China Essentials
Visa, payments, tax refunds, connectivity, trains, healthcare — the ten answers first-time visitors actually need, each with policy dates and official caveats.
Before you go
Paying in China
Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept foreign passports and international cards. Limits were raised in 2025 to USD 5,000 per transaction and USD 50,000 per year — here is how to set it up before you land.
🛂 Before you goVisa & Visa-free Entry
Two separate policies let many travelers skip the visa entirely: unilateral visa-free entry (48 countries, 30 days) and 240-hour transit visa-free (55 countries, 65 ports of entry). Here is how to tell which one applies to you.
🧾 Before you goTax Refund — 11% Back
The refund threshold dropped to CNY 200, refund agencies pay 11% of the price, instant refunds are spreading, and since September 2026 the whole process is paperless. Shopping in China literally pays back.
📶 Before you goInternet & SIM Cards
Roam or use an overseas eSIM and Google, WhatsApp and Instagram keep working in China with no VPN. Only local Chinese SIMs face app restrictions — pick your connectivity with this page before you fly.
On the ground
Trains & High-Speed Rail
The 12306 app verifies foreign passports online (since 2023), sells tickets 15 days ahead, supports international cards, and issues e-invoices for 180 days after travel. China's rail network is fully no-smoking.
🏥 On the groundHealthcare & Insurance
China's international-facing medical network is real and growing — 1.28 million international patient visits a year at key hospitals. Three tiers of care, how to pay, and which visa you need if treatment is the trip's purpose.
🏨 On the groundHotels & the 24-hour Rule
Hotels register you automatically — but if you stay in an apartment, guesthouse or a friend's home, the law requires you (or your host) to report to the local police within 24 hours. Almost no English guide site gets this right.
Culture & daily life
Customs, Etiquette & Tipping
Tipping is not part of Chinese culture — a 1987 regulation still bans demanding it, and staff may chase you to return forgotten notes. Plus the culture shocks visitors actually hit: forced dishes, three rounds of gift refusal, and the Spring Festival shutdown.
🆘 Culture & daily lifeSafety & Emergencies
Violent crime against visitors is rare and cities are comfortable at night — the real risks are scams and pickpocketing-class issues. Emergency numbers, who to call, and the habits that keep you out of trouble.
🚻 Culture & daily lifeDaily Life FAQ
Toilets, tap water, squat vs sitting, navigation apps and nap-time culture — the small questions foreign visitors ask most, answered plainly (with official-source caveats where facts are policy-based).