How long do I have to install the China eSIM?
Start using within 180 days of purchase. After that an unused pack can expire. Scan on Wi-Fi before you fly.
What if I buy the wrong plan?
QR not scanned and not on the phone? Email within 30 days of issue. We cancel and refund. Installed? Buy the right country and keep this QR for later.