Start with documents and the route
List every border crossing, including returns to mainland China. Check the entry route for the exact passport or travel document you will use before paying for transport. Save the official arrival-card entry and check whether you need to complete it.
Visa Entry guide →Prepare payment and communication
Set up more than one payment method, check phone compatibility and data/SMS needs, and save essential addresses and confirmations offline. A successful app registration does not establish that every payment or overseas service will work.
Payments guide →Sim Internet guide →Essential Apps guide →Arrange the first arrival
Book the first night, keep the hotel name and address in Chinese, and choose the transfer from the exact airport or railway station on your ticket. Leave later days flexible enough for delays or changes in access.
Arrival guide →Accommodation guide →Health preparation and insurance
Before departure, check that your destinations can provide the care you need and that your insurance covers local treatment, medical evacuation and repatriation. Discuss vaccinations and personal medical needs with a qualified clinician. Medical care can require payment. These are preparation steps, not a diagnosis or a promise of cover.
Travelling with medicines
Check the rules for your specific medicines with the relevant embassy or consulate and your clinician before travel. A medicine permitted at home may be restricted or unavailable abroad. Confirm a lawful supply for the whole journey.
Medical emergencies in mainland China
In mainland China, call 120 for an ambulance. Give your location and seek local help if you cannot communicate with the operator. Contact your insurer promptly when referred for treatment. Check emergency arrangements separately for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Conditional health entry checks
Medical entry checks can depend on your origin and route. For example, yellow-fever vaccination documentation may be required when arriving from a transmission-risk country. Use current official entry and travel-health guidance for your itinerary; vaccination advice is not the same as a universal entry requirement.
UK FCDO: China entry requirements; health conditions depend on route
Health preparation and insurance · Policy scope verified: 2026-10-02
Travelling with medicines · Policy scope verified: 2026-10-02
Medical emergencies in mainland China · Policy scope verified: 2026-10-02
Conditional health entry checks · Policy scope verified: 2026-10-02