China travel questions answered

It depends on your passport. The Chinese embassy in Ireland lists Ireland among 38 countries whose ordinary passport holders can enter without a visa for up to 30 days, for tourism, business, family or friend visits, exchange or transit. The visa centre site gives 31 December 2026 as the end of the 30-day policy, while the embassy page gives no end date, so check the date close to departure. Bring a passport valid for your whole stay. The embassy recommends carrying an onward ticket, hotel booking or invitation. No limit on entries is stated, and staying past 30 days needs a visa or stay permit. Rules change.

Check before you rely on it. Rules change. Look at the official page for your passport and your travel date.

Related: How do I fill in the China arrival card online on a computer? · What should I do before my first trip to China?

Official pages: Chinese Embassy in Ireland: visa-free entry (official) · Chinese Visa Application Service Center: common questions (official)

Checked 29 Oct 2026. Source: Chinese Embassy in Ireland, page dated 4 Dec 2024 (official); Chinese Visa Application Service Center common questions (official).

Use the free official card on the National Immigration Administration site. Have your passport, flight number, where you will stay in China and the reason for the trip ready. The passport page fills most of the form for you. Save the QR code as a PDF and email it to yourself. Nobody asked us to show it at the border, but it is better to have it. If a site asks you to pay, it is not the official one. The guide has the step by step screens.

Related: Can I do the China arrival card on my phone in Alipay? · Do I need a visa for China, and how long can I stay visa free?

Checked 15 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own experience; National Immigration Administration (official).

Yes. The same free arrival card is inside Alipay as a mini program, so you can do it on your phone instead of a computer. Have your passport, flight number, hotel details and reason for the trip ready. The passport page fills most of the form. Save the QR code as a PDF and send it to your email so it is on your phone either way. The card costs nothing, so close any site that asks for payment. There is a separate step by step guide and video for this version.

Related: How do I fill in the China arrival card online on a computer? · Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly?

Checked 15 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own experience; National Immigration Administration (official).

Sort ten small things: travel insurance, your hotel name and address in Chinese, the emergency numbers, your phone and data with a backup, a main and a backup way to pay, copies of your documents, a plan to pause around scams, a tiny medical kit, a translation app with saved places, and a simple first day. On my first trip my eSIM was ready but I forgot to switch it on before landing, so the backup plan mattered. Keep the first day simple: hotel, check payments and data, slow walk, easy food, rest.

Related: Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly? · What do I do if I lose my phone or passport in China?

Checked 20 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own experience.

Set up Alipay at home and link your own bank card, because that is how you pay with a foreign card. Third-party sources report a 3% fee on payments over ¥200. Search in English; it worked for me, and Live Text on iPhone or Circle to Search on Android translates anything else. English availability depends on your account region, so check Settings in your own app. If you send a parcel to a hotel, ask the hotel first and read the delivery estimate before paying, since delivery can take up to three days.

Related: Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly? · Which hotels worked for us in China, and do hotels accept parcels?

Checked 17 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own orders; third-party reports as cited in the guide.

Yes, both let you link a foreign card, and no Chinese bank account is needed. Set up at home, because setup can need a passport check and a text code. WeChat Pay waived foreign card fees for 90 days on new accounts, up to ¥1,000 a day, per Tencent's May 2026 announcement. Third-party sources report a 3% Alipay fee above ¥200. At home you can check registration, verification and card linking, but a real shop payment is only proven after you land, so carry cash and a second card. Whether Revolut or Wise cards link depends on the card.

Related: Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly? · How do I add the metro QR code in Alipay? · How do I order on Taobao as a foreigner?

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Source: Tencent newsroom, 27 May 2026 (official); Alipay fee is third-party; Revolut and Wise not tested by us.

Alipay and WeChat for paying, AMap Global for maps, DiDi inside Alipay or AMap's ride-hailing for taxis, and Railway 12306 or Trip.com for trains. Set up at home anything that needs a passport check, a text code or a store that is blocked in China: Alipay, WeChat, 12306, Trip.com, AMap, your eSIM and any VPN. Passport checks can take days. You can skip Google Maps, Uber and any 12306 lookalike. A VPN is usually not needed on eSIM mobile data, but it helps on hotel Wi-Fi.

Related: What are the most important apps to have in China? · Does Google work in China, and do I need a VPN if I have an eSIM? · How do I add the metro QR code in Alipay?

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own experience; app and eSIM provider pages as listed in the guide.

Alipay and WeChat for paying and messaging, a travel eSIM or VPN for Google and WhatsApp, and AMap for maps. Those are the first priorities and all need setting up at home. Add Railway 12306 or Trip.com for trains and download the Chinese pack in Google Translate or Microsoft Translator before you fly. Skip Waygo (not updated since 2017) and Kuli Kuli (a paywall). Ele.me is now called Taobao Flash Sale. The guide ranks all 25 apps with notes on what to set up first.

