Your First 24 Hours in China

Your first day in China is when every wall hits at once: the border, phone payments, blocked apps and a taxi driver who reads only Chinese characters. Almost all of it is solved before you board. Follow this sequence and you’ll be at your hotel, connected and fed without drama.

Before boarding your flight to China

The setup you do at home is the most important part of arriving in China. Once you land, some apps are hard to download, card verification texts may not arrive, and you’ll be tired. Before you leave for the airport:

1. Install and sign in to the core apps: Alipay, WeChat, a map app (Amap or Apple Maps), Didi, Trip.com and Railway 12306 if you plan train trips. See Internet and apps.
2. Link your bank card to Alipay and WeChat Pay and complete the identity check with your passport. Make one small test payment if you can. See Paying in China.
3. Tell your bank you’re traveling to China so card payments and ATM withdrawals aren’t blocked.
4. Buy and install a travel eSIM or confirm roaming on your home plan, and set it to switch on when you land.
5. Download offline Chinese in your translation app so it works with no signal.
6. Save your hotel address in Chinese characters as a screenshot and in your notes, along with the hotel’s phone number from your booking.
7. Complete the online arrival card on the official National Immigration Administration channel (s.nia.gov.cn, the NIA 12367 app, or the official WeChat or Alipay mini program). It’s free. See Visas and entry.
8. Save offline copies of your passport page, onward ticket and hotel bookings.

At check-in, if you’re using 240-hour visa-free transit, tell the airline and show your onward ticket. The pre-trip checklist has the full list.

At the airport in China: immigration and customs

Arrival at a major Chinese airport follows the same order every time:

1. Arrival card. Have it done online, or fill it in at a kiosk, by QR code or on paper in the hall.
2. Immigration. Join the foreigners’ lane, or the transit / 240-hour lane if you’re using visa-free transit. Most visitors aged 14 to 70 give fingerprints at a machine or at the desk.
3. Answer short questions. Purpose of visit, length of stay, first hotel, onward ticket. Keep the documents open on your phone or printed.
4. Baggage claim.
5. Customs. Green channel if you have nothing to declare, red channel if you do.

Big airports have English signs throughout. If you get stuck, airport information desks usually have English-speaking staff.

Getting your phone online after landing in China

Turn off airplane mode once you land and check your connection before you leave the arrivals hall.

• Travel eSIM or roaming: should connect within a minute or two. If it doesn’t, check that data roaming is on for that line and restart the phone. With roaming or most travel eSIMs, Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work as they do at home.
• Local SIM: the counters of China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom in arrivals sell local SIMs. You must show your passport for real-name registration. A local SIM gives you a Chinese number, which some services like, but it doesn’t reach blocked foreign sites.
• Airport Wi-Fi: usually needs a phone number for a text code. It’s fine as a backup but, like all Wi-Fi in China, doesn’t reach blocked services.

Once you’re online, open Alipay and WeChat to confirm they load and your card is still linked.

Getting cash at a Chinese airport ATM

Mobile payments cover almost everything in China, but carry some RMB cash for the first days as a backup. ATMs in arrivals halls of big airports, including Bank of China and ICBC machines, accept most foreign Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards.

1. Look for an ATM showing the logo of your card’s network.
2. Choose English on the screen.
3. Withdraw a modest amount. ATMs usually give 100-yuan notes, which some small shops struggle to change.
4. Break a large note at a convenience store or the hotel when you can.

Your home bank may charge a foreign withdrawal fee. Currency exchange counters also operate at big airports but rates are usually worse than an ATM.

Getting from the airport into town in China

Big Chinese airports offer several ways into the city. Pick based on luggage, time of day and how far your hotel is from a metro station.

• Metro or airport express train: cheap, fast and free of traffic. Most major airports connect to the city metro, and several have a dedicated airport express line. Pay with the Alipay or WeChat transit QR code or buy a ticket from the machine, which has an English option. Expect a security bag scan.
• Official taxi rank: follow the “Taxi” signs to the official queue outside arrivals. Show the driver your hotel address in Chinese characters. Taxis use meters; insist on the meter. Ignore anyone in the arrivals hall offering a ride. Those touts are unofficial and overcharge.
• Didi: the ride-hailing app has an English interface and takes foreign cards. Big airports have marked Didi or ride-hailing pickup points; follow the signs and match the car’s plate number before you get in.
• Hotel transfer: worth it if you land late at night or are carrying a lot. Arrange it with the hotel before you fly.

See Getting around for metros, taxis and trains in more detail.

Checking in at your hotel in China

At check-in, every hotel in China asks for your passport. Staff scan the passport and your visa or entry stamp, and the hotel registers you with the local police automatically. You don’t need to do anything else.

• Use the same passport you entered with.
• Expect a deposit to be held on a card or paid through Alipay or WeChat Pay, refunded at checkout.
• Ask the front desk for a hotel business card or address card in Chinese. Keep it in your pocket for taxis.
• Ask the front desk to help with anything you couldn’t do yourself: adding a local number to an app, buying a train ticket, or booking tomorrow’s sight.

If you’re staying in a private home instead, you must register with the local police within 24 hours. See Hotels and registration.

Your first evening in China

Keep the first evening in China simple and close to the hotel. The goal is to test your setup on low-stakes things before you need it for big ones.

1. Make a first real payment. Buy water or a snack at a convenience store and pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay. If it fails, try the other app, then cash.
2. Eat nearby. Many restaurants use scan-to-order QR codes on the table. Point your camera at the code in Alipay or WeChat, or ask for a paper menu. See Food and ordering.
3. Walk to the nearest metro station and find your entrance for tomorrow.
4. Check tomorrow’s bookings. Make sure timed sight tickets and train tickets are in your passport name. See Booking sights.
5. Charge everything, including a power bank. Your phone is your wallet, map and translator here.
6. Save emergency numbers: 110 for police, 120 for an ambulance, 119 for fire. The emergency tool has phrases to show.

Then sleep. Jet lag hits hard on day two, so plan a lighter morning.