Verified coverageChina network
Access to top-tier carriers for a stable and fast connection
Need help choosing?
Not sure which plan to pick? Try our data calculator.
Is your device eSIM-ready?
A quick check to see if your phone supports eSIM.
100% secure payment
Multiple payment methods accepted
eSIM Shanghai
Our China eSIM works in Shanghai: the same plans at the same prices as on the China page. Data from the moment you land, and your usual number stays on.
Shanghai, China eSIM plans and prices
4% in SimCoins- Networks
- China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom
- Mobile network
- 5G / 4G
- Hotspot / tethering
- Yes
- Top-up
- Yes
- Validity
- 30 days
Unlimited Shanghai, China eSIM plans: high-speed data every day
- 14-day refund if not activated
- Support within 24 h
- Install before you leave
Need help choosing?
Not sure which plan to pick? Try our data calculator.
100% secure payment
Multiple payment methods accepted
Getting online in Shanghai
Shanghai is covered by our China eSIM, the same plans as everywhere else in mainland China. Install it before you fly and you have data from Pudong onward. It's data only: your usual number stays active alongside it. Many foreign apps are blocked in mainland China, so set up the local apps you need before you leave.
PVGShanghai Pudong International Airport
Pudong
Your eSIM connects
As soon as your phone finds a local network. Set the eSIM as your data line and turn on data roaming for it.
Free airport Wi‑Fi
Free airport Wi‑Fi without a Chinese phone number: on the login page, scan the photo page of your passport to connect. Source, Apr 2026
Local SIM cards
- China Telecom Short-term SIM for foreign visitors, 7 days
- CNY 85
- China Telecom prepaid SIM, issued on your passport; the 15-day card costs 125 yuan and the 30-day card 195 yuan Source, Mar 2024
To buy a Chinese SIM card, you show your passport in a China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom store and register the card. Source, Dec 2023
With Simsima, no passport and nothing to pick up: the eSIM is already in your phone.
Your networks on the ground
The plans on this page connect to these networks in China.
China Mobile5G
China Unicom5G
China Telecom4G
Along the way
The same plan follows you everywhere in China, day trips included.
- The BundThe historic riverfront facing Pudong
- Yu GardenA classical garden and the old-town bazaar
- Former French ConcessionPlane-tree streets and cafés
- LujiazuiPudong's towers, including Shanghai Tower
- SuzhouA day trip by train to the canal city
Apps worth installing before you go
- AlipayPayments, metro, rides
- In English. You can link a foreign bank card, pay by QR code, ride Shanghai’s metro and buses with its virtual card, and book DiDi inside the app. Source, Mar 2024
- AMap GlobalDirections
- Gaode's English map for visitors: routes by car, transit, on foot or by bike, step-by-step navigation and taxi booking. Source, Apr 2025
- WhatsApp, LINE, GoogleBlocked in mainland China
- Freedom House reports that WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, LINE and several Google services (Maps, Translate, Drive) are blocked in mainland China. Install the Chinese apps you need before you leave. Source, Oct 2024
Internet in Shanghai: eSIM, SIM card or pocket WiFi?
Four ways to get online when you land, and what changes for you.
For a trip in Shanghai, an eSIM is the simplest
Installed at home, online as soon as you land, and your number stays active. No counter, no device to return.
| Simsima.Travel eSIM | Local SIM card | Pocket WiFi | Your carrier's roaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where to get it | Online, before you fly | On arrival, at an airport counter or store | Rental: a device to pick up, then return | Already in your usual plan |
| When you're online | As soon as you land, installed at home | After buying it locally | After picking up the device | As soon as you land |
| Your number | Stays active on your usual line | Replaced by a local number, your SIM comes out | Stays on your phone | Stays active |
| ID required | None | Passport required to buy source | Depends on the rental company | None |
| Devices | Your phone, hotspot allowed | One unlocked phone | Several devices, battery to charge | Your phone |
| Price | From $1.50 | Depends on the local carrier | Daily rental | Depends on your carrier |
How to install your Shanghai eSIM
Install it before you leave: it takes two minutes. These are the real screens of your phone, step by step.
Before you leave: install your eSIMStep 1 of 11
- Open Settings, then Cellular.
- Tap “Add eSIM”.
- Tap “Scan QR Code” and scan the QR code we email you after purchase (it's also in your account).
- “Activate eSIM” opens: tap Continue.
- Choose Abroad, then tap Continue.
- Choose Data Only, then tap Continue. The eSIM is for data; your usual number keeps calls and texts.
- Tap Done. Your iPhone will remind you to turn on the eSIM once you're abroad.
- When you land, your iPhone may show “Turn On Travel eSIM”: tap the notification.
- Choose “Travel eSIM and Current eSIM”, then Continue. You keep your number for calls and texts (bank codes included); your carrier may charge for calls you receive.
- Low Data Mode saves your plan: tap “Turn On Low Data Mode”, or “Not Now”.
- You're set: Cellular Data shows the new eSIM.
After you buy, your QR code arrives by email and in your account. Show it on another screen, then follow these steps on your phone.
Before you leave: install your eSIMStep 1 of 8
- Open Settings, then Connections.
- Tap “SIM manager”.
- Tap “Add eSIM”.
- Choose “Scan QR code”.
- Scan the QR code we email you after purchase (it's also in your account), then tap Add.
- When you land, turn on your new eSIM in SIM manager. It shows the name of a local or partner carrier.
- Choose the new eSIM for mobile data.
- In Connections, Mobile networks, turn on data roaming.
After you buy, your QR code arrives by email and in your account. Show it on another screen, then follow these steps on your phone.
Before you leave: install your eSIMStep 1 of 7
- Open Settings, then Network & internet.
- Tap “SIMs” (Add a network).
- Tap “Set up an eSIM”.
- Scan the QR code we email you after purchase (it's also in your account), then confirm.
- When you land, open your new eSIM (it shows the name of a local or partner carrier) and turn on “Use this SIM”.
- Turn on mobile data for the new eSIM.
- Turn on roaming. If nothing loads, turn off automatic network selection and pick the network manually.
After you buy, your QR code arrives by email and in your account. Show it on another screen, then follow these steps on your phone.
Before you leave: install your eSIMStep 1 of 8
- Open Settings, then Mobile networks or Network & internet.
- Tap “Mobile network”.
- Tap “Add SIM”.
- Tap “Set up an eSIM”.
- Scan the QR code we email you after purchase (it's also in your account), then confirm.
- When you land, open your new eSIM (it shows the name of a local or partner carrier) and turn on “Use SIM”.
- Turn on mobile data for the new eSIM.
- Turn on roaming. If nothing loads, turn off automatic network selection and pick the network manually.
After you buy, your QR code arrives by email and in your account. Show it on another screen, then follow these steps on your phone. On Xiaomi, Oppo or OnePlus the menus have other names: search for “eSIM” in Settings.
Frequently asked questions
What travelers ask before a trip to Shanghai.
