First Trip to China: A Practical Pre-Departure Checklist
China becomes much easier to navigate when a few essentials are prepared before departure. This checklist focuses on the practical details that tend to cause friction for first-time visitors: entry documents, mobile data, payments, transport and accommodation.
1. Confirm the entry rules for your passport
Visa and visa-free arrangements can change, and the answer depends on nationality, itinerary and length of stay. Check the Chinese embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence and the Chinese government’s Visit China portal. Keep your passport valid for the full trip and save offline copies of the identification page, visa and travel insurance details.
2. Save bookings and key addresses
Keep your first hotel confirmation and its address in both English and Chinese. Hotels register foreign guests at check-in, so carry the passport used for the booking. Save flight and train details offline in case mobile service is unavailable on arrival.
3. Prepare more than one payment method
Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure and try linking an eligible international card. Also bring a physical bank card and some RMB cash as backups. The Chinese government’s payment guide for overseas visitors confirms that visitors can use mobile payments, bank cards and cash.
4. Decide how you will connect
Choose between roaming, a travel eSIM and a local SIM. A local SIM normally requires passport registration at an operator service outlet. Keep your home SIM able to receive security messages if your banking or travel apps use SMS verification.
5. Install your essential apps
- Alipay and/or WeChat for payments and mini programs
- Railway 12306 or a trusted booking service for trains
- DiDi for ride-hailing
- A map and translation tool that works on your device in China
Open each app before departure, finish identity checks where required and download any offline language or map resources.
6. Plan the first hour after arrival
Know how you will leave the airport or station, where the official taxi or ride-hailing pickup area is, and how long the transfer should take. Avoid accepting unsolicited transport offers. Keep the destination address ready to show.
Final check
Carry your passport, payment backups, a charged phone and a power bank. With those basics handled, the rest of the trip becomes much more flexible.
Reviewed and updated: 31 July 2026. We check practical details against current official guidance and explain our process in the 7ers Editorial Policy.
