China SIM card for Indian travellers: roaming, local SIM or eSIM

China eSIM or local SIM: what Indian travellers need

You need mobile data in China, not a Chinese phone number. Maps and translation run on data, and an eSIM for China installed in India supplies it from landing. It carries no calls or SMS, so keep your Indian SIM in the phone for calls and texts.

Pack prices as listed by Jio, Airtel and Vi on 12 Oct 2026; ₹ per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). eSIM prices are an estimate at the day’s rate; your card is charged in US$.

India’s Ministry of Tourism counted 291,284 departures of Indian nationals to China in 2025, up 12.9% from 258,082 in 2024 (our derivation). In our catalogue on 12 Oct 2026, every China plan runs on the China Unicom 5G network; China Mobile is not among its networks.

A physical China SIM card needs a free slot, so on a one-slot phone it replaces your Indian SIM. China verifies identity before it issues a local line. This page quotes no China SIM card price because we have not verified current ones.

Your Jio, Airtel or Vi pack in China vs this eSIM

Jio, Airtel and Vi all sell roaming packs that cover China. The four packs below cost ₹951 to ₹5,195 as listed on 12 Oct 2026, and each bundles calls on your Indian number, which our data-only eSIM does not. Vi’s Ultra packs give 2–5 GB in China, not unlimited data.

We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice.

Source: operator documents (Jio IR plans · Airtel T&C · Vi prepaid T&C), checked on 12 Oct 2026. The ≈ ₹ per GB column is our derivation (price ÷ GB).

Vi’s Ultra packs give unlimited data only in its “UL” zone of 40 countries. China sits in the non-UL zone, so the ₹3,495 pack gives 2 GB there and the ₹5,195 pack 5 GB.

For comparison, 5 GB for 30 days on our China eSIM costs ≈ ₹1,101 (12 Oct rate), about ₹220 (US$2.30) per GB, charged US$11.49; your bank may add a foreign-transaction markup. The pack wins when you need calls on your Indian number: Airtel’s ₹998 prepaid pack includes 150 minutes, while our plan includes none.

Hong Kong and Macao need their own plan

Our China plans do not include Hong Kong or Macao, so a trip that crosses into either needs another plan. The Ministry of Tourism counted 238,476 departures of Indian nationals to Hong Kong in 2025, up 7.6% from 221,575 in 2024 (our derivation). Buy the right plan before you fly; our SIM guides for other countries cover the rest of the route.

Two options cover the gap. The Hong Kong eSIM is a separate plan. Our Asia eSIM lists China, Hong Kong and Macao in one plan; keep that line switched off until you land abroad.

Operator packs treat the three places differently. Jio’s 100-country list for the ₹951 pack and Airtel’s country list both name China, Hong Kong and Macao. Vi’s prepaid T&C put Hong Kong and Macao in the UL zone but China in the capped zone, so the same Ultra pack gives unlimited data in Hong Kong and 2–5 GB across the border.

Apps you rely on from India: check before you fly

Before you rely on Google, WhatsApp or UPI apps in China, check the current situation; we do not promise access. An eSIM supplies mobile data, nothing more. Confirm how your key apps behave before you fly and download offline maps on home Wi-Fi.

Bank OTPs arrive by SMS on your Indian number, and our eSIM carries data only, so it cannot receive them. Keep your Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM in the phone as a second line with its mobile data off, and ask your operator whether incoming SMS works in China on your plan. UPI apps use the same number, so check with your bank first. The guide to keeping your Indian SIM for OTPs shows the dual-SIM settings. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you.

Install in India, set the APN on Android

Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad. Scan the QR code on home Wi-Fi. Data plan validity starts at the first connection to a Chinese network, so an early install uses no days. Check your model on the eSIM phone list before you buy.

On Android you type the APN by hand for the China plans; the plan page shows the value, and the APN settings guide walks through the screens. An iPhone sets it automatically. A missing APN is the first thing to check when the eSIM shows no data.

For a 15-day trip, 2 GB costs ≈ ₹717 (12 Oct rate), charged US$7.49 by card. The ₹ figure is an estimate at the day’s rate; the China eSIM page lists every plan size.

Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. How card payments work.

Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn’t work and it isn’t your phone’s fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

What if the eSIM doesn’t work when you land in China?

Check four settings, in this order, before you write to us.

The first is the line for mobile data. On iPhone it is Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data; on Android, the SIM manager. Pick the travel line there; your Indian line stays on for calls and SMS, with its mobile data off.

The second is data roaming, for the eSIM line only. The eSIM is a foreign profile, so the phone treats China as roaming for it.

The third is the APN. The plan does not set it by itself here: add globaldata on Android under the eSIM line’s mobile network settings.

The fourth is a restart. Restart the phone or switch airplane mode on and off, and let it find China Unicom; this can take a few minutes after you leave the plane.

Still no data? Write to us on WhatsApp or at support@esimgo.in with your order number, or go through the no-signal checklist. Do not delete the eSIM to “try again”: a deleted profile usually cannot be installed twice from the same code. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

What I’d choose (and when NOT to buy the eSIM)

For a week of maps, rides and messaging I’d take 1 GB for 7 days, ≈ ₹289 (US$2.99). For two weeks or more, with photos and social media, I’d go for 5 GB for 30 days, ≈ ₹1,111 (US$11.49). If you video-call and stream every day, take the unlimited plan for 7 days, ≈ ₹2,611 (US$26.99), with 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps.

I would not recommend the eSIM in three cases. If you need calls or SMS on your Indian number every day, a Jio, Airtel or Vi roaming pack carries them (compare the packs). If your phone has no eSIM or is locked to one operator, it cannot take the plan: check your model first. And if your group travels together all day and shares one connection, a pocket Wi-Fi can cover everyone.

FAQ

Get an eSIM for China, from ≈ ₹289 Pay by card in US$. Your bank converts the US$ charge at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction fee. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by e-mail after payment. See plans