Related: Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly? · Does Google work in China, and do I need a VPN if I have an eSIM?

Checked 18 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own experience; app store listings as cited in the guide.

Google services are blocked on a Chinese network. Travel eSIM plans for China usually route your mobile data abroad, so Google and WhatsApp often work on mobile data without a VPN. Hotel Wi-Fi, laptops and Chinese SIM cards do not get that routing, so a VPN still helps there. Install and test it before you fly, because VPN sites do not open once you land, and carry a second one as a backup. For maps, use AMap or Apple Maps and save your hotel name in Chinese offline.

Related: Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly? · What are the most important apps to have in China?

Checked 18 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own experience; eSIM provider notes as cited in the guides.

A travel eSIM is the easier default: install it before you fly, switch it on and turn roaming on when you land, and Google and WhatsApp usually work on mobile data because the data is routed abroad. In 37 Reddit threads reporting first-hand, Trip.com eSIMs worked in 49 reports, patchily in 10 and failed in 2. A Chinese SIM is worth it only if you need a real +86 number for SMS codes or public Wi-Fi logins. Buy it at the airport counter with your original passport and a face scan. Check your phone supports eSIM first.

Related: Which VPN works in China? · Do I need a Chinese phone number? · Does Google work in China, and do I need a VPN if I have an eSIM?

Checked 17 Oct 2026. Source: Reddit tally (37 threads, to 15 Oct 2026); Airalo and Nomad blogs; official China tourism site, Mar 2026; prices change.

No VPN is guaranteed, so install two before you fly. In Reddit reports, Astrill worked most often (9 worked, 7 patchy, 6 failed, all 6 failures from the last two months). LetsVPN announced the end of its mainland China service on 28 April 2026. Install, pay for and log in on every device at home, because VPN websites are blocked once you land. A VPN mainly matters for hotel Wi-Fi and laptops, since an eSIM already routes your phone data abroad. Keep offline maps and translations as a backup.

Related: Should I get an eSIM or a Chinese SIM card? · Does Google work in China, and do I need a VPN if I have an eSIM?

Checked 17 Oct 2026. Source: Reddit tally (37 threads, to 15 Oct 2026); LetsVPN in-app notice via ermao.net, 29 Apr 2026.

Not for most tourist tasks. Foreign numbers are mostly accepted by WeChat, Alipay, DiDi, Trip.com and 12306. A +86 number helps with SMS codes, public Wi-Fi logins and drivers who call you. The delivery apps are the common sticking point: the Meituan phone field only takes mainland numbers, but the Meituan mini program inside WeChat or Alipay works around it. Start from the services you plan to use, test them with your own number, and get a Chinese SIM only if one of them fails.

Related: Should I get an eSIM or a Chinese SIM card? · Can foreigners use food delivery apps like Meituan in China?

Checked 17 Oct 2026. Source: China Guidelines, Feb and Jun 2026; official China tourism site, Mar 2026; Natali's experience.

Open Alipay, tap Transport, pick your city, tap Bus & Metro, tap Agree and obtain card, then enter your Alipay payment password. When you see Card collected successfully, tap Use now to open the QR code. Each city needs its own card. If the gate does not open, check the city selected at the top left and that you are using the Transport code, not the shop payment code. Fallback: buy a single-journey ticket at the machine, which accepts Alipay. Test it at home, but have a plan for when you land.

Related: Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly?

Checked 18 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own screen recording; Alipay+ documentation (official).

You do not need to download DiDi: it is already inside Alipay under Transport, then Taxi. AMap Global also has an English taxi button that asks several companies at once. At arrivals, ignore strangers offering a ride or claiming DiDi is not working, and only get in the car your app booked, after checking the plate and driver against the app. Enter the destination carefully, check the pickup point, and save the address in Chinese for the driver.

Related: Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly? · How do I add the metro QR code in Alipay?

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, travelchina.org.cn, Mar 2026 (official); Natali's tips.

Use the real Railway 12306 app (铁路12306), because lookalike apps exist. Tickets go on sale about 15 days before travel, so book busy routes as soon as they open. Registration can be the sticking point: I could not register through the Alipay version, so I booked on Trip.com for a small fee. You can skip 12306 that way. Compare the fee and the confirmation before paying. Set up your account at home, since it can need a passport check.

Related: Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly?

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own booking experience; first-time guide.

