Getting a SIM card in China: real-name registration explained
Every Chinese SIM is tied to a verified identity. You need your passport, you can hold up to five numbers, and where you buy matters more than most guides admit.
A Chinese phone number is not optional. Payment apps, food delivery, ride-hailing, hospital appointments and even some office buildings expect one. It is the first thing to sort out after your address registration.
Real-name registration is mandatory
China requires real-name authentication for anyone activating a SIM card. There is no anonymous prepaid option. You present your passport — or a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card if you hold one — and the number is registered to you.
One useful limit to know: a single passport can hold up to five SIM cards, each with a different number.
The three operators
China has three carriers, all state-owned:
- China Mobile (中国移动) — largest network, strongest rural coverage
- China Unicom (中国联通) — historically the most foreigner-friendly at the counter
- China Telecom (中国电信) — strong fixed-line and broadband bundles
Where you buy matters
This is the part that wastes people’s afternoons. Go to a service hall directly operated by the carrier, not a phone shop or a reseller kiosk. Franchised outlets frequently cannot complete foreign-passport registration, and you will be sent away after queuing.
Official guidance is explicit about this, and adds a practical step: call the branch first and ask whether they process applications from foreign nationals. Not every branch does, even among carrier-operated halls.
What to bring
- Your passport with a valid visa or entry stamp
- A local address — having completed your accommodation registration first makes this straightforward
- Cash or a working payment method for the initial top-up
eSIM and travel SIMs
If you are on a short trip, a travel eSIM bought before departure avoids the registration process entirely and works on arrival. The trade-off is real: a foreign-issued eSIM gives you data but not a Chinese mobile number, and a Chinese number is what many domestic apps require for sign-up and verification. For anything longer than a short stopover, get a local SIM.
Sources
- National Immigration Administration — Telecommunications
- Beijing Municipal Government — A Guide for Purchasing SIM Cards
- Shanghai Municipal Education Commission — How to get a SIM card in China
Carrier policies and branch capabilities vary by city and change over time. This page records what the official sources said on the verification date shown above; call the branch before travelling to it.