What should I check before flying to China?

Start about six weeks out with documents: a passport valid at least six months beyond entry with two blank pages, and whether your nationality needs a visa — visa-free lists change often, so check the last-updated date of whatever page you read. Then payments: bind an international card in both Alipay and WeChat Pay before you leave.

Do I need a visa for a business trip to China?

It depends on nationality and purpose. China has widened visa-free entry repeatedly and the lists keep moving; check the National Immigration Administration or the Chinese Visa Application Service Center for your route, not a forum post.

Can foreigners use Alipay and WeChat Pay in China?

Yes. Bind an international card in both apps before you travel — binding fails for some issuing banks, and you want to find that out at home. Cash still works, but China runs on mobile payments.

Will my phone and VPN work in China?

Roaming works but is expensive; a local eSIM or a SIM bought on arrival is cheaper. Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked without a VPN — arrange connectivity before you fly, not in the arrivals hall.

What should I pack for a China business trip?

A plug adapter (China uses Type A and Type I sockets at 220V), a power bank with the capacity label visible — airlines check it — and any medication in its original packaging: loose tablets in a pillbox are a problem at customs.

Checklist before flying to China: entry, payments, packing

Before you fly: the checklist in the order you hit it

Five checkpoints, earliest first. Every item ends either in a link to the official source or in a note on why it matters. The order is deliberate — each checkpoint unlocks the next one.

Prefer to work offline? Export the whole checklist as Word or Excel and edit it on your computer ↓

01 Documents and entry Start about six weeks out

These three are the only items that can stop you at the gate.

Passport valid at least six months beyond entry, with two blank visa pages The single most common reason people are turned away. Airlines check this at departure in your home country — not immigration on arrival. Confirm whether you need a visa for your nationality and purpose Visa-free entry has been widened repeatedly in recent years and the lists keep moving — check the "last updated" date on whatever page you are reading, not just the headline.

National Immigration Administration

Chinese Visa Application Service Center Get an invitation letter if your route needs one It is your counterpart's document, not yours — ask the fair organiser or your Chinese host early. It arrives on their schedule, not yours.

02 Money Do this at home, not at the airport

Cash still works, but China runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay. Bind a card to both before you leave: binding fails for some issuing banks, and you want to discover that on your sofa, not in the arrivals hall.

Bind an international card in Alipay Alipay → Me → Bank Cards → + Add card

Install — App Store

Install — Google Play GOVGuide — link an overseas bank card Bind the same card in WeChat Pay WeChat → Me → Services → Wallet → Cards → Add card Worth doing even if you prefer Alipay: coverage is not identical, and some taxis and small vendors take only one of the two.

Install — App Store

Install — Google Play OFFICIALGuide — set up international cards Carry some cash anyway Small vendors, older taxis and the odd market stall still want notes. Treat it as a fallback, not a plan.

03 Getting around, staying online Install and test before you land

Everything here needs to be working before you land — airport Wi-Fi is not the place to debug a payment app.

Decide how you stay connected: roaming, eSIM, or a local SIM Your own SIM works fine with roaming on — good enough for a short trip. The catch is that almost everything in China verifies by SMS, and a Chinese number is what makes banking, ride-hailing and delivery apps actually work. Keep your home number able to receive SMS Nearly every Chinese service authenticates by text. Lose that number mid-trip and you are locked out of apps you already set up. Staying longer? Get a local SIM — a passport is enough Official carrier store → passport → pick a plan → photo → activate (20–30 min) Real-name registration is a legal requirement for every Chinese SIM, and only official carrier stores can register a foreign passport — small phone shops usually cannot. Take the original passport, not a copy, plus your valid Chinese visa.

Starter plans ¥50–150 / month · China Mobile — widest coverage · China Unicom — often the most English-friendly · China Telecom — strong in the south

Short on time? Buy one at the airport Major international airports have carrier counters in the arrival hall — convenient, sometimes a little pricier. Test signal, send a test SMS and have the number written down before you leave the counter; activation can take 30–60 minutes. Install DiDi for ride-hailing — and switch it to English first DiDi → Settings → Language → English Rather not install another app? Both wallets host DiDi as a mini-program that bills the card you already bound. In Alipay, tap the search bar and type DiDi in Latin letters — the result carries the orange DiDi logo even if the label appears in Chinese. In WeChat, go to Discover → Mini Programs → Search and type DiDi.

Install — App Store

Install — Google Play

Official site Sort out maps before you fly — Google Maps will not just work Google Maps is unreliable in China unless your VPN is already running, so if you plan to lean on it, get the VPN installed and tested at home. Either way, install a local map app as your fallback: Amap is the one most people use, and it has an English interface. One trap worth knowing: Chinese map apps place locations on a slightly different grid from Google, so a position copied from one app into the other can land a few hundred metres away — enough to send a taxi to the wrong gate. Save the venue name in Chinese, or share the location from inside the same app you will be navigating with.

Install — App Store

Install — Google Play

04 Business basics Cheap to prepare, expensive to improvise

Business cards with a Chinese side Still expected, and still the cheapest credibility you can buy. Print them before you fly — turnaround in China is slower than you think. Understand what a fapiao is before you need one It is the official tax invoice, and without it your expenses may not be reimbursable. Ask your hotel and hosts for one at the point of payment, not afterwards. Consider whether you want an interpreter — book one if you need one If you rely on your counterpart's English, you hear only their version of the conversation. Plenty of first meetings go fine without help; if yours is technical, contractual, or involves several people on the other side, it is worth sorting one out — and it is easier to arrange before you travel than once you are there. We can source an interpreter for you in Shanghai and the major fair cities. Tell us when you are coming and what language pair you need, and we will tell you honestly whether you need one at all. CNGAsk us to find an interpreter

05 In your bag Small, but you will notice them

A plug adapter China runs 220V on Type A and Type I sockets. Most laptop and phone chargers handle the voltage fine — it is the plug shape that catches people out. A power bank for long fair days Keep the capacity label visible — airlines check it. Exhibition halls are large and sockets are scarce. Any medication in its original packaging Loose tablets in a pillbox are a problem at customs. Original packaging with a prescription is not.

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We do not give visa determinations or tax advice. Rules change and your case is specific: use the official channels in Step 3, or ask us and we will tell you honestly whether you need a professional.

Everything you need before, during and after a China trip

Before you fly: the checklist in the order you hit it

City guides

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