eSIM, Roaming or Local SIM? What Works in China

Which option should I choose?

Choose by trip length and by which foreign apps you need. All three work in mainland China; they differ in routing, price and paperwork. Prices are not listed here because plans change monthly. Compare them on your provider’s page.

Home-network roaming usually sends data through your home carrier, so it behaves as it does at home. Many travel eSIMs do the same through servers abroad. A Yesim vendor blog says whether Google and WhatsApp work depends “almost entirely” on how the provider routes data, and names Singapore, the UK and South Korea as common routes. It says Hong Kong routing may still block some apps. That is a vendor’s own claim, so test Google and WhatsApp when you land, using the plan’s trial or refund terms.

What do travellers report about eSIM quality?

Reports vary. A traveller on r/travelchina said in July 2026 that “this year the same eSIM is significantly worse in quality. Data connection drops all the time”. Another poster on r/guangzhou warned that you cannot download half of the apps once inside China. This guide has no independent speed measurements, and vendor claims of “4G” or “5G” speed are not independent. Read the plan’s data cap, the validity window and whether the clock starts at installation or first connection.

What should I do before flying?

Follow these steps at home on your normal Wi-Fi:

1. Check your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked.
2. Buy a plan from a provider with a refund or support route. A vendor page on a Klook plan says to keep the eSIM turned off until landing in China, then turn on data roaming and pick it. Other plans differ, so follow your own instructions.
3. Install the eSIM but leave it off, or follow the vendor’s rule.
4. Install the apps you need. See apps you need in China.
5. Set up payments, which need a text code: Alipay and WeChat Pay.
6. Keep your home SIM for texts if banks or apps send codes.
7. On landing, turn on the eSIM and data roaming. Open one foreign app to check routing.

What about VPNs and blocked apps?

Google services are blocked in mainland China, according to Business Insider’s October 10, 2019 list, and WhatsApp is commonly reported as affected on mainland connections. Many visitors solve this through their home carrier or an eSIM that routes outside the mainland. Whether to use a VPN is a legal matter, so check local law yourself, and this guide gives no setup instructions for one. A plan that routes abroad often removes the need.

Do I need a local SIM?

A local SIM suits residents and long stays. A poster promoting a roaming card called real-name registration “the biggest pain for tourists” (r/guangzhou, March 9, 2026; promotional). A Guangzhou resident says SIM sellers stand in front of the arrivals gate (r/guangzhou, February 26, 2026). Prices at the airport counters are not verified here, so ask for the total first. For apps that need a Chinese number, see No Chinese phone number.