China SIM card from the UAE: tourist cards, roaming or a data eSIM
A China SIM card for a UAE resident comes three ways. A Shanghai visitor card from China Telecom was 85 yuan for 7 days in March 2024 and needs your passport. A roaming pack on your UAE line is AED 70.00 to 200.00 for a week. A data eSIM on 
China Unicom 5G installs at home: 1GB for 7 days is AED 14.99. We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here, and eSIM Go is not affiliated with e&, du, Virgin Mobile UAE, China Unicom or China Telecom.
At a glance
- Purchase QR code by e-mail · after payment
- Installation profile on your phone · up to 365 days
- Activation first network on the trip · the clock starts
Data in China from the UAE: the options side by side
A China SIM card is one of three routes to data in China, next to a roaming pack on your UAE line and a data eSIM. Only the local card asks for your passport, and only the pack keeps your UAE number for calls.
| Option | Price | What you need | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| e& (Etisalat), du or Virgin Mobile roaming pack | AED 35.00 to AED 1,200.00 a pack from about AED 15.00 per GB | Roaming switched on and a pack bought before you fly | Costs more per GB than the eSIM |
| Pocket Wi-Fi router | Not verified | Collect it, keep it charged and return it | One connection for the group, only while you stay together |
| Local SIM bought on arrival | Not verified | A free SIM slot and a shop after landing | On a one-slot phone it replaces your UAE SIM |
| Travel eSIM from this site | from AED 14.99 by card; from AED 4.30 per GB | An eSIM phone that is not locked to one operator | Data only: no calls or SMS on your UAE number |
Pack prices as listed by e&, du and Virgin Mobile on 15 Oct 2026; AED per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). eSIM prices are in AED at the day’s rate: your card is charged exactly that amount.
| Option | Price we found | Real-name registration | Calls on it |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Unicom or China Telecom visitor card | 85 yuan for 7 days (Shanghai, March 2024) | Yes, passport | Not stated in the announcements |
| Pack on an e&, du or Virgin Mobile UAE line | AED 70.00 to 200.00 for 7 days | Not applicable | Your UAE number, charged per minute |
| Data eSIM | AED 14.99 for 1GB, 7 days | No ID check | None (data-only) |
eSIM for China: most chosen plans
Your card is charged exactly AED 14.99; the charge is in UAE dirhams. The seller is registered outside the UAE, so some banks may still add a foreign-merchant fee — how card payment works.
What it costs per day
Plan price in AED ÷ days, at the rate of 17 Oct. A longer plan usually costs less per day: pick by your trip length, not by the lowest daily price.
Short-term SIM cards for visitors in Beijing and Shanghai
Visitor cards exist in both cities: China Unicom announced 7- to 30-day cards in Beijing in March 2025, and China Telecom priced its Shanghai cards from 85 yuan in March 2024. We found no current price for either, so treat them as a lead, not a quote.
In Beijing, the city government says “China Unicom (Beijing) has introduced communication card plans valid for 7, 10, 15, and 30 days respectively” (4 Mar 2025). They are issued at China Unicom’s service halls at Capital and Daxing airports and at a “Beijing Service” counter, “each taking only 5 minutes to finish”. The announcement gives no prices or data volumes, and we could not confirm on 16 Oct 2026 that the cards are still sold.
Shanghai gives prices. The Shanghai branch of China Telecom offered 7/15/30-day cards at 23 outlets across the city’s 16 districts (Shanghai government, 15 Mar 2024):
| China Telecom Shanghai card | Price | about yuan per day |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | 85 yuan | 12.14 |
| 15 days | 125 yuan | 8.33 |
| 30 days | 195 yuan | 6.50 |
The per-day column is our arithmetic, and the source gives no data volumes. On a 4-day stay the 7-day card costs about 21.25 yuan for each day you use it, against 12.14 over its full week. The Shanghai prices are 31 months old and the Beijing announcement 19 months, so ask for today’s price at the counter.
e&, du and Virgin Mobile in China: a week and One Country
China is in the main roaming zone of e&, du and Virgin Mobile UAE, with 7-day packs from AED 70.00 to AED 200.00 and a free One Country pass on Virgin Mobile plans of 20GB and up (15 Oct 2026). All keep your UAE number.
| 7-day pack with data | Line | Data | AED | about AED per GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| e& Weekly Data | prepaid | 4GB until 10 Jan 2027 | 100.00 | 25.0 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | 5GB | 70.00 | 14.0 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | 10GB | 100.00 | 10.0 |
| du roaming data bundle | prepaid | 10GB | 200.00 | 20.0 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | unlimited | 200.00 | no fair-use figure listed |
| Virgin Mobile UAE pack | prepaid + postpaid | 2GB | 100.00 | 50.0 |
| Virgin Mobile UAE pack | prepaid + postpaid | 10GB | 200.00 | 20.0 |
Source: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026), du.ae (15 Oct 2026), virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026); the per-GB column is our arithmetic. e& doubles Weekly Data to 4GB only until 10 Jan 2027; at the normal 2GB it is AED 50.00 per GB.
