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View all →eSIM in China: buy and install it before you fly
An international eSIM works across mainland China and sidesteps the Great Firewall on mobile data — but it has to be installed before you leave. Here is the order that works.
Can you use cash and foreign cards in China?
Cash must be accepted for face-to-face payment since 1 February 2026, and foreign cards still work in Chinese ATMs at 3,000 yuan per withdrawal. Here's how each payment route works, including the 3% fee on Alipay and WeChat Pay.
How to set up WeChat Pay with a foreign card
Link a Visa or Mastercard to WeChat Pay without a Chinese bank account — the exact in-app steps, the passport check, and the 3% fee you only pay above ¥200.
Alipay setup for China: linking a foreign card, step by step
You don't need a Chinese bank account or a +86 phone number to pay by QR code in China. Here's how to install Alipay, verify your passport, link a foreign Visa or Mastercard, and what it costs.
Hainan visa-free rules: 61 countries, 30 days, no visa
Passport holders from 61 countries get 30 days in Hainan with no visa, including the whole island but nothing beyond it. Here is who qualifies, which ports work, and how the 30-day clock runs.
Landing in China: arrival card, fingerprints, customs order
A free digital arrival card within 72 hours of landing, fingerprints at the counter if you are 14 to 70, then a green or red customs channel. Here is the sequence, and what each step actually asks of you.
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