China Airport Arrival Checklist 2026: What to Do the Moment You Land

You have landed in China. You are standing in the arrivals hall with your passport and a vague plan. This checklist tells you exactly what to do next, in order, so you do not waste time or get stuck in a situation you cannot get out of.

Before You Get Off the Plane

The decisions you make in the last 30 minutes of the flight determine how smooth your first hour in China will be.

Fill out your arrival card. The flight attendants pass these out about an hour before landing. Complete every field: passport number, flight number, duration of stay, hotel address. If you do not have a printed hotel booking, write the city name and “hotel booking on phone.” Keep a pen in your carry-on bag because the airline rarely provides one.

Switch your phone to airplane mode. China’s cellular networks will not connect to your home carrier without a local SIM or eSIM anyway, and roaming charges start the moment the cabin door opens. Leave airplane mode on until you have your eSIM or local SIM ready.

Get your documents ready. Put your passport, printed visa or visa-free confirmation (if applicable), departure card (if required by your airline), and hotel booking in an easily accessible pocket. Do not dig through your bag at the immigration counter.

Step 1: Immigration and Customs

The immigration queue at major Chinese airports moves faster than most people expect — typically 15-30 minutes for foreign passport holders at Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong, and Guangzhou Baiyun.

Use the foreign passport line. Do not join the domestic or e-Channel lines. Look for “Foreign Passports” / “All Passports” signage. If you are on a visa-free transit program, tell the officer clearly: “Transit. 240 hours. Going to [next country].”

Common issues at immigration:

• Your photo does not match your face (new haircut, glasses vs no glasses) — staying calm and patient works better than arguing
• The officer asks where you are staying — have your hotel name and address ready
• Your entry stamp is smudged or hard to read — ask the officer to re-stamp it clearly

After immigration: follow the baggage claim signs, collect your luggage, and walk through the green “Nothing to Declare” channel unless you have items that require declaration (over 5000 RMB in goods, large amounts of cash).

Step 2: Get Connected

Your first priority after clearing customs is getting internet access. Everything else — paying for a taxi, checking maps, messaging your hotel — depends on this.

Option A: Activate your pre-purchased eSIM (recommended). If you bought a China eSIM before departure (Holafly, Airalo, Nomad, or AloSIM), turn off airplane mode, go to Settings → Cellular → enable your eSIM data line, and turn on data roaming. It should connect within 60 seconds. If it does not, manually select China Mobile as the carrier.

If you are an iPhone user, check the eSIM comparison tool for which provider works best at your arrival airport.

Option B: Buy a physical SIM at the airport. Every major Chinese airport has China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom counters in the arrivals hall. You need your passport. Plans cost around 100-150 RMB for 10-15 GB. The process takes 10-15 minutes. Tell the staff “data only” if you do not need a Chinese phone number.

Option C: Connect to airport WiFi. Most airports offer free WiFi that works with foreign phone numbers. Connect to the “Airport-Free-WiFi” network, open your browser, enter your phone number, receive an SMS code, and you are online. This works but can take 2-3 minutes and may disconnect after 30 minutes.

Step 3: Get Cash

Even if you plan to use Alipay for everything, you need cash for the first hour. Airport taxis accept cash but many do not accept foreign cards directly. ATM machines are located near the exits in the arrivals hall.

How much to withdraw: 500-1000 RMB (about $70-140 USD). This covers your taxi to the hotel, a meal, and a backup for anything that does not accept Alipay.

ATMs that work with foreign cards: Look for Bank of China, ICBC, or China Merchants Bank ATMs. They have English interfaces and accept Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, and American Express. The withdrawal fee is typically 15-30 RMB per transaction plus whatever your bank charges.

Step 4: Get to Your Accommodation

You have three options for getting from the airport to your hotel. Choose based on your budget, luggage, and comfort level.

Taxi: The most straightforward option. Follow the “Taxi” signs to the official taxi rank. Do not accept rides from people approaching you inside the terminal. Show the driver your hotel name and address in Chinese characters. Use the show to driver tool to print your destination in large Chinese characters that taxi drivers can read.

• Beijing Capital to city center: 100-150 RMB, 40-60 minutes
• Shanghai Pudong to city center: 180-250 RMB, 50-70 minutes
• Guangzhou Baiyun to city center: 100-150 RMB, 40-50 minutes

DiDi: The app-based option. If you have DiDi installed and an internet connection, you can order a ride from the app. Go to the designated ride-hailing pickup area (follow “Online Car” signs). DiDi accepts foreign credit cards. The price is usually 10-20% cheaper than a regular taxi.

Airport Express Train: The fastest option in some cities.

• Shanghai Pudong → Maglev train to Longyang Road: 7 minutes, 50 RMB
• Beijing Capital → Airport Express to Dongzhimen: 20 minutes, 25 RMB
• Guangzhou Baiyun → Metro Line 3 to city center: 30-40 minutes, 8 RMB

The airport express trains are clean, fast, and cheaper than taxis. They connect to the city metro system, so you can reach most central hotels.

Step 5: Check In and Activate Alipay

Once you arrive at your hotel, check in, drop your bags, and complete your Alipay setup. The hotel WiFi is usually more reliable than airport WiFi, and you have time to go through the verification steps without people waiting behind you.

Set up Alipay with your foreign Visa or Mastercard. The passport verification can take a few minutes, and sometimes requires a second attempt.

Common First-Hour Mistakes

These are the mistakes I see most often from travelers who did not use a checklist:

Using the wrong SIM card slot. If you bought a physical Chinese SIM, make sure it goes in the correct slot. Some phones have a “SIM 1” for your home carrier and “SIM 2” for travel. If you put the Chinese SIM in the wrong slot, you may not get data.

Not keeping the arrival card stub. Some airports give you a small stub when you clear immigration. Keep it in your passport. You may need it when checking into hotels.

Overpaying for airport currency exchange. Airport exchange counters offer terrible rates. Withdraw from an ATM instead — you will get the mid-market rate plus a small ATM fee.

Trying to use Google Maps at the airport. Google Maps does not work in China without a VPN. Download Baidu Maps or Gaode Maps before you travel, or use Apple Maps which works without any additional setup.

The Ideal First 60 Minutes (Cheat Sheet)

Time	Action	Location
Minute 1-5	Immigration + passport control	Passport control counter
Minute 5-15	Baggage claim	Carousel
Minute 15-18	Customs (green channel)	Customs exit
Minute 18-25	Activate eSIM or buy SIM	Near arrivals exit
Minute 25-30	Withdraw cash from ATM	Near arrivals exit
Minute 30-45	Taxi / DiDi / Airport Express	Transport hub
Minute 45-60	Check into hotel + set up Alipay	Hotel room