Point at the dish, or at someone else's, and say 我要这个 (wǒ yào zhège), I want this one. Show numbers with fingers, use a translator camera on menus, and pay with an Alipay or WeChat Pay QR code or small cash. Many restaurants use scan-to-order menus that need WeChat or Alipay. Do not count on a foreign card at street stalls. For takeaway say 打包 (dǎbāo), and for no spice say 不要辣 (bù yào là). Check any phrase in a translator app before you rely on it.

Related: Can foreigners use food delivery apps like Meituan in China? · Build spice tolerance before China

Checked 26 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's experience; China Navigators and The China Project as cited in the guide.

Yes. I used the Meituan mini program inside WeChat with a Chinese phone number and switched on WeChat's translation. Without a Chinese number, the Meituan mini program inside Alipay is reported to work on your Alipay account, and Taobao Instant (formerly Ele.me) works as an Alipay mini program. Standalone apps usually want a Chinese number. In the note, ask the rider to message, not call, and say whether to leave it at reception. On our order the delivery and packing fee was ¥3; fees are often ¥3 to ¥6.

Related: How do I order food in China without speaking Chinese? · Which apps do I need for China, and which do I set up before I fly?

Checked 28 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own order; Hidden China Travel and Travel to China as cited in the guide.

We stayed at four IHG hotels: InterContinental Shanghai Pudong, Crowne Plaza Shanghai Nanjing Road, voco Shanghai Hongqiao Hub and InterContinental Hangzhou ICC. All four accepted my Taobao parcels, but write to the hotel before you arrive. Our favourite was InterContinental Hangzhou ICC. We would not stay at the voco Hongqiao Hub again because of a constant sulfur smell. If you stay anywhere, ask for another room on the first day if something is wrong. This is our own experience at these four hotels, not a rule for all of China.

Related: How do I order on Taobao as a foreigner?

Checked 28 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own stays, Dec 2025 to Apr 2026.

The Bund promenade is free. Take Lines 2 or 10 to East Nanjing Road station, exit 2 or 7, and walk east along Nanjing East Road to the river. The lights usually go off at 22:00 on both banks and come on around 18:00 in winter and 19:30 in summer. Arrive 45 to 60 minutes before sunset to see both day and night views. Weekday mornings are the quiet time for photos. Only cruises, observation decks and the sightseeing tunnel cost money.

Related: How much is the Huangpu River night cruise, and which pier should I use? · How do I get to Nanjing Road in Shanghai, and when do the lights come on?

Checked 15 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own visit; Shanghai tourism sources as cited in the guide.

Nanjing Road pedestrian street is about 1.6 km, from People's Square to the Bund, and takes around an hour to walk with stops. Use People's Square station (Lines 1, 2, 8) for the west end or East Nanjing Road (Lines 2, 10) for the east end near the Bund. The lights come on at 18:00 from October to May and 19:00 from June to September, and go off at 22:00. Walking east, the street ends near the Peace Hotel on the Bund, about 500 m further.

Related: How do I visit the Bund in Shanghai at night?

Checked 15 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own visit; city sources as cited in the guide.

A standard 45 to 60 minute sightseeing cruise is about 120 to 150 RMB, and a 30 minute express is about 80 to 100 RMB, based on a Trip.com guide from August 2026. Dinner and VIP decks cost more. Shiliupu has the most routes, Jinling East Road is a short ride near the Bund, and Oriental Pearl suits Pudong stays. Tickets are tied to one pier. Bring your original passport, because online bookings are exchanged at the pier window. Go between 19:00 and 21:00 when both banks are lit.

Related: How do I visit the Bund in Shanghai at night?

Checked 15 Oct 2026. Source: Trip.com guide, Aug 2026, as cited in the guide; prices change.

We booked on Klook. You can also use the official site shcircusworld.com, Trip.com with QR code entry, or the box office from about 09:30. Prices run roughly 280 to 880 RMB depending on zone, per a 2026 guide, so check the date you want. The show is at 19:30 Tuesday to Sunday, plus 14:00 on Saturday and Sunday, and Monday is usually a rest day. Take Metro Line 1 to Shanghai Circus World station, exit 3, then walk about 3 minutes.

Related: How much is the Huangpu River night cruise, and which pier should I use? · How do I visit the Bund in Shanghai at night?

Checked 15 Oct 2026. Source: Natali's own booking; official site and 2026 guide as cited in the guide; prices change.

The only part I have verified is the emergency numbers: police 110, ambulance 120 and fire 119, per the UK government's China travel advice. Before you fly, keep copies of your documents, save your hotel name and address in Chinese, and set up a backup for your phone and data and a second way to pay, so one slip does not leave you without a map or wallet. For a lost passport, contact your own embassy in China. I have not yet written a step by step guide for this.

Related: What should I do before my first trip to China?

Checked 20 Oct 2026. Source: UK government China travel advice (official); Natali's checklist. Lost passport procedure not covered by the guide.