Phone and internet in Shanghai: eSIM, local SIM or roaming, and what fails without a Chinese number

The short answer. You can get by with your own number and phone, but decide before you land how you will get online, because several foreign services do not load on mainland networks. Three routes work: international roaming on your home plan, a travel eSIM bought before you fly, or a Chinese SIM card bought with your passport at the airport or a carrier’s shop. Whatever you choose, install Alipay (支付宝) or WeChat Pay and your offline map and translation tools at home, while your normal connection still works.

Which should I choose?

	Roaming	Travel eSIM	Chinese SIM
Set-up	Ask your carrier before you go	Buy and install before you fly	Passport, in person, on arrival
Foreign number kept	Yes	Yes, if your phone takes two lines	No, unless you use a second line
Chinese number	No	No	Yes

Roaming and eSIM suit a short trip when you mostly want maps, messages and payments. A Chinese SIM is worth the queue if you are staying longer, or if you keep hitting services that want a Chinese mobile number (see below).

Roaming and eSIM. How your data is routed decides what loads. Many foreign services, including Google, are not reachable on mainland networks, and the UK government’s travel advice lists Google, Facebook, YouTube and X as permanently blocked, with other sites sometimes blocked. Whether they load over roaming or a given eSIM depends on how that provider routes your data, which we cannot judge for you. Ask the provider in advance, and do not assume your usual apps will work. Roaming plans can also be costly per day, so check the price.

Buying a Chinese SIM with a passport

China requires real-name registration for anyone who activates a SIM card, so you need your passport. The Shanghai government’s guide advises a passport valid for at least six months, an unlocked phone, and a carrier shop (营业厅, yíngyètīng) in the city centre, which is more likely to register foreign passports. The three carriers are China Mobile (中国移动), China Unicom (中国联通) and China Telecom (中国电信); the same guide says Unicom is probably the best fit for foreign phones.

At a shop, take a queue ticket, then say:

我要办SIM卡。 Wǒ yào bàn SIM kǎ. (I’d like to sign up for a SIM card.)

At the airport. Shanghai’s airport operator says 14 points at Pudong and Hongqiao sell SIM cards and data packages right after customs, accepting foreign currency and bank cards. At Pudong, the government reported in April 2026 that a combined area in the international baggage-claim hall sells SIM cards, rents portable Wi-Fi and exchanges currency, and that the International Services Shanghai centre in the arrivals hall issues China Telecom short-term SIMs of 7, 15 or 30 days against a passport or other valid ID. Both airports have a one-stop service point in the arrival hall that also covers Wi-Fi registration and mobile payments. We have not verified counter positions or prices on the ground.

Short-term SIMs in the city. When China Telecom Shanghai launched its short-term foreigner SIMs in March 2024, it listed 85 yuan for 7 days, 125 for 15 and 195 for 30, sold at 23 outlets across the 16 districts. Treat those prices as a reference, not a quote.

No SIM yet? Pudong and Hongqiao offer free airport Wi-Fi that you join by scanning the photo page of your passport on the login page.

What needs a Chinese mobile number?

Some services in China sign you in by sending a code to a Chinese number. Which ones do changes often, so treat this as a list of things to check rather than a promise:

• Mini-programs (small apps inside Alipay or WeChat) such as delivery, ticketing or ride-hailing may ask for one.
• Ordering by QR code at a table often opens a mini-program with a login step.
• Shared power banks and bike share may require sign-up with a local number as well as a deposit.
• Payment security checks: an overseas number is accepted when you register Alipay and WeChat Pay, but a security prompt after registration can still ask for one. A China Daily report in February 2026 describes a visitor whose Alipay payment on a foreign Mastercard froze and asked for an SMS code to a Chinese number.

China’s 2026 guidelines on digital services for inbound visitors aim to separate mobile payments from domestic phone numbers and to expand deposit-free options, with a target of removing most obstacles by 2027. That is a direction of travel, not a guarantee, so keep a fallback: cash, a card at hotels and larger shops, and the staff at your hotel. See how to pay in Shanghai for the payment details.

Foreign apps that may not load

Google, Facebook, YouTube and X are permanently blocked in mainland China, according to the UK Foreign Office, and other websites and services are sometimes blocked. In practice, expect that apps you use at home for search, email, maps or messaging may not connect. The same advice says online tools such as VPNs need to be licensed by the Chinese government, and that you should follow Chinese law. Work out your plan for messages and photos before you travel: tell family which app you will use, and download tickets, bookings and documents to your phone while you are still on your home network.

Maps and translation

• Maps. Use a map that works on the mainland and download the Shanghai area offline at home. Every place page on this site has an “Open in Amap” and an “Open in Apple Maps” button, plus a Chinese address card you can show a taxi driver. See getting around Shanghai.
• Translation. Download offline language packs before you leave, because the translation tool you use at home may not load once you land. For anything important, such as an address or an allergy, write it in Chinese ahead of time or show the Chinese address card.

If you lose your phone

1. Call your home carrier to suspend the line and the SIM or eSIM, so nobody can use your number to receive codes.
2. Lock or erase the phone remotely from your phone-maker’s account, using another device.
3. Freeze payments. Log in to Alipay and WeChat on another device and sign out of the lost phone, then ask your bank to block any linked card.
4. Report it to the police if you want a record for insurance, and tell your hotel.
5. Carry a second way to pay: cash and a card kept apart from the phone.

Small print

Plans, prices and rules change. Check your carrier’s China terms, the airport’s current service points and the carrier’s shop before you rely on any detail here. This guide gives facts, not advice on bypassing network restrictions.