China

Government advisories

• ☐ United Kingdom: level 1/4
• ☐ Canada: level 2/4 — Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)

Health notices

• ☐ Global Measles (level 1)

Entry requirements

☐ The visa policy of mainland China sets out the conditions that a foreign citizen must satisfy in order to travel to, enter, and remain in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. Several categories of visas are available, depending on the purpose and length of stay. Chinese visas are issued outside China by the Chinese diplomatic missions and in China by the exit and entry administrations (EEAs) of the county-level public security bureaus (PSBs) under the guidance of the National Immigrat

Practical

• ☐ Plug type A/I, 220V — bring an adapter if yours differs
• ☐ Drives on the right
• ☐ Emergency (police): 110
• ☐ Emergency (ambulance): 120
• ☐ Emergency (fire): 119
• ☐ SIM: Mobile phones offer good service in China, with strong 4G and 5G networks. International roaming is expensive (¥12–35/min), but roaming data is uncensored. Check rates with your provider or consider a prepaid Chinese SIM card if staying for more than a few days. SIM cards usually require a passport and registration at the provider's main office.
• ☐ Money: Outside of star-rated or chain hotels, major supermarkets, and high-class restaurants, foreign credit/debit cards like Visa and MasterCard are generally not accepted and most transactions will require cash or mobile payments. Many department stores and large grocery stores have point-of-sale terminals for Chinese bank cards, but most foreign cards are not supported.
• ☐ Tipping: As a general rule, tipping is not practised in China. When leaving a tip on your table, it is common to see a waiter chase after you to return the money you "forgot" to take.

Laws that could get a tourist arrested

• ☐ Drug offenses — Drug trafficking is a serious offense that can result in the death penalty for foreigners. Consumption leads to fines, imprisonment, and deportation.
• ☐ Exit bans — Chinese dual citizens or those with Chinese heritage may be subject to exit bans. This keeps them in China for years to compel cooperation with investigations or pressure relatives.
• ☐ Political and sensitive activity — Engaging in political activity or bypassing the internet firewall can lead to government scrutiny. Punishments for violating restricted freedoms can be heavy, including extrajudicial detention.

Before you go

General trip-prep, not specific to China — the same short list applies anywhere.

• ☐ Register with your embassy's traveler program if one exists
• ☐ Check your passport's validity and blank-page requirements on your destination's official entry-rules page
• ☐ Photograph/screenshot your passport, visa, and travel insurance documents
• ☐ Download offline maps for your destination
• ☐ Confirm your bank/card issuer knows you're traveling
• ☐ Check whether your phone plan needs a travel add-on or a local SIM