Your 72-Hour Pre-Departure Checklist

Use the last 72 hours to find gaps, not to assume that a visa, card verification or local phone plan can always be completed at the last minute. Entry information below was checked on 22 October 2026; the NIA country list is dated 17 February 2026 and its transit guidance 20 August 2026, so recheck the rules for your actual travel dates.

1. Confirm permission for your exact trip

Visa-free eligibility and visa requirements depend on the traveller and the itinerary. Check separately:

• Mutual or unilateral visa exemption: nationality, passport type, permitted purpose and maximum stay all matter, and a policy may have an end date.
• Regional or group schemes: their permitted ports, areas and travel arrangements can differ.
• 240-hour or 24-hour transit: these are conditional transit routes, not a general substitute for a tourist visa. Check the nationality list where applicable, confirmed onward travel to a third country or region, and the port, permitted-area and temporary-entry rules for the specific route.
• A visa: if your document, purpose, duration or itinerary does not fit a current exemption, arrange the appropriate visa before travelling.

Confirm the result with the National Immigration Administration and the Chinese embassy or consulate responsible for your jurisdiction. Do not treat this 72-hour checklist as a promise that a missing visa can be obtained before departure.

2. Check the passport and every booking

Make sure the passport is usable and its number and name match the bookings where those details are required. Passport-validity and blank-page requirements can depend on the traveller’s document, entry route and carrier check, so verify them with the relevant Chinese mission and travel provider rather than repeating a single rule for everyone. Save the first accommodation confirmation and any onward ticket required for your entry route.

3. Prepare payments without assuming success

Install the official Alipay and WeChat apps while your overseas number can receive SMS codes. Follow their international-card and identity prompts. Official 2026 guidance says card linking requires issuing-bank verification; if it fails, contact the payment product or issuer.

Pack a physical bank card and a small amount of RMB cash suited to your arrival and itinerary. Check card-network acceptance with the merchant or ATM rather than assuming every card terminal or QR code will work. Use the payments playbook for failed-link and failed-payment steps.

4. Arrange connectivity and offline access

Ask your home carrier whether its plan includes mainland China data, calls and incoming SMS, or check a travel eSIM’s exact coverage, validity and activation terms. For a local SIM, official guidance directs travellers to bring a passport to a China Telecom, China Mobile or China Unicom-owned store.

Download offline map areas and translation packs in apps that offer them. Save Chinese addresses, bookings, train order details and key numbers offline. Overseas-service availability varies by network and time; neither a VPN nor an eSIM is a guaranteed fix, and any online product you use must comply with Chinese law.

5. Confirm the first night and first transfer

Save the property’s Chinese name, address and phone number, plus its cancellation and check-in instructions. Read the accommodation-registration playbook: hotels handle registration for hotel guests, while non-hotel stays have a separate guest-or-host process. For the arrival transfer, keep the destination available offline and identify an official taxi queue, public-transport route or prearranged pickup that you can actually use.

6. Make the plan recoverable

Keep the original passport and essential documents with you, not only in cloud storage. Save offline copies of transport and accommodation bookings, insurance and important contacts, and carry any paper copies you want as backup. Share your itinerary and at least two possible contact methods with a trusted person, recognising that you may need to confirm which service works after arrival. Check your airline’s current rules for power banks and other charging equipment instead of relying on an old packing list.