Check when the days start. e&’s weekly pack is “Charged upon purchase but validity starts upon first eligible usage.” du’s pages disagree on when its postpaid data bundles start, so buy shortly before you fly and check the activation note in the du app.
China is on the Virgin One Country list (34 countries on the page, 15 Oct 2026). You pick one country a month, and “It won’t auto renew. Don’t forget to re-activate every month.” du also sells its own travel eSIM in US dollars: for China, 10GB for 30 days is US$52, about AED 190.97 (du.ae/travelesim, 15 Oct 2026).
A week in China: roaming pack vs eSIM
3.4× cheaper than prepaid packs Free on Virgin Mobile 20 GB+ plans5.6 GB for 7 days (0.8 GB a day, social media and photos): the cheapest prepaid way to get it, and postpaid where it is lower.
On roaming your UAE number also takes calls and SMS; the eSIM is data only. Packs at the operator’s AED price, as listed on 15 Oct 2026; the eSIM at its AED price on 17 Oct, charged in AED by card. Work out your own trip.
Real-name registration: what a local SIM asks for
A local China SIM card needs your passport and an unlocked phone. A data eSIM from us has no ID check and installs before you fly.
Shanghai’s education commission FAQ, written for students, says “The Chinese government requires real-name registration for anyone activating a SIM card, so make sure to bring your passport” (7 Mar 2024). It adds: “Make sure your phone is unlocked (or no Chinese SIM card will work in it).” Beijing’s airport cards ask for “passports and visas”. Either way, you buy the card at a counter in China after you land.
Our China eSIM joins the local network of China Unicom on 5G. The price in AED for 10GB over 30 days is AED 42.99. The unlimited plans run 3 to 30 days at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps; the 7-day plan is AED 104.99, about AED 15.00 a day (our arithmetic). Every China plan takes a top-up online.
Charged in AED by JET SHARING (USA). Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee; see how to pay. Every size is on China eSIM plans; for several Asian countries see the regional plan on Asia eSIM plans.
Our eSIMs for China are data-only — keep your UAE number on your main SIM for calls and SMS. e& and Virgin Mobile don’t charge for SMS you receive abroad; calls you receive are charged per minute, AED 4.25 on e& outside the GCC (15 Oct 2026). We found no du price for SMS you receive abroad. Setup: keep your UAE number.
Install before you fly; it connects when you land in China, and the days count from that first connection. An iPhone sets the APN by itself; on Android the China plan needs it entered by hand, see APN settings.
Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE; they do not provide service in the UAE. If the eSIM has not connected to any network, you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase.
Check before you fly
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 > Cellular > Cellular Data; on Android, the SIM manager. Pick the travel line there; your UAE 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.ae 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, AED 14.99. For two weeks or more, with photos and social media, I’d go for 5 GB for 30 days, AED 25.99. If you video-call and stream every day, take the unlimited plan for 7 days, AED 104.99, 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 UAE number every day, roaming on your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line keeps them, and some packs include minutes (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
Do I need a passport for a SIM card in China?
Yes. Shanghai’s education commission FAQ says “The Chinese government requires real-name registration for anyone activating a SIM card, so make sure to bring your passport” (7 Mar 2024). A data eSIM from us has no ID check.
Where can I get a visitor SIM in Beijing?
China Unicom (Beijing) issued 7-, 10-, 15- and 30-day cards at its service halls at Capital and Daxing airports (Beijing government, 4 Mar 2025). We found no prices and could not confirm availability on 16 Oct 2026, so check with China Unicom first.
Is China in Virgin One Country?
Yes. China is one of the 34 countries on the Virgin Mobile UAE One Country page (15 Oct 2026). The pass is free with plans of 20GB and up and does not renew itself.
Is there an unlimited eSIM for China?
Yes. Our China plans include unlimited data for 3 to 30 days, at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps. The 7-day plan is AED 104.99. du lists an unlimited 7-day bundle at AED 200.00 on postpaid, with no fair-use figure (15 Oct 2026).
Does my UAE SIM use data in China without a pack?
No. Your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line won’t use mobile data abroad unless you add a roaming pack (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS). China is in the main roaming zone of all three, with packs from AED 35.00 for one day (15 Oct 2026).
Sources checked: Beijing government, communication services for foreign visitors: english.beijing.gov.cn (4 Mar 2025) · Shanghai government, short-term SIM cards: english.shanghai.gov.cn (15 Mar 2024) · Shanghai education commission, how to get a SIM card: edu.sh.gov.cn (7 Mar 2024) · e&, roaming packs and rates: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026) · du, roaming bundles and FAQ: du.ae (15 Oct 2026) · du, travel eSIM prices: du.ae (15 Oct 2026) · Virgin Mobile UAE, roaming packs and One Country: virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026).
Get an eSIM for China, from AED 14.99 Pay by card in AED. The seller is registered outside the UAE, so some banks may still add a foreign-merchant fee. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by e-mail after payment. See plans