Check entry requirements for your own trip
Before committing to your route, check the rules for your passport, visit purpose, length of stay and onward journey with China’s National Immigration Administration and the Chinese embassy or consulate serving you. Entry and transit arrangements are not interchangeable. Use official arrival-card channels if required; a ChinaConnect request does not establish entry eligibility.
Confirm check-in and accommodation registration
Confirm the property address, arrival time and accepted payment methods before you travel. Bring your original travel document for hotel check-in; hotels handle accommodation registration. If you will stay somewhere other than a hotel, check the current registration procedure with your host and the National Immigration Administration, including the required deadline.
Get your phone ready before departure
Set up the tools you expect to use for maps, translation, transport and payments while you have a reliable connection. Check that you can sign in and receive any verification messages. Save your first hotel’s Chinese address and arrival instructions offline, so the first journey does not depend on every app working immediately.
Make a connection plan and an offline backup
Before departure, check your phone’s compatibility, roaming costs and any local SIM registration requirements with your operator. Some international websites and apps are unavailable on mainland Chinese networks. Keep important addresses and travel details offline, and agree another way to contact your travel companions if your usual messaging service is unavailable.