Not long ago, China had one of the toughest visa policies in the world, offering 15-day visa-free access to just three countries: Japan, Singapore, and Brunei. Everyone else had to apply for a visa in advance, which killed the idea of visiting the country for many people in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s changed quite a bit in the last three years. The visa-free list<\/a> has now grown to include South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, much of Europe and South America, and more. A few countries with recent diplomatic tensions – such as the US, UK, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Lithuania – are still excluded, but that could change. I was honestly surprised to see how “warmly” Australians are now being welcomed.<\/p>\n\n\n If you\u2019re from one of the excluded countries, there\u2019s still the Transit Without Visa<\/strong> (TWOV) program. If you\u2019re flying into China from one country and out to another, you can stay for up to 10 days without a visa in many cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still need a tourist visa? From the UK at least, the process is easy and fast. British passport holders applying from the UK currently receive a two-year multiple-entry visa by default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Payment]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s one part of your trip that needs advance planning, it\u2019s payments. China is nearly cashless and <\/em>cardless – neither are widely accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use cards in some places like major hotels, shopping malls, and Starbucks. Interestingly, American Express works more reliably than Visa or Mastercard because it\u2019s authorised to settle payments locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But for everyday spending – from metro rides to street snacks – you\u2019ll need WeChat Pay or Alipay. Download one of the two payment wallets before arriving in China. They’re used everywhere <\/strong>and I mean it. You\u2019ll either scan or present a QR code, with no traditional card terminals involved.<\/p>\n\n\n I personally prefer WeChat Pay. Both WeChat and Alipay are powerful super-apps that do everything from payments and messaging to food delivery and ride-hailing. But WeChat has a cleaner design and more importantly no annoying pop-ups or push notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good news: both apps now support linking international bank cards, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Just note the following fee structure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a \u00a5200 transaction will incur an extra \u00a56. That fee applies equally to both WeChat Pay and Alipay. However, many other apps (like 12306 and Ctrip) don\u2019t charge extra if you pay by card directly, if they support direct card payment of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Internet]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve probably heard of China\u2019s Great Firewall (GFW), which blocks access to websites like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and many foreign websites. A few years ago, staying at a five-star hotel might\u2019ve helped as many of them used to offer unrestricted internet. But that\u2019s no longer the case, so you\u2019ll need your own solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I rely on both a VPN and mobile roaming. A few friends suggested LetsVPN<\/a> to me which I used during my recent three-week trip and it worked smoothly on both my laptop and phone, though it\u2019s limited to two devices per account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe it is one of the best VPNs out there, at least for the purpose of travelling to China. If you sign up using my referral link<\/a> you will get a 3-day free trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for mobile data, a foreign SIM card will often bypass the firewall automatically. Lebara<\/a> used to include free China roaming until very recently. Now, your best bets are CMLink and CTExcel – both are Chinese state-owned telecom companies with PAYG roaming plans (e.g. \u00a318 for 50GB over 90 days).<\/p>\n\n\n For shorter stays, consider an eSIM. There are dozens of providers and I use Airalo<\/a>, which is easy and works well. Feel free to use my referral code KAI2510 <\/strong>for a discount on your first order. They also offer a 15% off discount code<\/a> that works on all orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Navigation & Transport]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Maps doesn\u2019t work in China – not because of the GFW, but because Google doesn\u2019t have the mapping rights there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My go-to navigation app is Gaode<\/a>. It\u2019s reliable and detailed enough for most travellers. If you\u2019re an iPhone user, Apple Maps will also work; it actually runs on Gaode\u2019s backend in China.<\/p>\n\n\n Now let\u2019s talk trains. China\u2019s high-speed rail network is phenomenal and please check out my reviews below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless you\u2019re covering very long distances, the train will usually be better than flying. Domestic flights can be expensive and prone to delays, and there aren\u2019t really any true low-cost airlines like in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can book train tickets via 12306 (the official channel) or many other travel agencies like cTrip or Alibaba’s Fliggy platform. I recommend 12306 as it’s easier for managing bookings, plus there’s no additional fee when paying with a foreign bank card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Public transport in major cities is excellent (but can be crowded as well), especially the metro systems. Cities like Beijing and Shanghai have extensive networks that are clean, efficient, and cheap to use. Both cities recently introduced tap-in\/tap-out systems with contactless card payments; in other cities however, you\u2019ll still need to scan a QR code or buy a paper ticket at the station.<\/p>\n\n\n That said, taxis are quite affordable, especially if you\u2019re travelling as a group of three or four. Instead of flagging one down on the street, it\u2019s best to use Didi<\/a>, China\u2019s equivalent of Uber. It\u2019s fully integrated into both WeChat and Alipay, so you won\u2019t need a separate app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Accommodation]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I travel in China, I usually stay at international hotel chains. Prices are low, and quality can be far superior to what you’d get in Europe or the US for twice the amount (if not more). Here are some of my recent hotel reviews:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In cities like Beijing or Shanghai, you can get a very good four-star hotel for \u00a380, and luxury five-star properties for around \u00a3120. Prices drop even further in smaller cities.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/wiki-visa-policy-of-china.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/wechat-alipay.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/airalo-logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/china-hsr-intelligent-emu-business-studio-carriage.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/hilton-didi.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/intercontinental-shanghai-wonderland-architecture.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/01\/trip-com-logo.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n